RPO "Bumblebee" (rus."РПО-А Шмель") is a man-portable rocket launcher produced and exported by Russia and the former Soviet Union.
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The RPO is a single-shot, self-contained tube shaped launcher which operates much like some RPG and LAW rocket launchers. The launcher is a sealed tube, carried in a man-pack in pairs. The same person can remove the tube, place it in firing position, and launch the weapon without assistance. After launch, the tube is discarded. All models are externally similar.
Each weapon contains a single rocket, of which there are three varieties. The basic rocket is the RPO-A, which has a thermobaric warhead and is designed for attacking soft targets under moderate cover. The RPO-Z is the incendiary warhead designed to spread fire and ignite targets. Finally, there is a smoke producing warhead offered, the RPO-D.
Specifications provided by Jane's: [1]
RPO weapons have seen use by the Soviet Army in Afghanistan and by both the Russian and the rebel forces in and near Chechnya, including during the battles of Grozny.
The use of the RPO by Russian special forces has been implicated in possibly starting the fire which claimed a number of lives in the Beslan school hostage crisis.[2]
Redirecting to RPO-A Shmel (Bumblebee)
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