Everything ingenious is simple: The story of the Tula deadly “Bumblebee”

Photo: RPO-A “Shmel” flamethrower. Selection-1 Photo: RPO-A “Shmel” flamethrower. Selection-2

RPO-A “Bumblebee” (Rocket Infantry Flamethrower – “A” index “A” says that a thermobaric charge is used). “Bumblebee” became a continuation of the RPO-A “Lynx” jet flamethrower, which did not have thermobaric charges (used a flammable liquid that scattered to the sides after hitting the target), had more weight, more time to prepare for battle and a shorter firing range. The design of the RPO-A began in 1984 at the Tula Design Bureau for the Soviet army, which needed a new infantry weapon that would be relevant in the mountains of Afghanistan. The Shmel flamethrower was put into service in 1988. At first, only flamethrower units of the chemical forces were armed with it; at the moment, all types of troops are armed with it. The flamethrower turned out to be functional and reliable. Its first combat use was in the mountains of Afghanistan, where the Mujahideen nicknamed the RPO-A “Shaitan Pipe.” Nowadays, they continue to be actively used in Russia and other countries. The flamethrower turned out to be almost universal, since it can be used against protected fortifications, enemy personnel and lightly armored vehicles at a distance of up to 600 meters.

RPO-A can be transported in blizzards of 2 pieces, and can also be fired without diluting the blizzard. To use it, it was enough to set the distance on the sight, move the handle, remove the safety and fire. After the shot, the shooter threw away the disposable container. During the shot, the capsule with the charge is accelerated by a powder engine, which completely burns out when flying out of the container, and then the capsule itself with the charge flies by inertia up to 1200 meters, the sighting range is 600 meters with a diopter sight. To increase the sighting range and ease of aiming, removable optical sights OPO (sighting range 450 meters) and OPO-1 (sighting range 850 meters) are provided. The RPO-A “Shmel” flamethrower turned out to be a very effective weapon for combating enemy personnel in cover. So, when “Bumblebee” hits a room, a volumetric explosion occurs and the oxygen in the room completely burns out, all this is accompanied by high temperature and a blast wave with the subsequent destruction of this room. When an explosion occurs, the enemy is exposed to high temperature, the vacuum effect of the explosion, and a shock wave. RPO-A “Bumblebee” also used against vehicle and lightly armored targets. When an armored personnel carrier or infantry fighting vehicle is hit, a high-explosive explosion occurs, which breaks through the armor and burns out oxygen from the fighting compartment of the armored vehicle, which can be seen in the photo above. After an explosion, there is a very high probability of a fire between the fuel and the equipment itself. The flamethrower is in service in the countries of the former USSR. Used during military conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, and the Caucasus. On the basis of the RPO-A, a more compact flamethrower MRO-A “Shmel-2” was created.

Flamethrower modifications

Since the creation of this weapon, it has been modernized several times.
In addition, several modifications of the flamethrower were initially developed, which differed in the type of ammunition. Here are the main modifications of the Shmel that exist today: RPO-A - the main and most common modification of the weapon, equipped with a thermobaric grenade. It is used to destroy the enemy in shelters, is perfect for combat operations in populated areas, and can be used to destroy pillboxes and lightly armored vehicles.

RPO-Z is a modification of the flamethrower equipped with an incendiary grenade. Used to create fires at enemy positions, in buildings, warehouses and other enemy objects.

RPO-D - modification of the Shmel with a smoke grenade. Used to create smoke screens and “smoke out” the enemy from cover.

MRO-A. A shortened version of the RPO-A, designed specifically for combat operations in urban environments. Can be equipped with incendiary and smoke grenades.

“Shmel-M” (RPO-M or PDM-A) is the most modern modification of the flamethrower, developed in the early 2000s. The weight of the flamethrower has been reduced to 8.8 kg, and the power of the ammunition has been significantly increased. The Shmel-M can be equipped with a night vision sight. It has been in service with the Russian army since 2004.

Rocket infantry flamethrower "Bumblebee"

Rocket infantry flamethrower - aerosol, RPO-A or "Bumblebee" (known in the Afghan war as the "Shaitan-pipe") is a Soviet and Russian disposable infantry jet flamethrower. The RPO cannot be reloaded. It is a rocket projectile filled with a fire mixture. Designed to destroy hidden enemy firing points, disable lightly armored and automotive vehicles, and destroy enemy personnel.

During an explosion, a high-temperature pulse is accompanied by a sharp pressure drop resulting from the explosion of the fuel-air mixture.

Destroys all living things in a volume of up to 80 m³; affected area: in open areas - from 50 m², in confined spaces - up to 80 m². Covered targets are disabled due to pressure drop even without breaking through the barrier, if they are not sealed. Shooting is possible at pillbox embrasures and lightly armored targets.

The history of the creation of the Bumblebee infantry flamethrower

The Shmel flamethrower was developed in the 1980s at the Instrument Design Bureau. Mechanical fuses were developed by the Scientific Research Technological Institute named after P. I. Snegirev in Balashikha.

The predecessor of the Bumblebee flamethrower was the Lynx flamethrower, which did not have a thermobaric projectile. For the first time, Soviet troops began to use Lynx in battle in Afghanistan. However, real combat operations showed a number of shortcomings of this weapon. With a length of almost one and a half meters, the flamethrower with additional charges weighed more than 20 kilograms, and the incendiary mixture was ineffective in rocky mountain conditions. The Lynx charges could not always set fire to the stone and adobe houses of local residents, who could withstand a volley of even several Lynx fires without any problems.

The Lynx flamethrower is the predecessor of the Shmel flamethrower.

To replace the outdated Lynx and LPO-50, in 1984, Soviet weapons developers received an order from the army for a new fire weapon. The range had to be at least 500 meters. It also required more power with the ability to suppress well-fortified targets. At the same time, the device had to be made lightweight. A hand cannon weighing tens of kilograms was practically needed.

As a result of working on this order, Tula gunsmiths created the Shmel flamethrower, unique for that time. The designers paid great attention to summarizing the unsuccessful Afghan experience in using the Lynx and decided to make the Bumblebee disposable and light enough to make it easier for soldiers to carry and store in armored vehicles. The compact RPO container, which is more than half a meter shorter than the Lynx, turned out to be more convenient to handle in cramped urban spaces.

In terms of its high-explosive effect, the 93-mm rocket of the RPO "Shmel" flamethrower is not inferior to 122-mm ammunition. Initially, flamethrowers entered service with the chemical defense troops, and a little later they were also equipped with motorized rifle units. These flamethrowers proved to be very effective weapons for urban combat. This was shown by two Chechen campaigns in which the Bumblebees were an indispensable weapon. The flamethrower was carried in containers of 2 pieces.

The design and principle of operation of the Bumblebee infantry flamethrower

The RPO Shmel hand-held flamethrower is very similar in design and principle of operation to a conventional rocket-propelled grenade launcher. The main difference is its missile projectile, or rather, the contents of its warhead. The flamethrower's rocket works on the principle of thermobaric ammunition; after the explosion, a fiery cloud is formed, which reliably burns out all living things within a radius of several tens of meters. The blast wave of thermobaric ammunition spreads along the ground, flowing into every recess and shelter. It is impossible to hide from it in a dugout or trench.

The flamethrower consists of the following components: container, ammunition, collet and engine.

The container is designed to fire a shot, direct the ammunition to the target and ensure hermetically sealed packaging of the shell with equipment and the engine. The container consists of a pipe with flanges; it contains: a firing mechanism, an aiming device, a belt, and connection units for a pack (front and rear bands).

The ammunition is designed to hit a target. It is a feathered artillery shell that rotates around a longitudinal axis in flight. The ammunition consists of a capsule filled with a fire mixture, a fuse and a block of ignition-explosive charge tablets.

The shell with equipment is attached to the engine using a collet.

The engine is designed to impart speed to the ammunition. Powder engine, separated from the ammunition in the barrel, with the flow of part of the powder gases into the behind-the-barrel space. It consists of a chamber, a propellant charge and an igniter.

During storage, the flamethrower is not subject to maintenance.

Modifications of the Bumblebee infantry flamethrower

Since the creation of this weapon, it has been modernized several times. In addition, several modifications of the flamethrower were initially developed, which differed in the type of ammunition. Here are the main modifications of the "Bumblebee" that exist today:

• RPO-A is the main and most common modification of the weapon, equipped with a thermobaric grenade. It is used to destroy the enemy in shelters, is perfect for combat operations in populated areas, and can be used to destroy pillboxes and lightly armored vehicles.
• RPO-Z is a modification of the flamethrower equipped with an incendiary grenade. Used to create fires at enemy positions, in buildings, warehouses and other enemy objects.
• RPO-D - modification of the Shmel with a smoke grenade. Used to create smoke screens and “smoke out” the enemy from cover.
• MRO-A. A shortened version of the RPO-A, designed specifically for combat operations in urban environments. Can be equipped with incendiary and smoke grenades.
• “Shmel-M” (RPO-M or PDM-A) is the most modern modification of the flamethrower, developed in the early 2000s. The weight of the flamethrower has been reduced to 8.8 kg, and the power of the ammunition has been significantly increased. The Shmel-M can be equipped with a night vision sight. It has been in service with the Russian army since 2004.

Flamethrower "Shmel-M"

• RPV-16 is a Ukrainian version, developed and produced by the GNIIHP enterprise in Shostka.

Ukrainian RPV-16 and shots for it

Features of the Shmel-M infantry flamethrower

In the early 2000s, the modernized Shmel-M flamethrower, also known under two indices - RPO-M and RPO PDM-A (increased range and power), entered service with the Russian Army. In the troops he received the nickname Priz. The weight of the flamethrower was reduced to 8.8 kg, but the power of the projectile was increased. The Shmel-M kit includes a reusable fire control complex - a set of optical, night and thermal imaging sights that are removed after the shot and installed on the following containers.

There is also a special sight that can be combined with the eyepieces of a regular night vision scope. If the "Shmel" was, in fact, a dynamo-reactive flamethrower, then the "Shmel-M" became completely reactive, since the charge is thrown towards the target by a jet engine without a powder charge. But the main thing in the updated flamethrower is the new fuel mixture, thanks to which the power of the ammunition has increased many times over. Now, according to expert calculations, the RPO-M charge exceeds a 122-mm high-explosive projectile and is equal to a 152-mm projectile from a 2S19 MSTA-S self-propelled howitzer. The firing range increased to 1700 meters.

Tactical and technical characteristics (TTX) of the Shmel infantry jet flamethrower

Below is a table that allows you to compare the characteristics of the predecessors of the Shmel flamethrower with its early and later modifications:

Geography of supplies and combat use of the Shmel rocket infantry flamethrower

The bumblebee flamethrower is in service with the following countries:

USSR - in 1988 adopted by the chemical forces of the Soviet Army (to replace the RPO "Lynx" flamethrower)

• Russia
• Ukraine
• Republic of Belarus
• Kazakhstan
• Georgia
• DPRK
• Syria
• Fiji
• India
• Vietnam
• Armenia

It is in service with the flamethrower units of the radiation, chemical and biological defense forces, the Russian Marine Corps, the armies of the CIS countries and former Warsaw Pact participants. Also in 2012, the Russian military police were armed with it.

As already noted, the combat use of the Shmel flamethrower began in Afghanistan, where the RPO-A became, in essence, “pocket artillery.” He was thrown into the Afghan battles. The adobe walls around the villages were pierced right through by tank shells, and under the blows of the “Bumblebee” they turned to dust.

The experience of Afghanistan has shown the high efficiency and promise of a new type of weapon, in some cases even in front of artillery. Even the tank crew, after a thermobaric shot, is deprived of the opportunity to continue the battle.

The new flamethrower also showed high efficiency in suppressing firing points. Once inside, it causes almost complete destruction. The pressure pulse during the explosion of a thermobaric mixture and its destructive ability are much higher than that of traditional explosives, such as trinitrotoluene, which, when exploded in buildings and structures, usually causes the destruction of walls and interfloor ceilings. In the zone of detonation transformations of the thermobaric mixture, complete “burnout” of oxygen occurs, the temperature rises above 8000C.

SA soldier with a Bumblebee flamethrower in Afghanistan

Incendiary RPO-Z in rooms with a volume of 90 - 100 m3 creates volumetric combustion of the mixture for 5-7 seconds, ignites flammable materials (wood, fabrics, etc.), in open areas creates landscape fires due to the formation of approximately 20 primary fires with a total area up to 300 m2.

Smoke RPO-D forms an invisible smoke curtain 55 - 90 m long in open areas, and in structures with a volume of up to 1500 m3 - fires without destroying structures made of stone, brick, etc. It creates intolerable conditions for unprotected manpower and completely blinds manpower protected by gas masks for 3 to 5 minutes.

“Pocket artillery” very successfully occupied an empty niche in the armament of our army between small arms and real artillery. Everywhere where small arms are ineffective and artillery is difficult to bring in - mountains, populated areas - "Bumblebee" came to the rescue.

In addition to Afghanistan, the RPO-A flamethrower was actively used in Tajikistan and Chechnya, especially during the assault on Grozny. The flamethrower's great effectiveness was noted during the fight against snipers.

For the battles in Chechnya, 92 flamethrowers were awarded the Order of Courage, 37 - the Order of Military Merit, 308 - the Medal for Courage, 74 - the Medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, and the commander of the flamethrower platoon, Senior Lieutenant Ilya Panfilov, was awarded the title of Hero of Russia .

Flamethrower Panfilov receives the Gold Star medal and is awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation.

There is information about the use of the Shmel flamethrower in armed conflicts in eastern Ukraine and Syria.

A Ukrainian army soldier with a captured flamethrower "Bumblebee"

Flamethrowers "Bumblebee" in Syria

Interesting facts about the Bumblebee infantry flamethrower

Modifications

"Shmel-M"

The ammunition is available in three modifications: RPO-A, MRO-A and Shmel-M.

• RPO-A
  (thermobaric ammunition based on high temperature and overpressure). Designed to destroy sheltered fire weapons in the city, in the field and in the mountains, to destroy shelters, vehicles and lightly armored vehicles. RPO-Z (incendiary ammunition). Designed to create landscape fires and fires in buildings, structures and fuel and lubricants warehouses.
• RPO-D (smoke munition). Designed to create smoke screens that blind fire crews, as well as unbearable conditions for manpower in various types of shelters.

Performance characteristics

Review of the RPO-M / RPO-2 / “Priz” / “Shmel-M” flamethrower

A selection of detailed photos with the Shmel-2 flamethrower

One flamethrower has the following names:

• RPO-M Rocket Infantry Flamethrower (modified).
• Rocket Infantry Flamethrower of Increased Range and Power RPO PDM-A (index A implies a “thermobaric” charge)
• "Shmel-M" / RPO-2 "Priz".

RPO "Shmel-2" was developed at the Tula Instrument Design Bureau named after. Academician A.G. Shipunov and was adopted into service in 2004, as an addition to its brother RPO-A “Shmel”, as it has a greater firing range of up to 1700 meters, a lighter weight of 11 kg for the “Shmel”, versus 8.8 kg “Shmel-M” , and also 2 times more powerful, thanks to the new explosive. It is also worth noting that the RPO-2 “Prize” has a reusable, lightweight and compact handle, on which there is a rail for mounting various sights (night, optical, television). By default, a diopter sight is already available on containers with shots. This handle also fits the MGK Bur grenade launcher. The flamethrower is capable of hitting enemy personnel and lightly armored vehicles, concrete and brick fortifications, and earthen fortifications with a target range of 800 meters. It has more flat shooting compared to the RPO-A Shmel.

A set of two RPO-M is carried in a special backpack for two containers. During the shot, a second nested container is fed forward in which the charge engine burns out, plus it additionally serves as protection from the fire of the ejected charge for the shooter, as well as to increase the range and accuracy of the shot. Before firing, the fighter attaches the handle with electronic ignition and the flamethrower is ready for battle. The flamethrower has a thermobaric (high-explosive incendiary explosion charge of 3.2 kg in power comparable to 8-9 kg of TNT. The flamethrower is excellent for combat in urban conditions, since it can be used to hit large rooms, as well as shoot from confined spaces with a volume of from 60 cubic meters All these characteristics allow it to adequately replace the RPO-A “Shmel”.

The RPO-M-Priz is visually very similar to the MGK Bur grenade launcher, but has a thicker container.

Technical characteristics of the flamethrower RPO PDM-A/RPO-M/Priz/Shmel-M

Jet at the enemy

An uninitiated person can easily confuse the SPO Varna jet infantry flamethrower with the Shmel - they are very similar in appearance, and the 93 mm caliber is the same, as are the sighting devices. But otherwise, these flamethrowers differ radically. If in the Shmel the thermobaric composition flies to the target inside the body, then in the SPO everything is different. A jet expulsion engine, assembled together with a container with a fire mixture open at the end, is fired from a flamethrower and flies forward ten meters. At this moment, an already ignited clot of fire mixture flies out of the container in a special mesh shell, which prevents the mixture from falling apart in the air.

Blowing away the dust

Humanity became acquainted with the phenomenon of volumetric explosion long before the advent of gunpowder - mills, granaries, sugar factories, carpentry workshops and coal mines were periodically blown up into the air. In short, rooms in which a suspension of flammable substances and air accumulates. It is on this principle that volumetric explosion ammunition operates. It is necessary to create an aerosol cloud of a flammable substance mixed with atmospheric air and send a spark into this cloud. The explosion is very powerful, and the consumption of the active substance is several times less than that of high explosives during an explosion with comparable parameters. Volumetric explosion ammunition does not contain an oxidizer; its role is played by atmospheric oxygen. However, creating a cloud at a target and initiating an explosion is a very non-trivial technical task, and this is where the most important design know-how lies.

German engineers were the first to experiment with such ammunition, trying to simulate a coal dust explosion in mines. Coal dust was sprayed with a charge of gunpowder and then detonated. In the mine, where strong walls favored the development of detonation, the method worked, but in the open air it did not work.

When firing from a missile defense system, you need to hold your left hand very firmly, otherwise the flamethrower may “nod off.” After the shot, a spent jet engine flies out of the pipe, which falls a few meters from the shooter. Beginners are often scared, thinking that it was the charge itself that fell.

The solution for open spaces was found years later. During the Vietnam War, the Americans used volumetric explosion munitions to instantly clear landing sites for helicopters in the jungle. They didn’t bother with coal dust, but filled bombs with ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, methane, silver nitrate and MAPP (a mixture of propine, propadiene and propane). We also have similar ammunition. Soviet specialists quickly abandoned oxides - they were toxic and quite dangerous during storage due to their volatility. We settled on a compromise option: a mixture of different types of fuel (analogs of light gasoline) and aluminum-magnesium alloy powder. However, experiments have shown that, despite the excellent external effects, the damaging effect of volumetric detonating ammunition (SDB) leaves much to be desired. The first to fail was the idea of ​​an atmospheric explosion to destroy aircraft - the effect turned out to be insignificant, except that the turbines “failed”, which were immediately restarted again, since they did not even have time to stop. It didn’t work at all against armored vehicles; the engine didn’t even stall there. In a word, it was empirically established that bombs and volumetric explosion shells are best used as specialized ammunition to destroy targets that are not resistant to shock waves, primarily unfortified buildings and manpower. That's all. This weapon was clearly not suitable for a total war.

General idea of ​​bayonet knives

The word "bayonet" comes from German and means "prick" or, more precisely, "stabbing blow."

By bayonet-knife we ​​mean a weapon that serves as two tools: it is attached to a firearm and delivered piercing-cutting blows in battle conditions or used as a regular cutting tool.

The bayonet is capable of penetrating a target to a serious depth; there are often cases when it gets stuck in the tendons of bones. This power is explained by the fact that the knife is attached to a rifle and the blow is applied with both hands, which significantly increases its power.

Description of design

The nature of combat operations in modern local conflicts has changed significantly. Soldiers often have to fight as part of small maneuverable groups without the support of the main forces in close contact with the enemy. In this case, soldiers have to rely only on portable weapons. Increasingly, clashes are taking place in populated areas or on rough terrain, where the effectiveness of armored vehicles and artillery is sharply reduced.

In such conditions, a flamethrower is an indispensable weapon. However, the classic flamethrower has a lot of disadvantages, which significantly limit its use.

A classic backpack flamethrower is a large tank with a fire mixture worn by a fighter on his back and a tube through which the mixture is discharged out under pressure. The advantage of this weapon is its simplicity, significant area of ​​destruction and strong psychological effect on the enemy.

However, there are also disadvantages. The tank is too large and heavy, which deprives the flamethrower of maneuverability; due to the short range of destruction, the fighter must approach the enemy almost closely, which is very difficult. However, the worst thing is that the backpack flamethrower poses a danger not only to the enemy, but also to its own soldiers.

Development of the Shmel began in 1984; its predecessor was the RPO Lynx infantry flamethrower, which did not have a thermobaric projectile. At the moment, several modifications of the flamethrower have been created, the latest of which have a significantly lower mass with a significant increase in efficiency and firing range.

The RPO Shmel infantry jet flamethrower consists of a plastic tube-container into which a rocket is placed. The launch tube is disposable; sighting devices, two handles and a trigger mechanism are attached to it.

The container is used to store ammunition, direct it at the target and fire a shot. This is a pipe with flanges, it has a strap for easy carrying, as well as nodes for connecting two pipes into a pack. A simple optical sight with a scale graduated at 600 meters, a folding pistol grip and a holding handle located on the front edge of the tube are attached to the container.

Inside the container there is ammunition, which is an aluminum capsule filled with a special mixture and an engine connected to the capsule using a collet.

The main ammunition of the RPO Shmel infantry flamethrower is volumetric detonating. In the front of the capsule there is a shaped charge that allows the grenade to penetrate minor obstacles. Then, by detonating a small charge, an aerosol cloud is formed, which is ignited by the detonator. In terms of its effectiveness, the fire mixture is superior to conventional solid explosives, although the effect of volumetric explosion ammunition has its own characteristics.

The most effective aimed firing distance of the Shmel RPO is 200-300 meters, but the grenade’s flight range is much greater (the Shmel-M has up to 1.7 km).

Shooting from RPO-A "Shmel"

The bumblebee flamethrower consists of a fiberglass tube with an internal diameter of 93 mm into which the expelling charge and the capsule itself with the charge are placed.
On the outside of the aiming tube there is a folding diopter sight with graduations up to 600 meters. On the outside, there are also fastenings for carrying a flamethrower in pairs (a blizzard of two tubes), fastenings for belts, covers for sealing the tube, a trigger mechanism with a safety lock, and a front handle for the hand. Before firing, the fighter must prepare a position for the shot: shooting from indoors is possible if the wall on the back side is 6 meters away and the volume of the room is more than 45 cubic meters. Additionally, it is necessary to warn your comrades about the shot and make sure that they are not behind the flamethrower, so that they are not injured by the jet stream of the expelling charge. Shooting is possible from various positions: lying down (at a distance of up to 200 meters), from the knee (at a distance of up to 400 meters), standing. Before the shot, it is recommended to use an artillery helmet, a hat with earflaps, and earplugs (included with the flamethrower) to protect your ears during the shot. Immediately before the shots are fired, the flamethrower handle is set to a vertical position, and the safety lever is moved to the firing position. The front and rear covers of the flamethrower do not need to be removed before firing. During the shot, the expelling charge pushes the capsule with the charge and completely burns out when moving along the flamethrower tube, after which it is disconnected from the capsule with the charge and falls to the ground 5-10 meters from the fighter. Having flown 9-12 meters, the capsule charge becomes armed, the capsule has a bottom fuse. simultaneously with the charge leaving the tube, the reference point (tail) opens to impart rotation to the charge, which ensures the accuracy of the shot and the movement of the charge with its head part forward. When the target is hit, the first detonator is detonated, which sprays the explosive to the sides, followed by the explosion of the main detonator, which ensures the detonation of the sprayed explosive. After the shot, the tube is thrown away, since it does not provide for reloading with a new shot. The minimum distance from the shooter must be at least 20 meters. Technical characteristics of the RPO-A “Shmel” flamethrower

In service

• USSR - in 1988 adopted by the chemical forces of the Soviet Army (to replace the RPO "Lynx" flamethrower)
• Russia
• Ukraine
• Belarus
• Kazakhstan
• China - In 1992, China began contacting the RPO-A Shmel missile launcher imported from Russia. After negotiations with KBP, Russia provided China with RShG-2 and RPO-A Shmel technology. In 2000, it received the name "PF-97".
• Georgia
• DPRK
• Syria
• Fiji
• India
• Vietnam
• Armenia

It is in service with the flamethrower units of the radiation, chemical and biological defense forces, the Russian Marine Corps, the armies of the CIS countries and former Warsaw Pact participants. Also in 2012, the Russian military police were armed with it.

Everything ingenious is simple: The story of the Tula deadly “Bumblebee”

The rich collection of the Tula State Weapons Museum leads us along the wide road of Russian history. This fiery path is generously watered with bitter sweat and blood. On every military path we hear soldiers' steps - towards the enemy and inhuman trials, towards death and eternal glory. But a sensitive heart in a fatal step will also catch the hope of returning home safe and sound.

More than 30 years ago, on February 15, 1989, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan was completed. On this day, the commander of the 40th Army, Lieutenant General Boris Gromov, was the last to cross the border separating the USSR and Afghanistan. The war lasted more than 9 years, about 4.5 thousand Tula people passed through it. Tula weapons also shared their international duty with the soldiers.

Shaitan-pipe - this is what the Afghan Mujahideen fearfully called the Soviet infantry jet flamethrower. In our country, this projectile has been known as the “Bumblebee” since the 1980s.

The key point of this rocket-propelled flamethrower, in a nutshell, is that the ammunition that causes serious damage to the enemy does not need to wait from the air, requesting aviation, or be delivered using cannon or rocket artillery.

Combat operations in the Afghan mountains had their own characteristics. Western journalists called the Afghan war the “Vietnam War of the Soviet Union” and a “Bear Trap.” The enemy knew the landscape well and actively used numerous caves and crevices. Therefore, a fundamentally new weapon was required that would help our soldiers in these difficult conditions and save their lives.

Fire and war are inseparable concepts. History remembers many episodes when people tried to use the flame to serve themselves and turn it against the enemy. And if in ancient times burning arrows flew over the battlefield, now they have been replaced by aluminum capsules with a special thermobaric mixture of volumetric explosion. Developed by the Tula Instrument Design Bureau, the Shmel infantry jet flamethrower is secretly considered the deadliest portable infantry weapon. This infernal machine has monstrous destructive power - the volume-detonating ammunition is equated by experts with the explosive power of a heavy artillery shell. After detonation, an aerosol cloud of explosive is formed, which instantly ignites. If “Bumblebee” flies into a window, the people inside have no chance of survival. And it’s not a fact that the building will remain standing after this.

Defeating hidden enemy firing points, disabling lightly armored and automotive vehicles, powerful high-explosive effects and firing range - these were the tasks facing domestic developers. And the Tula engineers of the Instrument Design Bureau coped with them. It was a team of like-minded people, efficient, united, created by Arkady Georgievich Shipunov.

Under the leadership of Shipunov, the Instrument Design Bureau became the flagship of the Tula defense industry and one of the most respected enterprises of the military-industrial complex. The legendary gunsmith designer devoted his life to creating first-class weapons and strengthening the combat power of the Russian army. For more than 40 years, the Shipunov family lived in a house at the intersection of Lenin Avenue and Pervomaiskaya Street.

Arkady Georgievich's daughter Tatyana recalls that, while participating in the spring cleanup, her father always chose a crowbar from among the tools and broke blocks of melting snow. It was in his character: not to look for easy ways, but to take on the most difficult problems with readiness and enthusiasm.

After a business trip to Vietnam, Shipunov knew very well all the difficulties of fighting on foreign territory and was able to convey them to his colleagues.

Invented by the Tula people, “Bumblebee” was intended to disable enemy personnel located both in open areas and in shelters - above-ground and semi-buried natural and artificial structures made of stone, brick or concrete. He simply destroyed all living things in a volume of up to 80 cubic meters; The Bumblebee's affected area in open areas was 50 square meters. The target firing range of the flamethrower is up to 850 meters.

Such excellent characteristics were achieved through the use of a completely new principle of delivering a charge to the target. The Tula fiery “Bumblebee” stung mercilessly and became a real nightmare for the Mujahideen.

Unexpected fact

The most widespread use of Bumblebee flamethrowers, to the surprise of many, occurred not in Afghanistan, but in combat operations in the North Caucasus - battles for Chechnya, Dagestan and other regions of the Caucasus. If you look for messages from those years (from 1994 to 1999 inclusive), literally through one printed publication you can find in the materials a mention of the “secret weapon” that the militants were so afraid of. Unlike Afghanistan with its mountains and caves, in the Caucasus everything turned out a little differently. Outbuildings, houses, garages - all of this was used as firing points. Of course, it was possible to crush them with the help of tanks, but the collateral damage was unacceptable. The use of "Bumblebee" in this case was one hundred percent justified. One shot could destroy almost any fortified point.

Structurally, the deadly “insect” is designed extremely simply, however, like everything ingenious in this world. A significant design feature of this type of jet flamethrower is the absence of a gun. Instead, a launch container is actually used, which is thrown away after firing a shot, i.e. RPO-A is a disposable flamethrower. At the same time, in terms of its efficiency, the Shmel RPO surpassed all existing similar systems in the world. Therefore, it is still in great demand abroad.

And after a decade and a half, the Russian army received a new infantry jet flamethrower RPO PDM “Shmel-M”. It was the result of a deep modernization of the Shaitan-pipe by specialists from the Tula Instrument Design Bureau in the first years of the 21st century.

The abbreviation PDM stands for “increased range and power.” Russian gunsmiths not only managed to reduce the weight of the wearable kit, but also significantly increased the firing range. Thus, a new, very intriguing chapter began in the history of domestic jet flamethrowers.

“Bumblebees” are traditionally equipped with units of radiation, chemical and biological defense troops, marines, and special forces. In addition to Russia, flamethrowers are in service in the armies of the CIS countries and former members of the Warsaw Pact. A couple of years ago, unique domestic flamethrowers appeared in the hands of Syrian government troops. One of the authors of the American resource “Popular Mechanics” then noted that, despite its “cute name,” this weapon inspires real horror. Surprisingly, it can be successfully used in peaceful life. “Bumblebee” has proven itself well as a means of combating avalanches and as... a fire extinguisher.

The second one has gone!

“I have no right to comment on manufacturing technologies and the effect of ammunition,” continues the polite Major Khomenko. “But I can make good flamethrowers out of you.” We move on to the MRO-A Borodach small-sized jet flamethrower. The Shmel is good for everyone, but it is heavy (11 kg), and it is not recommended to shoot from rooms with a volume of less than 40 m³, since barotrauma is inevitable. Although it shows maximum efficiency in urban conditions. They say that during the Chechen campaign, one officer, covering the retreat of his squad, fired more than ten shots from a Shmel from a room less than 40 m³, for which he received the title of Hero of Russia. But we don’t just give a Hero.

So, you can shoot from a “Bearded Man” from a window, and you won’t be given any rewards for it. And it weighs much less than the “Bumblebee” - only 4.6 kg. But, says Major Khomenko, both flamethrowers inflict colossal damage on the enemy. True, the maximum range of the “Bearded Man” is designated as 450 m, and the “Bumblebee” - 1 km.

With an already familiar movement, I straighten the front handle, put the pipe on my shoulder, raise the aiming bar, set the range, pull the pin, raise the safety and press the trigger from above. The rocket has gone! Shooting from the “Bearded Man” is much more comfortable both in terms of sound and in terms of holding, which affects accuracy. We shot at a tank from a distance of 150 m. I can’t imagine how it’s possible to hit, for example, a window a kilometer away with a Bumblebee. At such a distance, rocket-propelled flamethrowers can only be fired in one gulp.

New "Shmel" RPO-PDM-A

No matter how good “Shmel” was, Tula specialists were able to improve it. The next modification received the additional index RPO-PDM-A (PDM means “increased range and power”). Now it hits at 1.7 km with an effective target distance of 800 m. The mass of the charge has also been increased to 6 kg, and the flamethrower itself has become lighter, it weighs 8 kg 800g. It has one more feature: the new Shmel-M flamethrower is equipped with a removable control unit with optical

Weight reduction was achieved through the use of composite materials, in particular, the launch tube is made of heavy-duty fiberglass. To protect the projectile from external influences and mechanical damage, rubber covers are used that fly off when it is released. The rocket is initiated using an electronic ignition system. Another design feature is the integration of a solid fuel motor with a charging compartment.

RPO PDM-A "SHMEL-M" - infantry jet flamethrower with increased range and power

RPO PDM-A "SHMEL-M" infantry jet flamethrower with increased range and power. The flamethrower is designed to disable enemy manpower located both in open areas and in various types of structures, lightly armored and automotive vehicles, destruction of fortified buildings, ground or semi-buried structures made of stone, brick or concrete.

Modifications[edit]

"Shmel-M"
Available in three modifications:

• RPO-A
  (thermobaric ammunition based on high temperature and overpressure). To destroy sheltered fire weapons in the city, in the field and in the mountains, to destroy shelters, vehicles and lightly armored vehicles.
• RPO-Z
  (incendiary ammunition). To create landscape fires and fires in buildings, structures and fuel and lubricants warehouses.
• RPO-D
  (smoke munition). To create smoke screens that blind fire crews and create unbearable conditions for manpower in various types of shelters.
• MRO-A
  (thermobaric ammunition) based on high temperature and excess pressure).
  A shortened version of the RPO-A
  for operations in the city, its design is partially similar to
  the RPG-26
  . There are smoke (MRO-D) and incendiary (MRO-Z) options.
• “Shmel-M” is a modification, the main improvements are weight reduction to 8.8 kg and increased power of the ODBC.

Performance characteristics

"Lynx" strike, "Bumblebee" bite

Container with a shot of a rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower RPO "Lynx"
For the first time, our gunsmiths began to study the issue of creating a shell-jet infantry flamethrower for arming motorized rifle and airborne troops in the late 1960s.
In 1972-1974. Specialists from the Tula Instrument Design Bureau (KBP) have created reusable infantry jet flamethrowers (RPO). Adopted by the Soviet Army by order of the USSR Minister of Defense No. 006 dated January 5, 1975, the RPO “Lynx” immediately took its place in the infantry weapons system as a very powerful group weapon of attack and defense. These flamethrowers were intended to defeat the enemy in open areas, destroy his hidden firing points, and disable automobile and lightly armored vehicles. The launcher of the infantry jet flamethrower RPO "Lynx"
RPO "Lynx" refers to dynamo-reactive systems in which recoil during firing is compensated by the outflow of powder gases through the breech opening of the launcher tube.
“Lynx” consisted of a launcher created using individual parts and assemblies of the RPG-16 hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher, and two types of capsules with a warhead filled with a fire mixture with incendiary (“Lynx”-Z) or smoke-generating (“Lynx”-D) composition. Targeting was carried out using simple sighting devices, consisting of a front sight and a movable rear sight that folded down on the aiming frame. To better ensure stability when firing from this rather heavy weapon (weighing about 7.5 kg), a bipod mounted in front of the launcher served. In the design of the RPO "Lynx", the capsule-jet principle of flamethrowing was implemented for the first time: a flamethrower shot, assembled in a plastic container, was a "packaged" jet placed in a capsule on which a solid-fuel jet engine was mounted. Flamethrower shot from a rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower RPO "Lynx"
The flamethrower was brought into firing position in just 60 seconds: the flamethrower shot was secured to the body of the flamethrower with three cap locks, after which the flamethrower pulled the trigger. The jet engine was ignited by using the energy of an electrical pulse generated when the electrical mechanism was activated. When fired, the flame from the fuse was transmitted through the fire tube and ignited the jet engine, the charge of which was completely burned, and the body was separated from the capsule as the shot moved along the barrel. In flight, the shot was stabilized using four tail stabilizer feathers by rotating around its axis. Upon contact with an obstacle, the fuse was triggered, the capsule body was destroyed, the fire mixture was ignited, after which its burning pieces scattered over a distance of 30-40 m in the direction of fire. The target was hit due to the high combustion temperature. At the same time, flamethrowing from the RPO “Lynx” was accompanied by a strong sound effect and a significant rearward ejection (at a distance of up to 45 m in the affected sector of 110 degrees) of a jet of high-pressure gases. Therefore, the presence of people and animals in this dangerous zone was prohibited. Restrictions were also imposed on shooting from enclosed spaces, where the distance from the breech end of the flamethrower to the rear wall had to be at least 6 m, and to the side walls - at least 1 m.

Infantry rocket flamethrower RPO "Lynx"
The RPO kit consists of two flamethrower rounds and a launcher. They are connected into a single pack weighing 22 kg. The guaranteed life of the RPO “Lynx” launcher is 100 rounds. The new Soviet weapons soon found the widest use in various combat conditions.

Using the significant combat experience accumulated in Afghanistan, domestic specialists continued work on creating more effective models of flamethrowers.
Back in 1976, the same Tula designers from KBP, under the leadership of General Designer A.G. Shipunov, began work on a more promising type of infantry jet flamethrowers based on the “Bumblebee” theme. And soon the RPO “Lynx” was replaced by a qualitatively new model of this weapon, known as the RPO “Shmel” infantry jet flamethrower, but no longer reusable, but disposable. Currently, the Shmel is produced with three types of 93-mm warheads: RPO-A with a thermobaric (volume-detonating) shot; RPO-Z - in an incendiary version (the capacity of the capsule with the fire mixture is 2.1 liters); and RPO-D - in the smoke version (capacity of the capsule with the smoke-forming composition is 2.3 l). These shots complement each other very effectively in combat. Infantry jet flamethrower RPO-A “Shmel”
The “Shmel” type flamethrower is a completely new version of the RPO, in which for the first time in domestic weapons the capsule principle of flamethrowing is implemented, when a capsule with a fire mixture is delivered to the target in a “cold” state.
The RPO-A flamethrower model uses combined ammunition. Its cumulative warhead, being the first to pierce an obstacle, contributes to the deep penetration of the main warhead, filled with a fuel-air fire mixture, into the object. Upon impact, an ignition-explosive charge is initiated, as a result of which the fire mixture (aerosol cloud of liquid explosive) ignites, and its burning pieces scatter and hit the target. The cloud formed during a volumetric explosion of RPO-A ammunition quickly burns without detonation, while the fire mixture forms much less excess pressure, with a greater time extension, than a conventional explosive. This increased the effectiveness of its lethal effect, thus allowing the full use of RPO to destroy not only enemy personnel located in shelters, firing points, buildings, but also concrete defensive structures and military equipment. The RPO-A thermobaric shot (volumetric explosion) is comparable in high-explosive effectiveness to a 122-mm howitzer projectile. And taking into account the fact that the aerosol cloud and shock wave can flow into cracks and unsealed shelters, this weapon is successfully used to destroy hidden targets - firing points, buildings, lightly armored and transport equipment, and even without the need to break through an obstacle. In addition, “Bumblebee” flamethrowers are used to clear passages in obstacles and create numerous fires at targets and in the area. In open areas, the affected area reaches 50 square meters. m. The RPO-A “Shmel” flamethrower is characterized by high shooting accuracy. The deflection of hits at a distance of up to 200 m, as a rule, does not exceed 0.7 - 1.0 m. Sighting devices of the RPO-A rocket infantry flamethrower The
wearable kit includes two RPO "Shmel" containers, connected into a pack, with a total weight of 21 kg. The pack consists of containers with a thermobaric shot and an incendiary fire mixture or smoke-forming composition. This weapon is fired from the shoulder. The main feature of the new weapon is the absence of a starting device (gun) for flame-throwing the mixture. Instead, a disposable launch container is used.

The flamethrower consists of three main parts: a launch container, ammunition (capsule) with a warhead and a propulsion engine.
The capsule's flight speed is 125 m/s. Targeting can be done using either simple sighting devices, consisting of a front sight and a movable rear sight that folds down on the aiming frame, or an OPO-1 optical sight. The firing mechanism of the RPO "Shmel" is housed in a separate housing, mounted on the outer part of the starting device, and consists of a folding handle with a lock, the trigger mechanism body itself with a trigger guard and safety lock, a firing mechanism in a casing and a primer sleeve. For a more stable hold of the flamethrower when firing, an additional folding handle is attached to the RPO body. To handle this weapon, unconditional compliance with safety regulations is also required, since when firing from the Shmel, the shot is accompanied by the release of a jet of high-pressure gases back (at a distance of up to 20 m). RPO-A "Shmel" infantry flamethrower
The "Shmel" was first used by Soviet troops in Afghanistan in 1983-1984.

The Soviet flamethrowers “Lynx” and “Bumblebee” gained great popularity among the troops, proving themselves to be formidable weapons in the mountains of Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Chechnya.
In many military conflicts and local wars of recent years, in which the Soviet and then the Russian army participated, it was possible to sufficiently develop successful tactics for using rocket-propelled infantry flamethrowers. It is necessary to carry out such activities as the preparation of flamethrower crews for joint actions in combat formations of troops, thorough reconnaissance of targets to be hit, blocking targets and approaches to them using artillery and mortar fire and smoke weapons, fire support for the actions of flamethrower crews, and their close interaction with infantry, maneuver by forces and fire. Thermobaric shot for the RPO-A infantry jet flamethrower
Such powerful weapons as jet flamethrowers are used not only by our soldiers, but also by the enemy. Thus, in the battles for Grozny in January-February 1995, there were repeated instances of Chechen armed forces using 93-mm RPO-A rocket-propelled infantry flamethrowers. The high combat characteristics of this weapon contributed to the destruction or incapacitation of a significant number of armored vehicles of the federal troops and severe injuries to personnel. The use of all anti-tank defense weapons in Grozny, including RPO-A flamethrowers, allowed the Dudayevites to destroy 225 armored vehicles in just a month and a half of fighting (December 1994 - early February 1995), and these are only irretrievable losses, and the total number of damaged armored vehicles was significantly higher. During the assault on Grozny in August 1996, the separatists, thanks to detailed information received in advance about the defense scheme of the Ministry of Internal Affairs building complex, managed to destroy the main ammunition supply point located in a closed room inside the building with two targeted shots from Bumblebees, thus depriving the defenders of almost all supplies ammunition. A significant number of RPO-A flamethrowers were used by both federal troops and Islamic extremists during the fighting in Dagestan in August-September 1999. Our troops widely used flamethrowers to combat long-term fire installations of militants in the Botlikh, Tsumadinsky, Novolaksky regions of Dagestan, destroying more than a dozen enemy pillboxes and bunkers, as well as in the second counter-terrorism campaign in the Chechen Republic.

Sergey Monetchikov Photo from the author’s archive

Advantages and disadvantages of a flamethrower

The uniqueness of this weapon makes it the subject of frequent discussion. Supporters and opponents give the following arguments:

• The advantages of the Bumblebee include exceptional lethality, firing range many times greater than that of backpack flamethrowers, versatility for performing various tasks, and effectiveness in defeating light armor;
• Among the negative aspects, the following stand out: disposability, danger for the shooter (cases of detonation due to bullets or shrapnel hitting the container were observed), excessive “inhumanity” - the possibility of hitting civilians or allied soldiers when used in urban combat.

Device

The flamethrower consists of the following components: container, ammunition, collet and engine.

• The container
  is designed to fire a shot, direct the ammunition to the target and ensure hermetically sealed packaging of the shell with equipment and the engine. The container consists of a pipe with flanges; it contains: a firing mechanism, an aiming device, a belt, and connection units for a pack (front and rear bands).
• The ammunition
  is designed to hit a target. It is a feathered artillery shell that rotates around a longitudinal axis in flight. The ammunition consists of a capsule filled with a fire mixture, a fuse and a block of ignition-explosive charge tablets.

The shell with equipment is attached to the engine using a collet

.

The engine is designed to impart speed to the ammunition. Powder engine, separated from the ammunition in the barrel, with the flow of part of the powder gases into the behind-the-barrel space. It consists of a chamber, a propellant charge and an igniter.

The principle of operation and consequences of a flamethrower

Thermobaric ammunition had not previously been used in infantry weapons, so the Bumblebee can be called revolutionary in this regard. The projectile is designed as follows: in the front part there is a shaped charge that penetrates armor and walls of buildings. After hitting the target, the fuse on the capsule containing the fire mixture is triggered, forming an instantly exploding aerosol cloud, which is especially dangerous in enclosed spaces. Thus, according to the recollections of Afghan veterans, a single shot from a “Bumblebee” is capable of guaranteed destruction of all living things in a two-story house, not to mention caves and improvised mountain shelters, against which it was originally developed. The power of the cumulative part of the projectile is about 2.5 kg in TNT equivalent, which makes the RPO-A even more similar to grenade launchers and allows it to hit lightly armored vehicles.

Tasks of modern infantry

Increasing the role of each soldier in street fighting and the possibility of inflicting maximum damage on the enemy is ensured by the presence in his arsenal of light, but very powerful weapons of enormous destructive power. The Afghan War highlighted the challenges combat units face when conducting active operations in mountainous terrain. Any complex terrain with many folds, ruins, residential buildings, industrial buildings or specially built defense facilities with powerful protection create serious difficulties for the advancement of advancing troops. To overcome them, Tula gunsmiths created the Shmel thermobaric grenade launcher in the late eighties.

A backpack-type flamethrower, previously used to suppress fortified points, did not fully meet the requirements for modern assault weapons.

"Bumblebees" for export

Unique weapons are one of the important items of Russian export, and there is nothing wrong with that. We won't sell - others will do that. It is all the more important to use. The world has not yet created portable systems that could surpass the Shmel flamethrower in thermobaric efficiency. Photos and videos sent by news channel correspondents from hot spots on the planet demonstrate the sad popularity of these weapons even in the most exotic countries. According to military experts, this small device can produce the same destruction as a 155-mm howitzer...

A soldier's equipment for urban combat must combine minimal weight and dimensions with guaranteed destructive power. This is exactly how the Bumblebee infantry flamethrower turned out.

New type of flamethrower

In 1984, Soviet weapons developers received an order from the army for a new means of fire destruction of enemy personnel and equipment. The range of action must be at least half a kilometer. Greater power is required, with the ability to suppress well-fortified targets. At the same time, the device must be made light, so that a soldier can not just walk with it, but run and climb mountains. A hand cannon weighing tens of kilograms was practically needed.

It was difficult to complete such a technical task. But Tula gunsmiths from the Basalt State Research and Production Enterprise worked hard and created the Shmel. The flamethrower turned out great. Let's consider its main characteristics.

Jet at the enemy

An uninitiated person can easily confuse the SPO Varna jet infantry flamethrower with the Shmel - they are very similar in appearance, and the 93 mm caliber is the same, as are the sighting devices. But otherwise, these flamethrowers differ radically. If in the Shmel the thermobaric composition flies to the target inside the body, then in the SPO everything is different. A jet expulsion engine, assembled together with a container with a fire mixture open at the end, is fired from a flamethrower and flies forward ten meters. At this moment, an already ignited clot of fire mixture flies out of the container in a special mesh shell, which prevents the mixture from falling apart in the air.

The flamethrower is designed to disable enemy manpower located both in open areas and in various types of structures, lightly armored and automotive vehicles, destruction of fortified buildings, ground or semi-buried structures made of stone, brick or concrete.

RPO PDM-A "Shmel-M" is a new generation of high-precision assault weapons that allows you to solve a wide range of fire support tasks in close combat. The flamethrower is easy to use.

RPO PDM-A - modernization of the highly effective infantry rocket flamethrower "Shmel" providing:

• increasing the power of the warhead by 2 times;
• increase in firing range by 1.7 times;
• weight reduction by 1.3 times.

The flamethrower is always ready for immediate use. It is highly reliable and allows mobile movement over rough terrain. During storage, the flamethrower is not subject to maintenance.

Device

The container is designed to fire a shot, direct the ammunition to the target and ensure hermetically sealed packaging of the shell with equipment and the engine. The container consists of a pipe with flanges; it contains: a firing mechanism, an aiming device, a belt, and connection units for a pack (front and rear bands).

The ammunition is designed to hit a target. It is a feathered artillery shell that rotates in flight. The ammunition consists of a capsule filled with a fire mixture, a fuse and a block of ignition-explosive charge tablets.

The shell with equipment is attached to the engine using a collet.

Engine

designed to impart speed to ammunition. Powder engine, separated from the ammunition in the barrel, with the flow of part of the powder gases into the behind-the-barrel space. It consists of a chamber, a propellant charge and an igniter.

Video

The last decades have shown that for infantry units to successfully conduct combat operations, familiar small arms weapons are not enough; they require a fundamentally new class of hand-held weapons. Already during the Second World War, the armies of some countries around the world received hand grenade launchers, which successfully performed the functions of light artillery, such as fighting enemy armored vehicles and providing fire support for the offensive during the assault on fortified points. Despite the imperfections of the first samples, they immediately proved their effectiveness.

"Bumblebee" stings with lightning speed

In the modern world, with its high urbanization and a significant percentage of the population living in cities and metropolitan areas, battles in urban environments are becoming commonplace. Suffice it to recall the two assaults on Grozny in 1994 and 1999, Baghdad in 2003, Fallujah in 2004, recent clashes in Libyan Misurata in 2011 and in Syrian Deraa and Aleppo in 2012–2013. Therefore, the military departments of the developed countries of the world pay special attention to the development of effective weapons and military equipment for urban combat. Organizing and conducting an assault on a populated area is one of the most difficult types of combat at the tactical and operational levels. According to Western and domestic military experts, an important role in the successful capture and clearing of it is played by the preparedness of the personnel of the assault units and subunits, as well as their equipment and weapons. Rich experience in this area was accumulated by the Soviet Army during the Great Patriotic War. The experience of fighting in Stalingrad, Koenigsberg, Berlin, etc. formed the basis of methodological manuals and combat manuals of the army not only of the Soviet/Russian army, but also of Germany, France and even the USA.

“When we were preparing to storm Grozny in the winter of 1999, we asked for all the documents and manuals on the battles in Stalingrad. They helped us a lot,” Colonel General Vladimir Bulgakov, Hero of Russia, told the Military-Industrial Courier newspaper. But in the modern world, with its high level of information and new technologies, the tactics of storming cities and towns have undergone significant changes.

In urban combat

Since 2001, American military scientific institutions, including the US Army War College, have published several dozen scientific works analyzing the experience of armies of various countries in storming cities. In 2006, the US Army issued field regulations FM 3-06 Urban Operations, regulating operations in urban areas, and in 2008 – FM 2-91.4 Intelligence Support To Urban Operations, dedicated to organizing intelligence in cities and towns.

The main feature of urban combat is that the opponents are in close proximity to each other.

“One house was occupied by my units, and across the road from them there were militants. That's why I didn't call the air force. The militants are close, and the pilots can cover their own, and if we retreat to a safe distance, the enemy will occupy the positions we left. Therefore, the Su-24 and Su-25 worked much further according to the plan of the higher command,” Hero of Russia Colonel Evgeniy Kukarin, who commanded the troops of the Vostok group that stormed Grozny in December 1999, told a VPK correspondent.

At the same time, it will not be possible to knock out the enemy from houses and buildings with small arms and mortars alone, which are often not inferior in strength to long-term reinforced concrete fortifications. Therefore, direct fire artillery and tanks are actively used in battle.

During the Great Patriotic War, in the divisions that stormed cities and towns, due to the losses incurred, there were from four to seven rifle battalions - only 150-200 active bayonets, but many guns and mortars. Each division had approximately a hundred guns, reinforced by army, corps artillery regiments and reserve brigades of the main command. At least two or three mechanized and tank corps with hundreds of tanks each took part in the battles in Konigsberg, Budapest and other cities, and in the Berlin operation there were even tank armies. True, without infantry, tanks and other armored vehicles in urban areas are vulnerable to enemy grenade launcher fire, as the bloody assault on Grozny in the winter of 1994 proved. The tanks of the 131st motorized rifle brigade and the 81st motorized rifle regiment, with weak support from infantry and artillery, were blocked and quickly knocked out. But already in the winter of 1999, when storming Grozny for the second time, the Russian command limited the use of armored vehicles, but artillery fire was much more intense. According to Evgeniy Kukarin, during the assault on Grozny’s Minutka Square he was supported not only by several 152-mm self-propelled howitzers, but also by heavy 240-mm “Tulip” mortars that used adjustable mines.

The US Army and Marine Corps actively used artillery and armored vehicles when they stormed Iraqi cities in 2003–2005. But like Russian troops in Chechnya, the US military was faced with the high vulnerability of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, even despite the excellent training and numerical superiority of its infantrymen. It is noteworthy that, unlike the Russian military, the US Army and Marine Corps prefer to fire artillery at targets distant from their positions, and aviation with high-precision weapons must destroy the enemy in close proximity to ground troops. Although, as the experience of battles in Iraqi Fallujah, Nasiriyah, etc. shows, more than 70 percent of airstrikes were canceled due to the proximity of militants to the positions of American units.

Despite different approaches and technical equipment, when storming cities, the armed forces of Russia and the United States face similar problems. The enemy is located several tens of meters from the positions of Russian (American) troops in buildings that protect from small arms and mortars, which, however, can be destroyed by artillery fire, tanks and air strikes. But more than half of the strikes are canceled due to the threat of hitting friendly units.

As the experience of the Russian and American military shows, if it is impossible to destroy the enemy with long-range fire weapons and armored vehicles directly in the house, units storm the buildings, clearing it from the basement to the roof.

“I advanced in a solid line. If at least one assault group broke out one house further, then the militants could easily surround it and cut it off. So they cleared one house after another,” Colonel Yevgeny Kukarin told a journalist from the Military-Industrial Courier newspaper.

For such sweeps, the assaulting infantry must have enough firepower to overwhelm the enemy. It must be taken into account that the task of the defenders is to inflict maximum damage to the troops attacking them in manpower and armored vehicles. In Chechnya and Iraq, militants did not try to defend populated areas. Their goal was a negative response in the media caused by heavy losses among the attackers. Suffice it to recall the New Year's assault on Grozny.

The most profitable scenario for militants is when, due to the inability to use artillery, aviation and armored vehicles, troops are forced to storm every house, and their losses can amount to hundreds of people. This is where the so-called pocket artillery comes to the aid of the troops, or, more simply put, grenade launchers, flamethrowers and especially effective thermobaric charges, capable of destroying the enemy holed up in houses, basements and various buildings in close fire combat without losses from the attackers.

Following the results of urban battles in 2003–2006 in Iraq, the US Army returned the Swedish Carl Gustav and M-79 grenade launchers, which had already been removed from service, to infantry companies, and the Marine Corps hastily ordered thermobaric charges that had proven themselves in two assaults on the city of Fallujah for regular SMAW grenade launcher.

Surprisingly, back in the 90s, American military experts were skeptical about thermobaric ammunition for grenade launchers, considering them ineffective. At the same time, the Soviet army, back in the late 70s, appreciated the advantage of such ammunition, adopting flamethrowers of the RPO “Shmel” family, which showed their high efficiency in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and the first and second Chechen wars.

"Lynx" in Afghanistan

During the Second World War, a flamethrower created in the early 1900s was highly effective in clearing and storming urban buildings. The fuel mixture, placed under pressure in special tanks, was thrown towards the enemy and set on fire. Having performed well in the trenches of the “positional nightmare” of the First World War, the flamethrower was adopted by chemical and engineering units of countries around the world who stormed engineering structures and buildings during the Spanish Civil War, the battles at Khalkhin Gol and during the Second World War. The Soviet, German, British and American ground forces had special flamethrower units, which were assigned to reinforce regular rifle (infantry) companies and battalions that stormed cities and towns. Despite all their effectiveness, flamethrowing devices had several drawbacks that significantly complicated their use. This is a large weight of incendiary cylinders, often reaching up to 20 kilograms. The mixture itself was enough for a few seconds of work, and when fragments or bullets hit the cylinders, the flamethrower turned into a pillar of fire, burning not only itself, but also the soldiers surrounding it within a radius of 10–15 meters. It is noteworthy that both the Allied and Axis countries were armed with not only hand-held flamethrowers, but also flamethrowers mounted on tanks and armored vehicles.

Classic flamethrowers reached the Vietnam War, where they were successfully used by the US Army and Marine Corps both in clearing jungles and in battles in the South Vietnamese city of Hue during the Tet Offensive. The Soviet Union realized the futility of such products and began searching for their replacement back in the early 50s. In 1976, the first flamethrowers “Lynx” developed by the Tula Instrument Engineering Design Bureau entered service with the flamethrower battalions of the radiation, chemical and biological defense forces (RKhBZ) of the Soviet army. The newest product, created using the components and mechanisms of the RPG-16 hand-held rocket launcher, fired a four-kilogram incendiary charge over a hundred meters and could destroy not only buildings and engineering fortifications, but also light armored vehicles. For the first time in battle, the Lynx was used by Soviet troops in Afghanistan, but expectations from the weapon were not fully met. With a length of almost one and a half meters, the flamethrower itself with additional charges weighed more than 20 kilograms, and the incendiary mixture turned out to be ineffective in rocky mountain conditions. The Lynx charges could not always set fire to the stone and adobe houses of local residents. It is noteworthy that the weak incendiary capabilities of the flamethrower mixture of both the classic Soviet flamethrower LPO-50 and the rocket-propelled "Lynx" against modern brick and panel buildings were known to the commands of the Ground Forces and the RCBZ troops of the Soviet Army from the experience of exercises in the late 70s. It turned out that the primitive buildings of the inhabitants of Afghanistan withstand the blow of the fire mixture more effectively than modern buildings.

“Soviet troops and their Warsaw Pact allies were preparing to conduct military operations against NATO countries in the highly urbanized territory of Western Europe. The task was not to clear the cities, but to break through them, destroying the enemy blocking units. Therefore, separate flamethrower battalions were formed as part of the RKhBZ troops, which were ordinary motorized rifle battalions, but additionally armed with Lynxes, and later with Bumblebees. The engineering and sapper units had a large amount of equipment capable of destroying rubble and barricades in narrow streets,” Vitaly Moiseev, editor-in-chief of the Internet project “Courage 2004,” explained to the Military-Industrial Courier newspaper.

"Bumblebee" comes into position

To replace the outdated Lynx and LPO-50, the instrument design bureau began developing a fundamentally new flamethrower with a thermobaric warhead in the late 70s.

Thermobaric explosion, often called volumetric, has been known to scientists for a long time. A flammable substance is sprayed into the air in the form of an aerosol, and the resulting gas cloud is set on fire. The explosion is accompanied by a strong shock wave and excess pressure. According to this principle, fires occurred in mills in the past, where clouds of dust formed during the grinding of flour exploded. The aerosol tends to “flow” into buildings, rooms and various shelters, so it will not be possible to hide behind the wall of a building, in a trench, pillbox, etc. The explosion will reach there too. True, a volumetric explosion is more effective in closed spaces than in open areas, where the aerosol can disperse too quickly.

Soviet and American specialists began experiments with thermobaric ammunition back in the 60s. The first volumetric explosion munitions were used by the US Air Force during the Vietnam War, where they proved their high destructive power in the closed space of the jungle.

In the 70–80s in the West, thermobaric ammunition followed the path of increasing power due to the weight of the aerosol and the caliber of the ammunition itself. But only the Tula Instrument Engineering Design Bureau realized the high efficiency of volumetric explosion ammunition for urban combat, starting in 1984 the development of the Shmel rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower. The designers paid great attention to summarizing the unsuccessful Afghan experience in using the Lynx and decided to make the Bumblebee disposable and light enough to make it easier for soldiers to carry and store in armored vehicles. The compact RPO container, which is more than half a meter shorter than the Lynx, turned out to be more convenient to handle in cramped urban spaces. A four-kilogram ammunition placed in a container was ejected by a powder charge installed in the engine over a thousand meters and destroyed enemy fortifications and manpower within a radius of 80 square meters in closed areas and in buildings and 50 meters in open space.

Even before being put into service in 1988, the Bumblebees underwent military testing not only at training grounds in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, but also in the 40th Army fighting in Afghanistan, where they were used in the mountains and during assaults and clearing of villages. One “Bumblebee” charge was enough to completely destroy a two- or three-story stone house, not to mention an adobe one (which the “Lynx” could not do). According to calculations carried out by the Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate of the Soviet Army, the power of the Bumblebee ammunition is equal to a 107-mm high-explosive projectile, however, without explaining which howitzer or cannon.

In publications of the 80s devoted to the weapons of the Soviet army, American experts spoke extremely negatively about the newest flamethrower, pointing out the weakness of the charge, low power and a high threat to civilians. “Bumblebee” fit very well into the ongoing propaganda campaign about the atrocities of the Soviet army in Afghanistan. But within 20 years, such charges will take their place in the arsenals of units of the US Army and Marine Corps.

“Losing weight”, but became more effective

RPO "Shmel" had to fight a lot. But in all wars and military conflicts, the flamethrower received only positive reviews.

“We could not suppress the firing point of the “spirits.” A two-story brick building with loopholes in the walls. They shoot from the PK (Kalashnikov machine gun. – Note by “VPK”) and AK. Even our sniper cannot get the “spirits”. The fighters with the Bumblebee approached and rolled a charge into one of the windows. The house crumbled and sank before our eyes,” an officer from the special forces unit of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs shared his memories of the fighting in Chechnya with a journalist from the Military-Industrial Courier. And there are more than enough such memories of combatants.

Weapon systems are constantly being improved, new solutions and developments are appearing. “Bumblebee” doesn’t stand still either. Despite all the positive qualities of the flamethrower, the military has complaints about the sighting devices. On the one hand, complex sights for a disposable “Bumblebee” are an unnecessary luxury, but on the other hand, for long-range shooting you still need a special sight. With a maximum firing range of a thousand meters, you can only really hit the target effectively when the target is 200 meters away.

In the early 2000s, the modernized Shmel-M flamethrower, also known under two indices - RPO-M and RPO PMD-A, entered service with the Russian Army. The newest flamethrower has “lost weight” by almost five kilograms compared to the conventional “Bumblebee”, but the effective range has increased to 300 meters, and the maximum to almost one and a half kilometers. The Shmel-M kit includes the so-called reusable fire control complex - a set of optical, night, and, more recently, thermal imaging sights, which are removed after the shot and installed on the following containers. There is also a special sight that can be combined with the eyepieces of a regular night vision scope. If the "Shmel" was essentially a dynamo-reactive flamethrower, then the "Shmel-M" became completely reactive, since the charge is thrown towards the target by a jet engine without a powder charge. But the main thing in the updated flamethrower is the new fuel mixture, thanks to which the power of the ammunition has increased many times over. Now, according to expert calculations, the RPO-M charge is superior to a 122-mm high-explosive projectile and is equal to a 152-mm projectile from a 2S19 MSTA-S self-propelled howitzer.

The armies of the developed countries of the world do not yet have similar flamethrowers in service. In terms of performance characteristics, the American reusable SMAW grenade launcher with a thermobaric warhead, which has been in service with the US Marine Corps since 1984, is close to the Shmel and Shmel-M. While superior to the RPO family in terms of firing range, the charge of the American-Israeli grenade launcher is several times inferior to the Russian family in power; also, when equipped, the one and a half meter SMAW is very inconvenient to carry in urban combat conditions. It is not for nothing that the American Marines prefer to load it at the last moment, which requires almost a minute for a trained crew. During that time, you can shoot three or four Bumblebees.

Now the US military prefers portable thermobaric charges installed in buildings. Relatively lightweight, they are not inferior in power to the Bumblebee charges. But their placement is associated with a certain risk, since they have to be placed under fire and it is not always possible to perform all the necessary actions. The book by American special forces officer Mark Owen, “Not an Easy Day,” describes a case when, during a night assault on a building in Baghdad, Delta operators, faced with strong resistance, decided to use a portable thermobaric projectile. But the Delta fighter setting the charge forgot to set the fuse and had to return under fire from Iraqi militants to fix the problem. But these were trained soldiers of an elite special forces unit, one of the best in the world.

The Tula Instrument Engineering Design Bureau, part of the holding company, has developed and is constantly improving a unique family of flamethrowers. Today, when High-Precision Complexes celebrates its fifth anniversary, I would like to wish all its employees not to stop there, but to continue to produce unique weapons systems and military equipment that are superior to the best Western models.