During drills at a training ground in the Moscow Military District, Russian military personnel struck a mock enemy tank with a shot from the Shmel-M rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower (RPO).
The soldiers made a precise hit from a distance of about four hundred meters. "Shmels" can destroy not only armored vehicles or a strong point, but also an entire building.
In terms of firepower, the "Shmel" is comparable to 152 mm howitzer artillery. However, unlike a howitzer, the flamethrower weighs only 11 kg and fits easily behind a soldier's back.
The complex includes an engine, a thermobaric warhead with an aerosol flammable mixture, and a launch container. Its principle of operation is the same as that of the TOS-1A "Solntsepek" shells, only on a smaller scale. The aiming range is 600 m. With an optical sight — up to 850 m.
Characteristics of RPO "Shmel-M":
- Caliber — 90 mm
- Length — 940 mm
- Initial speed — 180 m/s
- Weight — no more than 8.8 kg
- Weight of warhead mixture — 3 kg
- TNT equivalent of warhead — 5–6 kg
Earlier www1.ru reported that the modernized Yak-130M aircraft with AESA radar may be sold to Asia and Africa.
Read also
T-72B3M tank with unusual "skeleton" protection of the turret's rear was spotted on video