Weapons for the president: why did Ukraine launch a reactive infantry flamethrower

Ukraine began to produce a new RPO-16 infantry reactive flamethrower. This was written in his Twitter president of the camp Peter Poroshenko.

"The serial production of the new flamethrower RPO-16 began. This is a new high-power weapon that Ukroboronprom makes for the APU. Already in the near future, the flamethrowers will go to the army, which will significantly increase the firepower of our units, "Poroshenko wrote.

• President of Ukraine Pyotr Poroshenko
• © ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP

As follows from reports in the Ukrainian press, this weapon was developed at the State Research Institute of Chemical Products in Shostka, Sumy region. It was first demonstrated to the general public in July 2017. The flamethrower shoots a special thermobaric grenade, which is filled with a flammable mixture. Caliber flamethrower - 93 mm. He is able to shoot at a distance of up to 1000 m, but, as follows from the tactical and technical characteristics of the weapon, it is most effective to fire from it at a distance of up to 300 m. RPO-16 is a single-action complex. After firing a thermobaric grenade, its pipe is disposed of.

The new weapons are designed to destroy the enemy's manpower in dugouts, bunkers and other shelters, as well as to engage lightly armored vehicles.

Ukrainian "Shmel"

According to RT experts, RPO-16 is most likely a copy or an upgraded version of the Soviet disposable flamethrower RPO "Shmel", which is known in everyday life as "Shaitan-trumpet".

"This is the Soviet" Bumblebee "or a certain system that has a similar principle of operation. As far as I know, in Ukraine there were some of these Soviet-made flamers, and, presumably, there were some technical documentation on them. Therefore, apparently, over 25 years of independence, the Ukrainian side has a need and some amount of money to organize its weapons of this type, "said Andrei Frolov, editor-in-chief of the magazine Export of Armament, in an interview with RT.

In turn, the head of the portal Military Russia Dmitry Konev suggested that Ukrainian developers hardly resorted to any fundamentally new technologies when creating their own jet flamethrower.

"In this sphere everything was already discovered in the 1980s, after which it was successfully applied in the USSR. So, I believe, nothing breakthrough in Ukraine was invented. All these technologies are well known to us, "the expert said in an interview with RT.

• A serviceman with the RPO "Shmel" reactive flamethrower at the tactical-special classes in Ingushetia for the liquidation of the chemical and biological emergency
• © Said Tsarayev / RIA Novosti

"Bumblebee" was created by the Tula Design Bureau of Instrument Engineering. It is also a one-off action and shoots a grenade of the same caliber as the Ukrainian product - 93 mm. The Soviet flamethrower was created to destroy the shelters and vehicles of the enemy. The Armed Forces of the USSR actively used this type of weapon in Afghanistan, where he earned many flattering reviews of fighters and commanders.

Marriage for APU

According to Frolov, if the Ukrainian gunsmiths copied the "Bumblebee" well, they can provide the APU with an additional means of fire damage and thereby strengthen their infantry.

"However, the story is still alive in memory, as a Soviet Soviet mortar of 2B11 caliber 120 mm was copied in Ukraine, calling it the" Hammer ". After the launch in the series it turned out that in these systems the share of the marriage is high, and sometimes mines explode during the loading of the mortar. This has repeatedly led to the death of Ukrainian soldiers. For example, at the site near Rovno in 2017 because of such an incident three people died: charging, gunner and battery commander, "the expert recalled.

• "Hammer", Ukrainian copy of the Soviet mortar 2B11
• © UkrOboronProm

Similar doubts are expressed in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

"The reactive infantry flamethrower RPO-16 experienced last year, and he liked Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Alexander Turchinov. I hope that the quality of its production will be at a high level. Unfortunately, APU often get arms with a marriage, "- said a source RT in the local defense department.

Doubts are that some representatives of the Ukrainian parliamentary parties will also be of high quality.

"All Ukrainian weapons are, as a rule, improved samples of Soviet production. And, as practice shows, not always for the better. At the same time, the cost of weapons can be comparable with better foreign counterparts. I would not be surprised that the quality of the flamethrower will not be at the highest level either. Most likely, we are talking about the next PR, "- said the source of RT in the party" Fatherland ".

Parliamentarians are also confident that the practical effect of the new weapons will be low, but its application can lead to a major international scandal.

"It's not very clear how the APU is going to use the flamethrower in the ATO zone. Everything that falls under its action burns. That is, will the soldiers burn people alive? Apparently, "Ukroboronprom" has few scandals, and it wants to attract the attention of the whole world with its "development", - RT source in the People's Front party said.

Meanwhile, Denis Denisov, the director of the Institute of Peace Initiatives and Conflictology, believes that loud statements about the launch of RPO-16 are meant only to raise the rating of Petro Poroshenko, and in itself this event is not particularly significant for the APU.

"The fact is, in general, on duty. Well, yes, Ukrainian defenses, they improved a little old Soviet flamethrower and began to produce it serially. But since Poroshenko now has very few opportunities for self-piracy, he uses even this insignificant occasion to remind himself. After all, the president of Ukraine has few real achievements ", the expert says in a conversation with RT.

According to Denisov, in fact, the Ukrainian government and Poroshenko have nothing to boast about, as the population continues to grow poor, and it's becoming more difficult to justify the economic crisis in the Donbas.

"The closer to the elections, the more we will observe such questionable from the point of view of importance of records in the Twitter of the Ukrainian chapter. Pay much attention to them is not necessary ", - the expert is sure.