Watch: Russia Develops World’s Smallest Grenade Launcher
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Russia’s anti-terror units have received the most compact multi-shot grenade launcher in the world. This grenade launcher, called The Bur, is just 74.2 centimeters long, the height of an average kitchen table, and weighs just 3.5 kilograms.
In comparison, the weight of the most famous Soviet-developed rocket launcher, the RPG-7, is about 7 kilograms.
According to the KBP Instrument Design Bureau in the Russian city of Tula, developers were tasked with creating the lightest grenade launcher in the world, something that could allow soldiers to conduct military operations at any time of day or night, Sputnik reports.
Russian defense expert Viktor Murakhovsky touted the advanced characteristics of the grenade launcher, which he said can be classified as portable weapons, due to its so-called “pocket artillery.”
The Bur’s explosive capacity is equal to almost six kilograms of TNT, with an effective firing range and maximum firing range of 650 meters and more than 900 meters, respectively.
In terms of destructive force, the Bur’s shot is comparable to the explosion of a 120-millimeter howitzer shell.
The grenades fired by the launcher have an explosive capacity capable of completely burning out at least 30 cubic meters of space.
The Bur system consists of two components: the launch unit and the self-contained rocket tube. The polymer-made launch unit integrates a pistol grip, a trigger with a manual safety, a ribbed handguard, and a mounting bracket for Russian-type day and night sights such as optical sights, thermal or infrared sighting units, laser rangefinder, and such. Optical sighting units can be attached to the launch unit with a quick-detach bracket.
The National Guard and special operations forces of the Ministry of Defense of Russia recently conducted a successful test of the weapon and it has been taken into service.
