RL-83 Blindicide
| RL-83 Blindicide | |
|---|---|
 Swiss Army 8.3 cm Raketenrohr launchers (Blindicide copy) on display | |
| Type | Antitank rocket launcher |
| Place of origin |  Belgium |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Users |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1950s |
| Manufacturer | Mecar SA |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 8.4 kg (RL-83) 12.9 kg (RL-100) |
| Length | 1.7 m (RL-83) 1.885 m (RL-100) |
| Crew | 2 |
| Shell | HEAT |
| Caliber | 83 mm, 100 mm |
| Rate of fire | 6 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 100 m/s (RL-83) 195 m/s (RL-100) |
| Effective firing range | 400 m (0.25 mi) |
| Maximum firing range | 900 m (0.56 mi) |
The RL-83 Blindicide is an antitank rocket launcher produced by Mecar SA of Belgium and was an improved derivative of the M20A1 Bazooka. Its name roughly means "tank killer", derived from the French "véhicule blindé" (armoured car) and the suffix -cide.
Versions
The Blindicide was also produced in a 100 mm version (the RL-100). The 83mm version fired a 1.6 kilogram projectile with a 0.5 kg warhead while the 100 mm version fired a 2.75 kg projectile. The rate of fire was six rounds per minute and the range 400 meters for both versions. The muzzle velocity of both versions varied, with the 83 mm version firing at 100 m/s while the 100 mm version fired at 195 m/s.[1] A later round introduced for the RL-83 has a muzzle velocity of 120 m/s and uses a rocket booster to achieve a velocity of 300 m/s. The effective range of this 2.4 kg projectile is 500 meters.
The high-explosive antitank (HEAT) rocket of the RL-83 Blindicide can penetrate 300 millimeters of rolled homogeneous armour or one meter of concrete.[2] Besides HEAT, the Blindicide can also fire anti-personnel, smoke, incendiary, and illumination rounds.
A final version of the Blindicide was the RLC-83, a shortened version of the RL-83. The RLC-83 differs from the RL-83 in having a 1.2 meter launch tube. The RLC-83 is intended to be used only with the rocket-boosted long-range projectiles.
Switzerland produced a licence version of the Blindicide, the Raketenrohr 58 (RR 58). The Raketenrohr 80 (RR 80) was an improved version with new aiming system for use by night. The Swiss army had a total of 20,000 RRs in service, all of which have been replaced by the German Panzerfaust 3.[3]
Operational history
The Blindicide saw service with the Belgian forces during the Congo crisis. In recent years it has been reported that the Mexican Army deployed Blindicides against improvised armored vehicles in use by drug cartels. [4]
Users
Bangladesh - Retired
Belgium - Retired
Burundi - In use
Israel - Retired
Mexico - In use as of 2011 [5]
Rwanda - Received via France[6]
Switzerland - Retired[7]
Syria - Retired
Notes
- ^ weapon.at.ua
- ^ Jane's Infantry Weapons 1984-85, p. 690.
- ^ The World Defence Almanac 2010 page 214 ISSN 0722-3226 replaced by Panzerfaust-3
- ^ J. Robert, Bunker; Ramirez, Bryon (2013). "Narco Armor Improvised Armored Fighting Vehicles in Mexico" (PDF). Foreign Military Studies Office. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ^ J. Robert, Bunker; Ramirez, Bryon (2013). "Narco Armor Improvised Armored Fighting Vehicles in Mexico" (PDF). Foreign Military Studies Office. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ^ The path of a genocide: the Rwanda Crisis from Uganda to Zaire
- ^ The World Defence Almanac 2010 page 214 ISSN 0722-3226 replaced by Panzerfaust-3