RPO-A rocket infantry flame-thrower video

[Baltic]

Here is small RPO-A Shmel rocket infantry flame-thrower video.
http://rapidshare.de/files/5331611/CLIP1.MPG.html


http://images.janes.com/defence/land_forces/news/jidr/jidr010104_2a_p.jpg
Can't believe that this little thing can "lift of the roof" of this building.

PS. Sorry if this is repost.

[Valdas]

Really impressive!
Chechens used RPO as AT measure (disabling periscopes, causing ERA initiation). Powerful weapon!

[muede]

Nice one. :P

[nullterm]

How does it differ from your average AT shoulder fired weapon as far as warhead? Is it essentially a fuel-air blast?

[NicNZ]

It is a thermobaric warhead, as I recall. Nasty.

[BIGSHaW]

I just watched the video frame by frame, I didn't see any rockets going in to the building...Looks like the blast originated from within

Besides this is a flamethrower not a high explosive thing...why would it generate such a powerfull blast?

IMO Video is not related to Shmel.

[Michael RVR]

I just watched the video frame by frame, I didn't see any rockets going in to the building...Looks like the blast originated from within


While true, there is not much lead time from the start of the video, so i'd say thats unconfirmed.

Where did you find the vid ?

[Brookes]

I just watched the video frame by frame, I didn't see any rockets going in to the building...Looks like the blast originated from within

Besides this is a flamethrower not a high explosive thing...why would it generate such a powerfull blast?

IMO Video is not related to Shmel.

The blast of a fuel air explosions can, due to the expansion of air end resulting shockwave, be very devastating..

Here's a wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermobaric

"Thermobaric weapons distinguish themselves from conventional weapons by using atmospheric oxygen, instead of carrying an oxidizer in their explosives. They are also called high-impulse thermobaric weapons (HITs), fuel-air explosives (FAE or FAX), "heat and pressure" weapons, or vacuum bombs.
"They produce more explosive energy from a smaller package than other explosives.
"Thermobaric weapons work by first expelling a cloud of explosive mist using a small charge, then igniting it with a second charge...."


..

[Baltic]

I just watched the video frame by frame, I didn't see any rockets going in to the building...Looks like the blast originated from within


http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/9472/rpo4kf.th.jpg (http://img361.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rpo4kf.jpg)
Check 4th frame in the clip.


Where did you find the vid ?

http://www.partners-international.org/Alerts/Thermobaric/Thermobaric%20Alert.htm

[Catch22]

Ive seen what a thermobaric warhead used on RPG7 can do to a small shelter. Effect was similiar to the video, not to mention RPO has much larger warhead.

[nullterm]

So I guessed right (or close enough) with the fuel-air. Cool ****, just remind me to be well away from one of those when they go off.

[NicNZ]

Thermobaric warheads are not just like rockets or anything quite like conventional flamethrowers.

Here, have a read:

The blast wave destroys unreinforced buildings and equipment and kills and injures personnel. The antipersonnel effect of the blast wave is more severe in foxholes, on personnel with body armor, and in "stiff" enclosed spaces such as caves, buildings, and bunkers.

Overpressure within the detonation... and the temperature can be 2500 - 3000 °C. Outside the cloud the blast wave travels at over 3 km/s. This blast wave leaves behind a vacuum. This vacuum then pulls in loose objects. Perhaps more seriously, it draws in the unexploded burning fuel to create almost complete penetration of all non-airtight objects within the blast radius, which are then incinerated. Asphyxiation and internal damage can also occur to personnel outside the highest blast effect zone, e.g. in deeper tunnels, as a result of the blast wave, the heat, or the following air draw.

The effects produced by ...a long high duration pressure and heat impulse are often likened to the effects produced by... a low yield nuclear weapon, but without the problems of radiation.

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/t/th/thermobaric_weapon.htm

[joshfox0]

yesh nasty would not want to be on the recieving end of that not only cause of the explosion but if it really uses as damn much oxygen as it can from the air then you're pretty screwed aswell.

[UraBudanov]

Good thing Cold war is over, and Russia doesnt wanna pay back for Afghanistan by donating 1000 of RPOs to Iraqi insurgents. The consequences would be horrible.
Very powerful and deadly weapon. Its been tested in Chechnya a lot with great results. It was a favorite weapon of many soldiers.

[Sinfulcurves_AK107]

Good thing Cold war is over, and Russia doesnt wanna pay back for Afghanistan by donating 1000 of RPOs to Iraqi insurgents. The consequences would be horrible.
Very powerful and deadly weapon. Its been tested in Chechnya a lot with great results. It was a favorite weapon of many soldiers.

I thought it was extensively tested in Afghanistan? I think I remember reading the Russians would use 'em to clear out caves...

edit: I just read they were used in Chechnya as well. Spanx for the info.

[NicNZ]

Twas first introduced around 1984, I believe, so it might well have been used in Afghanistan. Makes sense.

[LibertyUnites]

its not like thats a concrete bunker in the video... im no architect major but that looks like a brick structure with a simple wooden roof...

[Baron Harkonnen]

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/2369/bmot1xv.jpg

http://img285.imageshack.us/img285/1315/bmo10014ze.jpg

Heavy vechicle for RPO flame teams.