| Yasin (RPG) | |
|---|---|
| Type | Anti-tank, Anti-personnel |
| Place of origin | Gaza Strip |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2004-Current |
| Used by | Hamas |
| Wars | al-Aqsa Intifada |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Adnan al-Ghoul |
| Designed | Believed to be in 2004 |
| Manufacturer | Hamas |
| Produced | 2004-Current |
| Number built | 2,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 7 kg (15 lb) |
| Length | 95 cm (37") |
| Crew | 1 or 2, depending on situation |
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|
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| Caliber | 40 mm (1.57") |
| Muzzle velocity | 295 m/s |
| Effective range | 300 m |
| Sights | Iron sights. Infrared and night vision sights possible |
The Yasin (Arabic: يس) anti-tank rocket launcher is a weapon developed by Hamas' Ezzedeen-al-qassam brigades named after the group's spiritual leader, Sheik Ahmed Yasin, who was assassinated by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on March 22, 2004. Apparently first used during the battle of Jabalya in October 2004, the Yasin was reportedly developed by Hamas' engineers under the direction of Adnan al-Ghoul, assassinated in Gaza by the IDF on October 22, 2004. The weapon resembles the Soviet RPG-2 and RPG-7 launchers. It serves as Hamas' anti-tank rocket launcher.[1]
At the end of 2005, the Ezzedeen-al-qassam brigades released a video providing insights about the production of the Yasin antitank rocket launcher. The projectile is manufactured in two parts: the propeller is assembled in a cylindric tube, containing a solid fuel, and the head of the projectile is essentially made of metal, containing a yellow liquid explosive made from various chemicals. Folding wings are then added to the propeller and coated with a plastic envelope so that they will unfold upon firing of the rocket. The head of the projectile is then assembled with the propeller and a safety pin is added. The whole process is made with basic installations in metal workshops using rudimentary tools, but the conception and engineering of the weapon seems to attain a high degree of sophistication and professionalism given the means used. The launching tube is also manufactured by the so-called "production units" of the Ezzedeen-al-qassam brigades, using roughly the model of the RPG-7 Russian rocket launcher.
The efficiency of the weapon was demonstrated in the video, and the rocket seems to concentrate its impact on a very limited surface, thus making it able to pierce a thick brick wall without difficulty, and inflict limited damage to a 2-inches metal plate. Therefore, it is unlikely that this type of rocket could actually significatively damage an Israeli Merkava tank or Armoured Personnel Carrier, often targets of attacks by the Ezzedeen-al-qassam brigades.
On June 19, 2005, an Israeli soldier was killed in the Gaza Strip by a rocket of this type near Rafah, and on October 2, 2005, a confrontation between Hamas and the Palestinian Police led to the death of the police commander of the Shati refugee camp in Gaza after a Yasin rocket struck the room were he was taking cover. Following the 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip by Israel and the ensuing temporary truce observed by Hamas, it is widely believed that an amount of up to several thousands of Yasin projectiles were manufactured and stocked by Hamas by the end of that year. Israeli officials also expressed concerns over the fact that Hamas is trying to transfer knowledge and technology to make those rocket to its cells in the West Bank.
The Yasin RPG appeared and was mentioned by name on the May 9, 2006 episode of PBS TV's Frontline program.