PSRL-1

Last updated

Precision Shoulder-fired Rocket Launcher-1 (PSRL-1)
PSRL-1.jpg
Type Rocket-propelled grenade launcher
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service2017–present
Used bySee § Users
Wars Russo-Ukrainian War
Production history
DesignerAirTronic USA
ManufacturerAirTronic USA
Specifications
Mass14 lb (6.4 kg)
Length36 in (915 mm)

Caliber 40 mm (1.6 in)
Rate of fire 3–4 rounds per minute
Effective firing rangeUp to 850 m (2,790 ft)+ (round and sight dependent)
Maximum firing range1,200 m (3,900 ft) (round and sight dependent)
Sights
  • 3.5×24 PSRL optical sight
  • 3×24 Sightmark Wolfhound Prismatic Weapon Sight with custom RPG BDC Reticle
  • 3.5×35 Trijicon ACOG TA11 Scope with Custom RPG BDC Reticle
  • Standard flip-up back-up Iron Sights
  • 12× Pulsar Trail XP-50 Thermal Sight (800 m (2,600 ft) range)
  • 10× Pulsar Trail XP-30 Thermal Sight (500 m (1,600 ft) range)

The Precision Shoulder-fired Rocket Launcher-1 also known as the (PSRL-1) is a modified American copy of the Soviet/Russian RPG-7 shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenade launcher developed by AirTronic USA. [1] [2] [3] The PSRL-1 is primarily manufactured for US-allied nations who are accustomed to Soviet-style weapons and international export. [4]

Contents

History

In 2009, the American company AirTronic USA revealed their modernized version of the RPG-7, named the RPG-7USA, which was later developed into the PSRL-1. The weapon was a Program of Record in the United States Special Operations Command by 2015, and the PSRL-1 entered production by mid-2016, with one of its first pre-commercial debut seen in Cinemax show, Banshee.

The first confirmed sales were made to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2017. [4] Ukrainian troops used it for the first time in a conflict during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. [5] At least one was captured by Russian forces. [6]

The PSRL-1 was adopted by the Peruvian Army. [7]

Specifications

The PSRL-1 or RPG-7USA is fitted with a MIL-STD-1913 quad-rail for mounting accessories, is compatible with mil-spec M4 carbine–style pistol grips and stocks, and is backwards compatible with all existing RPG-7 ammunition. The PSRL-1 is typically equipped with a proprietary 3.5× optical sight with an illuminated etched reticle, or an EOTech sight with a holographic reticle. The manufacturer claims a 90% hit probability at 800 meters (2,600 ft) with the standard magnified sight, although it is reportedly accurate at ranges from 900–1,200 m (3,000–3,900 ft). [8]

The PSRL-1 is made of 4140/4150 ordnance-grade steel for a 1,000-round lifespan, weighs 14 lb (6.35 kg) unloaded and without optics, and can separate into two pieces for compact carry. [8]

AirTronic also developed a more advanced GS-777/PSRL-2 model made of a high-strength polymer that reduced total launcher weight to 7.77 lb (3.52 kg), though the weight later increased to 9.5 lb (4.3 kg) to further improve durability and life cycle. The lighter model has a top rail and uses a new trigger group. The center of gravity has moved forward to compensate for the muzzle weight. It comes standard with the TA11 ACOG. [9]

Ammunition

Although Airtronic launchers are compatible with Soviet RPG-7 rocket ammunition, AirTronic also manufactures their own modernized RPG-7 rocket ammunition within the United States, and fully owns the intellectual property of their rocket ammunition.

Improvements have been made focusing on the fuzing, reliability, robustness, and manufacturing quality per United States Department of Defense standards. The warhead fuze features a dual safe and arm arrangement for improved handling safety, and the rocket motor ignitor fuze has been redesigned to improve motor ignition reliability. AirTronic recommends the use of their ammunition in their launchers to achieve the advertised level of performance.

Inert training variants which match the ballistics of live ammunition are also available, allowing for safe training at a reduced cost. The inert warheads of training variants are filled with marking compound so that the impact of the round can be observed from afar.

There are three variants of ammunition: [10]

In 2015, it was reported that new guided rocket ammunition could extend the effective range up to 2,000 meters (6,600 ft). No such ammunition has been presented. [11]

Accessories

In conjunction with the weapon, the complete PSRL system includes different sighting systems, spare parts, slings, cases, ammo bags, and bipods for customization and transport. Additionally, AirTronic offers various optional Cerakote coatings.

Users

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocket-propelled grenade</span> Shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon

A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) is a shoulder-fired rocket weapon that launches rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. Most RPGs can be carried by an individual soldier, and are frequently used as anti-tank weapons. These warheads are affixed to a rocket motor which propels the RPG towards the target and they are stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are reloadable with new rocket-propelled grenades, while others are single-use. RPGs are generally loaded from the front.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thermobaric weapon</span> Device producing a high-temperature explosion

A thermobaric weapon, also called an aerosol bomb, or a vacuum bomb, is a type of explosive munition that works by dispersing an aerosol cloud of gas, liquid or powdered explosive. The fuel is usually a single compound, rather than a mixture of multiple molecules. Many types of thermobaric weapons can be fitted to hand-held launchers, and can also be launched from airplanes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R4M</span> Rocket

R4M, abbreviation for Rakete, 4 kilogramm, Minenkopf, also known by the nickname Orkan due to its distinctive smoke trail when fired, was a folding-fin air-to-air rocket used by the Luftwaffe at the end of World War II.

<span title="German-language text"><i lang="de">Panzerschreck</i></span> German anti-tank rocket launcher, WW2

Panzerschreck was the popular name for the Raketenpanzerbüchse 54, an 88 mm reusable anti-tank rocket launcher developed by Nazi Germany in World War II. Another earlier, official name was Ofenrohr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoulder-fired missile</span> Shoulder mounted recoilless launcher system for shells, unguided or guided rockets (missiles), etc

Shoulder-fired missile, shoulder-launched missile or man-portable missile, among other variants, are common slang-terms to describe high-caliber shoulder-mounted weapons systems – that is: weapons firing large heavy projectiles ("missiles"), typically using the backblast principle, which are small enough to be carried by a single person and fired while held on one's shoulder. The word "missile" in this context is used in its original broad sense of a heavy projectile, and encompasses all shells and rockets, guided or unguided. A more formal variant is simply shoulder-fired weapons system and the like.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mk 153 Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon</span> Multi-role (anti-fortification, anti-armor) rocket launcher

The Mk 153 Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (SMAW) is a smoothbore shoulder-fired rocket launcher. It is a portable assault weapon and has a secondary anti-armor ability. Developed from the B-300, it was introduced to the United States Armed Forces in 1984. It has a maximum effective range of 500 metres (550 yd) against a tank-sized target.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RPG-7</span> Soviet rocket-propelled grenade launcher

The RPG-7 is a portable, reusable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank, rocket launcher. The RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and are now manufactured by the Russian company Bazalt. The weapon has the GRAU index 6G3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M72 LAW</span> Anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher

The M72 LAW is a portable one-shot 66 mm (2.6 in) unguided anti-tank weapon. The solid rocket propulsion unit was developed in the newly-formed Rohm and Haas research laboratory at Redstone Arsenal in 1959, and the full system was designed by Paul V. Choate, Charles B. Weeks, Frank A. Spinale, et al. at the Hesse-Eastern Division of Norris Thermador. American production of the weapon began by Hesse-Eastern in 1963, and was terminated by 1983; currently it is produced by Nammo Raufoss AS in Norway and their subsidiary, Nammo Defense Systems in Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System</span> American armored self-propelled artillery

The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System is an American armored self-propelled multiple launch rocket system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LAW 80</span> Rocket-propelled grenade (anti-tank, disposable)

The LAW 80, regularly referred to as LAW 94 in British service, is a man-portable, disposable anti-tank weapon previously used by the British Army and a few other militaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RPG-26</span> Anti-tank rocket launcher

The RPG-26 Aglen is a disposable anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher developed by the Soviet Union. It fires a one-stage rocket with jack-knife fins, which unfold after launch. The rocket carries a 72.5-millimetre (2.85 in) diameter high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) single shaped charge warhead able to penetrate 440 millimetres (17 in) of armour, 1 metre of reinforced concrete or 1.5 metres of brickwork. It has a maximum effective range of around 250 metres (820 ft). The similar sized rocket features a slightly heavier and more powerful HEAT warhead and more powerful rocket engine. The limited extension of the RPG-22 launch tube was found of little use. Thus, the RPG-26 has a rigid non-telescoping launch tube.

The RPG-27 is a Soviet single shot disposable rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) shoulder-fired missile and rocket launcher. It entered service with the Soviet Army in 1989.

The Panzerfaust 3 is a modern semi-disposable recoilless anti-tank weapon, which was developed between 1978 and 1985 and first entered service with the Bundeswehr in 1987. It was first ordered in 1973 to provide West German infantry with an effective weapon against contemporary Soviet armor, thereby replacing West Germany's aging PzF 44 Light Lanze launchers and the heavy Carl Gustaf 84 mm anti-tank recoilless rifle manufactured in Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MIM-72 Chaparral</span> Mobile SAM system

The MIM-72A/M48 Chaparral is an American-made self-propelled surface-to-air missile system based on the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile system. The launcher is based on the M113 family of vehicles. It entered service with the United States Army in 1969 and was phased out between 1990 and 1998. It was intended to be used along with the M163 VADS, the Vulcan ADS covering short-range short-time engagements, and the Chaparral for longer range use.

The RPG-16 is a handheld anti-tank grenade launcher for anti-tank warfare. It was developed in 1968 and adopted by the Soviet Army in 1970 for special operation teams and the Soviet airborne troops (VDV). These were deployed during the Soviet–Afghan War (1979–1989) and saw service during several battles in that conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalibr (missile family)</span> Family of Russian missiles

The Novator Kalibr, also referred to as 3M54-1 Kalibr, 3M14 Biryuza, is a family of Russian cruise missiles developed by NPO Novator (OKB-8). It first saw service in 1994. There are ship-launched, submarine-launched and air-launched versions of the missile, and variants for anti-ship, anti-submarine and land attack use. Some versions have a second propulsion stage that initiates a supersonic sprint in the terminal approach to the target, reducing the time that air defense systems have to react, while subsonic versions have greater range than the supersonic variants. The missile can carry a warhead weighing up to 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) of explosive or a thermonuclear warhead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RPG-75</span> Disposable recoilless rifle

The RPG-75 is a portable, disposable, single-shot anti-tank weapon, developed in the 1970s in Czechoslovakia. It fires a 68 mm grenade with an effective range of 300 meters and maximum range of 1000 meters. It resembles the American M72 LAW rocket launcher. This recoilless rifle is recommended to be used against light tanks and armoured tracked vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Velocity Aircraft Rocket</span> Air-to-surface rocket

The High Velocity Aircraft Rocket, or HVAR, also known by the nickname Holy Moses, was an American unguided rocket developed during World War II to attack targets on the ground from aircraft. It saw extensive use during both World War II and the Korean War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1</span> 1980s Soviet 30mm aircraft autocannon

The Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 is a 30 mm autocannon designed for use on Soviet and later Russian military aircraft, entering service in the early 1980s. Its current manufacturer is the Russian company JSC Izhmash. The name GSH-30-1 is formed from the surnames of the designers Gryazev (Грязев) and Shipunov (Шипунов), the caliber of 30 mm and the single-barrel design of the gun itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M549</span> 155 mm rocket-assisted projectile

The M549 is a high-explosive rocket-assisted (HERA) 155 mm howitzer round developed for use by the US military in order to add additional range to standard howitzers, with a maximum range 30.1 km (18.7 mi) from a M198 howitzer. The projectile has two distinctive pre-assembled components—the high explosive (HE) warhead and the rocket motor, making it a form of rocket-assisted projectile. The warhead is fabricated from high fragmentation steel for increased effectiveness in terms of damage caused to target and contains a bulk-filled explosive.

References

  1. "New US-made Rocket Propelled Grenade PSRL-1 able to fire all rockets of Soviet RPG-7 10510163". Army Recognition. October 5, 2016. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  2. "AirTronic Precision Shoulder-fired Rocket Launcher (PSRL)". airtronic-usa.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  3. "AirTronic Precision Shoulder-Fired Rocket Launcher (PSRL-1)" (PDF). airtronic-usa.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "PSRL-1 na Ukrainie" [PSRL-1 in Ukraine]. MILMAG (in Polish). July 9, 2017. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Rempfer, Kyle (May 22, 2018). "Ukrainian troops spotted with American-made, but Russian-styled, RPGs. Here's where they came from". Military Times. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  6. Moss, Matthew (March 9, 2022). "Anti-Tank Weapons of The War in Ukraine". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  7. "National Guard receives 500 U.S.-made grenade launchers (Photo)". UNIAN . May 17, 2018. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "AirTronic USA | AirTronic PSRL-1 USA". AirTronic USA. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023.
  9. "AirTronic USA | GS-777 Lightweight Shoulder-Fired Recoilless Launcher". AirTronic USA. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023.
  10. "AirTronic Shoulder-Fired Rocket Ammunition". AirTronic USA. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023.
  11. "Americanized RPG-7 is Ready to Serve - Defense Update:". October 14, 2015. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022.
  12. "Turkish Navy Special Force uses PSRL-1". Archived from the original on December 2, 2022.
  13. "RPG 7". SALW Guide. Bonn International Center for Conversion. Archived from the original on March 25, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2018.