The Dark Reason RPG-7 Is Still Killing Tanks

Video Description

The Dark Reason RPG-7 Is Still Killing Tanks This video traces how the RPG-7 became the most widely used anti-tank weapon in the world and why it still threatens modern armor. We start with the lineage from early concepts through the U.S. bazooka, the German Panzerschreck and Panzerfaust, and the Soviet path from RPG-1 and RPG-2 to the RPG-7’s finalized design in 1961. You will see what makes the system so durable and simple in the field, from a chrome-lined launcher and front-loading projectiles to basic optics and backup irons, a two-person team, and a firing cycle that keeps the tube reusable and easy to maintain. We explain the core of its effect in plain terms, the shaped charge HEAT principle, along with fragmentation, smoke, illumination, and later thermobaric loads, and why real effective range sits inside a few hundred meters even if the sight goes farther on paper. Then we look at combat history and the countermeasures race. Vietnam shows how close-range ambushes against vehicles and low-flying aircraft pushed rapid export and adoption. Urban battles from Grozny to recent conflicts highlight why flanking shots, roof hits, and coordinated volleys can disable heavy armor. Armies responded with spaced and applique armor, cage or slat kits, and explosive reactive armor, which in turn led to tandem warheads that defeat ERA. We cover modern active protection systems, soft-kill versus hard-kill, how sets like Trophy and Iron Fist intercept some threats, and why saturation, angles, and safety constraints keep APS from being a complete answer. Finally, we bring it up to the present with drones carrying RPG-class warheads and fiber-optic control, showing how a 1960s launcher, updated warheads, and new delivery methods still challenge tanks such as the Abrams and T-72 in dense terrain. A clear, complete overview of the RPG-7’s design, evolution, and battlefield impact, from Panzerfaust roots to today’s APS era. Chapters: 00:00 – Why RPG-7 still matters 00:45 – From bazooka and Panzerfaust to RPG 02:56 – RPG-2 to RPG-7: the leap 04:15 – How the launcher and warheads work 08:58 – Beating armor: ERA, tandem, APS 11:45 – Urban kills, drones, and the future