Infantry Weapons

RPG Launcher

Also known as
  • RPG
  • RPG launcher family
  • RPG-family launcher
  • Rocket-propelled grenade launcher
  • rocket propelled grenade launcher
  • unidentified RPG launcher
  • RPG-2
  • Type 56 rocket launcher
  • Type 56 RPG

RPG launchers are portable infantry anti-armor and direct-fire weapons used to fire explosive grenades against vehicles, buildings, helicopters, and fortified positions. This generic record covers conflict sources that identify RPG use without enough detail to assign a narrower model, from Mogadishu and Freetown to Darfur and Marawi.

RPG Launcher, Shoulder-fired anti-armor rocket-propelled grenade launcher, Infantry Weapons
Image source: Soviet RPG-7 Rocket-Propelled Grenade Launcher

Role in Conflicts

1991 Somali Civil War
Anti-ArmorAir DefenseInsurgent / Guerrilla UseFire Support
Side
Opposition and insurgent forcesal-Shabaab and affiliated insurgents

Somali militia forces used RPGs against U.S., Pakistani, and UNOSOM forces in Mogadishu in 1993, including roadblock-clearing attacks and RPG hits on Black Hawk helicopters. In the post-2006 al-Shabaab phase of the 1991 Somali Civil War, Human Rights Watch documented early 2007 Mogadishu insurgent attacks using RPGs or mortars against police stations, TFG and Ethiopian military bases, convoys, hotels used by officials, and African Union targets; the sources identify generic RPG use rather than a specific launcher model.

1991 Sierra Leone Civil War
Frontline AssaultInsurgent / Guerrilla Use
Side
Revolutionary United Front and allied rebel forces

Human Rights Watch documented Revolutionary United Front rebels using RPGs during the January 1999 Freetown offensive, including an attack on civilians sheltering in the Bashariah Mosque; the report uses generic RPG terminology rather than a specific launcher designation.

2003 War in Darfur
Frontline AssaultFire Support
Side
Sudanese government and allied militias

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International documented Sudanese government soldiers and Janjaweed/allied militia forces using rocket-propelled grenades or RPG bombs during attacks in Darfur; the sources do not identify a specific RPG launcher model.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet-designed RPG family and foreign copies; exact Marawi model not publicly identified
Type
Shoulder-fired anti-armor rocket-propelled grenade launcher
Service note
Post-World War II RPG-family launchers documented in conflicts from the early 1990s through the 2017 Battle of Marawi
Designer
Varies by RPG model; RPG-2 and RPG-7 families originated in Soviet design programs
Designed
RPG-2 developed in the late 1940s; RPG-7 first produced in the early 1960s
Unit cost
Varies by model, country, and source
Produced
Varies by model; RPG-7-family production has continued across multiple countries
Number built
RPG-7 family exceeds nine million according to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

Specifications

Crew
Usually one operator, with an ammunition bearer often used in military practice
Launcher class
Man-portable, shoulder-fired grenade or rocket-assisted grenade launcher
Common caliber
RPG-2/Type 56 and RPG-7-family launchers use a 40 mm launch tube; warhead diameter varies by round
Operation
Single-shot firing cycle, with reusable tubes on RPG-2 and RPG-7-family launchers
Effective range
Varies by model and target; U.S. Air Force museum material gives RPG-7 effective range of about 1,000 ft against moving targets and 1,600 ft against stationary targets
Marawi identification
Public 2017 Battle of Marawi sources identify RPG launchers and high-explosive RPG rounds, but do not identify the exact RPG model
Identification Scope

This entry covers public conflict evidence that identifies an RPG launcher without enough detail to assign a narrower launcher model. The gallery and specifications use RPG-2/Type 56 and RPG-7-family references to explain the likely recognition envelope, not to claim that those exact models were confirmed in Marawi.

RPG-2 branch

Small Arms Survey places the RPG-2 and Chinese Type 56 in a close-derivative family with a 40 mm tube, single-shot operation, simple retractable sights, and model markings needed for confident identification.

RPG-7 branch

The U.S. Air Force museum describes the RPG-7 as a reusable shoulder-fired tube first produced in the early 1960s, manufactured across multiple countries, and used against vehicles, fortified positions, personnel, and helicopters.

Marawi record

The 2017 reports identify RPG launchers, an RPG hit on an armored personnel carrier, and recovered high-explosive RPG rounds, while leaving model identification unresolved.

Sources: RPG-2 (& close derivatives) Weapons Identification Sheet; Rocket-Propelled Grenades: Old Threat, New Danger; Maute gunman hits armored personnel carrier with RPG; Marawi clearing operations yield high-powered weapons.

Variants

This family page keeps model-specific records separate and uses variants to show the main RPG branches relevant to the generic Marawi evidence.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
RPG-2 and Type 56 familyEarlier reusable 40 mm launcher branch

Small Arms Survey describes the RPG-2 and Chinese Type 56 as close derivatives and emphasizes markings and physical features needed to distinguish them.

Sources: RPG-2 (& close derivatives) Weapons Identification Sheet

RPG-7, Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsRPG-7Later reusable 40 mm RPG family

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force describes the RPG-7 as a Soviet-designed reusable shoulder-fired launcher first produced in the early 1960s and manufactured by many countries.

Sources: Rocket-Propelled Grenades: Old Threat, New Danger

Other RPG-family and local-copy launchersUnresolved model evidence

The Marawi sources identify RPG launchers and rounds without enough public detail to assign a specific model or national copy.

Sources: Maute gunman hits armored personnel carrier with RPG, Marawi clearing operations yield high-powered weapons

Recovered Ammunition

The strongest Marawi recovery source lists RPG launchers together with high-explosive RPG rounds, but does not identify the exact launcher or projectile model.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
RPG high-explosive rounds, Unguided rocket-propelled grenade ammunition, MunitionsRPG high-explosive roundsRecovered RPG ammunition family

Philippine News Agency reported two RPG launchers and 13 high-explosive RPG rounds recovered from Marawi's former main battle area after liberation.

Sources: Marawi clearing operations yield high-powered weapons

Model caution

This relationship links the public family-level ammunition record; it does not identify the recovered Marawi rounds as OG-7V, OFG-7V, PG-7, or another specific projectile.

Sources: Marawi clearing operations yield high-powered weapons

Timeline

RPG Launcher Key Events

  1. RPG-2 branch developed after World War II

    Small Arms Survey identifies the RPG-2 as a late-1940s postwar design and describes Chinese Type 56 weapons as close derivatives that are difficult to distinguish without markings.

    Sources: RPG-2 (& close derivatives) Weapons Identification Sheet

  2. RPG-7 enters large-scale production family

    The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force describes the Soviet-designed RPG-7 as first produced in the early 1960s and later manufactured by many countries.

    Sources: Rocket-Propelled Grenades: Old Threat, New Danger

  3. Mogadishu militia RPG fire escalates

    The U.S. Army Center of Military History describes Somali militia using RPGs against roadblock-clearing forces in September 1993 and against Black Hawk helicopters in late September and early October.

    Sources: The U.S. Army in Somalia, 1992-1994

  4. RUF rebels use RPGs during Freetown offensive

    Human Rights Watch documented Revolutionary United Front rebels using RPGs during the January 1999 Freetown offensive, including an attack on people sheltering in the Bashariah Mosque.

    Sources: Human Rights Abuses Committed by RUF Rebels

  5. Darfur village attacks include RPG fire

    Amnesty International documented witness reports of government soldiers shelling villages with RPGs and heavy weapons during attacks in Darfur.

    Sources: Sudan: Arming the perpetrators of grave abuses in Darfur

  6. Mogadishu insurgent attacks use RPGs

    Human Rights Watch described early 2007 Mogadishu insurgent attacks using RPGs or mortars against police stations, government and Ethiopian bases, convoys, and hotels used by officials.

    Sources: Shell-Shocked

  7. RPG attack reported during Marawi fighting

    GMA News reported video of a suspected Maute fighter aiming an RPG launcher at an armored personnel carrier during the Marawi clashes.

    Sources: Maute gunman hits armored personnel carrier with RPG

  8. RPG launchers recovered after the battle

    Philippine News Agency reported that clearing teams recovered two RPG launchers and 13 high-explosive RPG rounds from the Marawi main battle area.

    Sources: Marawi clearing operations yield high-powered weapons

Media

RPG Launcher Videos

RPG Launcher Images

RPG Launcher, Shoulder-fired anti-armor rocket-propelled grenade launcher, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: Improvised RPG-2.jpg
RPG Launcher, Shoulder-fired anti-armor rocket-propelled grenade launcher, Infantry Weapons - view 2
Source: Marine with a RPG-2 rocket launcher and a Bren light machine gun.JPEG
Related Weapon Systems
RPG-7, Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsRPG-7Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcherThe RPG-7 is a Soviet-origin reusable shoulder-fired rocket launcher built around a simple 40 mm launch tube and a wide family of over-caliber anti-armor, fragmentation, and thermobaric rounds. Its low cost, portability, and large global stock make it a common infantry anti-armor and assault weapon, including documented Ukrainian service, Hamas use in Gaza, ISWAP use in the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, and insurgent use in Afghanistan.
Mortars, Infantry and artillery mortar class, ArtilleryArtilleryMortarsInfantry and artillery mortar classMortars are short-barreled, high-angle indirect-fire weapons used by infantry, artillery units, and armed groups for close support, harassment, and attacks on positions behind cover. The catalog entry treats mortars as a broad weapon class because the direct conflict sources usually document mortar use without identifying exact calibers or models, including Philippine government support fires at Marawi, Hezbollah fire at Mount Dov, jihadist attacks in Mali and Sinai, FARC dissident improvised mortars in Colombia, 2023 Sudan War battlefield use, and Cambodia-accused cross-border fire.
RPG-29, Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsRPG-29Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcherThe RPG-29 Vampir is a Soviet-designed, reusable 105 mm anti-tank rocket launcher built by Bazalt for tandem HEAT and thermobaric rockets. Rosoboronexport describes it as a multiple-shot launcher with a 500 m sighting range and a 300-round lifespan, while reference sources place it in Soviet-era development and 1989 service entry. Its conflict record is strongest in close-range anti-armor and fortification attack reporting, including Hezbollah use in Lebanon, insurgent attacks on coalition armor in Iraq, Free Syrian Army imagery in Syria, Hamas anti-armor forces in Gaza, Houthi fielding in Yemen, and documented appearances in Ukraine.

Sources

Maute gunman hits armored personnel carrier with RPGPublisher: GMA News Online | Note: Supports 2017 Battle of Marawi direct use: an apparent Maute member used an RPG launcher against an armored personnel carrier during the Marawi City clashes. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Marawi clearing operations yield high-powered weaponsPublisher: Philippine News Agency | Note: Supports 2017 Battle of Marawi direct use and recovery: RPG launchers and high-explosive RPG rounds were recovered from the main battle area and were believed by Philippine officials to have been used by Daesh-inspired Maute militants. | Accessed: 2026-07-01The U.S. Army in Somalia, 1992-1994Publisher: U.S. Army Center of Military History | Note: Supports 1991 Somali Civil War direct use: Somali militia fired RPGs at U.S., Pakistani, and UNOSOM forces in Mogadishu, including against roadblock-clearing forces and Black Hawk helicopters. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Veterans reflect on Battle of MogadishuPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports 1991 Somali Civil War direct use: U.S. Army coverage describes a Black Hawk shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade and another aircraft hit by an RPG during the October 1993 Battle of Mogadishu. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Human Rights Abuses Committed by RUF RebelsPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports 1991 Sierra Leone Civil War direct use: Human Rights Watch documented RUF rebels carrying and firing RPGs during the January 1999 Freetown offensive. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Darfur DestroyedPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports 2003 War in Darfur direct use: Human Rights Watch documented Janjaweed and Sudanese army attacks using rocket-propelled grenades in Darfur village assaults. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Sudan: Arming the perpetrators of grave abuses in DarfurPublisher: Amnesty International | Note: Supports 2003 War in Darfur direct use: Amnesty documented witness reports of government soldiers using RPGs or RPG bombs during Darfur attacks. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Shell-ShockedPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports 1991 Somali Civil War post-2006 al-Shabaab phase direct use: Human Rights Watch documented insurgent RPG or mortar attacks in Mogadishu against police stations, TFG and Ethiopian military bases, convoys, and hotels used by officials. | Accessed: 2026-07-01RPG-2 (& close derivatives) Weapons Identification SheetPublisher: Small Arms Survey | Note: Supports background and specifications for the RPG-2/Type 56 branch of the RPG launcher family, including 40 mm caliber, single-shot operation, unloaded weight, and identification cautions. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Rocket-Propelled Grenades: Old Threat, New DangerPublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports RPG-7-family background, manufacturer-country context, production scale, target set, and effective-range figures used as RPG-family comparison data. | Accessed: 2026-07-01SADJ Identification Series: The RPG ID GuidePublisher: Small Arms Defense Journal | Note: Supports background on RPG nomenclature and the distinction between RPG-2/RPG-7 recoilless launcher systems and other shoulder-fired RPG-family weapons. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Improvised RPG-2.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the primary image; the file shows a captured improvised RPG-2 launcher and ammunition and is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Marine with a RPG-2 rocket launcher and a Bren light machine gun.JPEGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a U.S. Department of Defense public-domain photograph showing a seized RPG-2 launcher. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Soviet RPG-7 Rocket-Propelled Grenade LauncherPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a museum RPG-7 photograph; the file is available under CC0 public-domain dedication. | Accessed: 2026-07-01