AGS-17
| AGS-17 Plamya | |
|---|---|
 AGS-17 mounted on tripod. | |
| Type | Automatic Grenade Launcher |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1970s–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | South African Border War Soviet-Afghan War First Chechen War Second Chechen War Syrian Civil War[1] War in Donbass[2] Yemeni Civil War (2015-present)[3] Saudi-led intervention in Yemen (2015-present) Conflict in Najran, Jizan and Asir |
| Production history | |
| Designer | KBP Instrument Design Bureau |
| Designed | 1967 |
| Manufacturer | Molot plant |
| Variants | AG-17A helicopter-mounted version |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 31 kg |
| Length | 840 mm |
| Cartridge | 30×29mm grenade |
| Caliber | 30 mm |
| Action | Blowback |
| Rate of fire | 400 round/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 185 m/s |
| Effective firing range | 1,700 m |
| Feed system | 29 grenades belt |
| Sights | Adjustable iron sights, optional mount required for optical sights |
The AGS-17 Plamya[4] (Russian: Пламя; Flame) is a Soviet-designed automatic grenade launcher in service worldwide.
Description
The AGS-17 is a heavy infantry support weapon designed to operate from a tripod or mounted on an installation or vehicle. The AGS-17 fires 30 mm grenades in either direct or indirect fire to provide suppressive and lethal fire support against soft skinned or fortified targets.
The weapon uses a blowback mechanism to sustain operation. Rounds are fired through a removable (to reduce barrel stress) rifled barrel.
The standard metal ammunition box contains 30 linked rounds.
The tripod is equipped with fine levelling gear for indirect fire trajectories.
Development
Development of the AGS-17 (Avtomaticheskiy Granatomyot Stankovyi - Automatic Grenade launcher, Mounted) started in the USSR in 1967 by the OKB-16 design bureau (now known as the KBP Instrument Design Bureau, located in the city of Tula). Most probably its development was inspired by the Sino-Soviet border conflict of the late 1960s, as well as initial experience with several US automatic grenade launchers, learned from Vietnamese troops who were often on the receiving end of these weapons.
It was thought that an automatic grenade launcher would be one of the most effective infantry support weapons against typical Chinese "human wave" attacks. This lightweight weapon was to provide infantry with close to medium range fire support against enemy personnel and unarmored targets. like trucks, half-tracks, jeeps and sandbag-protected machine-gun nests. The first prototypes of the new weapon entered trials in 1969, with mass production commencing in 1971. Never used against the Chinese, the AGS-17 was widely operated and well liked by Soviet troops in Afghanistan as a ground support weapon or as a vehicle weapon on improvised mounts installed on armored personnel carriers and trucks.
At the same time, a special airborne version of the AGS-17 was developed for installation on Mi-24 Hind gunship helicopters.
It is still in use with the Russian army as a direct fire support weapon for infantry troops; it is also installed in several vehicle mounts and turrets along with machine guns, guided rocket launchers and sighting equipment. A special airborne version, the AG-17A, was installed on the door mounts of several Mil Mi-8 Hip combat transport helicopters and on gun pods used in late model Mi-24 Hind gunships; this weapon had a thick aluminium jacket on the barrel and used a special mount and an electric remotely controlled trigger. It is being replaced by the AGS-30 launcher, (using the same ammunition, this weapon weighs only 16 kg unloaded on the tripod and has an upgraded blowback action).
RGSh-30
Ukrainian company Precision Systems developed a handheld version of AGS-17 called RGSh-30[5][6][7] that can be carried like an assault rifle. RGSh-30 uses magazines with five 30mm VOG-17 grenades.
Precision Systems plans to develop versions using 20mm, 25mm, and 40mm grenades.
Ammunition
The AGS-17 fires 30×29 caliber (belted) cartridges with a steel cartridge case. Two types of ammunition are commonly fired from the AGS-17. The VOG-17M is the version of the original 30 mm grenade ammunition, which is currently available and has a basic high explosive fragmentation warhead. The VOG-30 is similar, but contains a better explosive filling and an enhanced fragmentation design that greatly increases the effective blast radius. New improved VOG-30D grenade was taken into service in 2013 for use with AGS-17 and AGS-30 grenade launchers.[8][9]
The Bulgarian weapons manufacturer Arcus produces AR-ROG hand grenades based on VOG-17 cartridges and UZRGM (Russian: УЗРГМ), which is also a Soviet design of fuse.[10]
- VOG-17M (HE)
- IO-30 (HE)
- IO-30TP (Practice)
- VOG-30 (HE)
- VOG-30D (HE)
- VUS-30 (Smoke)
Users
Afghanistan[11]
Angola[11]
Armenia - imported[citation needed]
Bulgaria - produced locally by Arsenal AD[citation needed]
Chad[11]
China - produced by Norinco based on captured examples from Mujahideen groups.[12][11][13]
Cuba[11]
Czech Republic[14]
Finland - designated 30 KrKK AGS-17, replaced by the HK GMG in 2005[15]
Georgia[16]
India[11]
Iran[11]
Lebanon[citation needed]
Iraq - produced under license[11][13]
Latvia - used in the 1990s, now replaced by the HK GMG [11]
Montenegro - designated the M93[11]
Mozambique[11]
Nicaragua[11]
North Korea[17]
Russia[11]
Serbia - designated the M93[11]
Sierra Leone[18]
Syria[19]
Slovakia[20]
Thailand[citation needed]
Ukraine[citation needed]
Vietnam: Made under Factory Z125[21][22]
See also
- AGS-30, first successor
- AGS‑40 Balkan, second successor using using caseless high-explosive 40mm 7P39 grenades.
[23][24][25][26] - Vektor Y3 AGL
- SB LAG 40
- GA-40 similar weapon
- HK GMG, similar weapon
- XM174 grenade launcher, similar weapon
- Milkor MGL, another South African 40 mm grenade launcher
- Mk 19 grenade launcher, similar weapon
- Type 87 grenade launcher, used by the People's Liberation Army
- List of Russian weaponry
- Comparison of automatic grenade launchers
References
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzIVGt1Q1I0
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYVaXi9QhUw
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHH5Ith4g7g
- ^ http://www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=2944
- ^ http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/10/18/im-sorry-ukrainian-firm-develops-handheld-automatic-grenade-launcher/
- ^ https://www.richardcyoung.com/essential-news/ukrainian-firm-develops-handheld-automatic-grenade-launcher/
- ^ https://www.unian.info/society/1579616-ukraine-presents-light-grenade-launcher-for-special-forces-in-donbas.html
- ^ https://translate.google.pl/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=pl&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fria.ru%2Farms%2F20161110%2F1481078425.html&edit-text=&act=url
- ^ http://www.armaco.bg/en/product/automatic-grenade-launchers-c12/agl-17-automatic-grenade-launcher-p508
- ^ "Arcus AR-ROG defensive hand grenade (Bulgaria), Grenades - Hand". Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
- ^ http://www.armamentresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Arms-and-Munitions-Brief-No.-1-QLZ-87-Automatic-Grenade-Launcher.pdf
- ^ a b "A new generation of AGLs: within only a few decades the Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGL) has leapt from the concept stage to becoming a widely accepted and valued infantry support weapon, providing the foot soldier with a highly effective area fire suppression system". Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ http://salw-guide.bicc.de/pdf/countries/059/czech-republic.min.en.pdf
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-11-26. Retrieved 2010-08-06.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Armament of the Georgian Army". Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ https://fas.org/nuke/guide/dprk/nkor.pdf
- ^ https://sites.google.com/site/worldinventory/wiw_af_sierraleone
- ^ На границе Джобара и Замальки | At the border of Jobar and Zamalka. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
- ^ "Vcvikov tde v Prpore vcviku Martin". Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ http://netnews.vn/Viet-Nam-san-xuat-sung-ban-400-phatphut-xa-gan-2km-quan-su-150-159-1180540.html
- ^ Vietnam made groove machine guns against the "wave people" (in Vietnamese) Archived October 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ https://www.armyrecognition.com/april_2017_global_defense_security_news_industry/russia_tests_the_ags-40_balkan_40mm_automatic_grenade_launcher_in_operational_situation_tass_82004172.html
- ^ https://www.armyrecognition.com/weapons_defence_industry_military_technology_uk/new_ags-40_balkan_40mm_automatic_grenade_launcher_will_enter_in_service_with_russian_army_tass_11311161.html
- ^ "Lenta.ru: Оружие: Вооружение: Россия вооружится новым крупнокалиберным гранатометом" (in Russian). Lenta.ru. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
- ^ "Modern Firearms". World.guns.ru. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
Koll, Christian (2009). Soviet Cannon - A Comprehensive Study of Soviet Arms and Ammunition in Calibres 12.7mm to 57mm. Austria: Koll. p. 239. ISBN 978-3-200-01445-9. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)