| AGS-17 Plamya | |
|---|---|
AGS-17 Plamya - In use with Russian soldiers |
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| Type | Automatic Grenade Launcher |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1970s-present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | Soviet War in Afghanistan First Chechen War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | KBP Instrument Design Bureau |
| Designed | 1967 |
| Manufacturer | KBP Instrument Design Bureau |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 31 kg |
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| Cartridge | 30mm grenade |
| Action | Blowback |
| Rate of fire | 400 round/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 185 m/s |
| Effective range | 1700 m |
| Feed system | 29 rounds |
| Sights | Adjustable iron sights, optional mount required for optical sights |
The AGS-17 Plamya (Russian: Пламя; Flame) is a Soviet-designed automatic grenade launcher currently in production in the Russian Federation and in service worldwide.
Contents |
The AGS-17 is a heavy infantry support weapon designed to operate from a tripod or it can be mounted on an installation or vehicle. The AGS-17 fires 30 mm grenades in either direct or indirect fire to provide suppressive and lethal fire support against soft skinned or fortification targets.
The weapon operates using a blowback mechanism to sustain operation. Rounds are fired through a rifled barrel which is removable (to reduce barrel stress).
Ammunition is held in a metal box and is linked. Standard boxes contain 30 rounds.
The tripod is equipped with fine leveling gear for indirect fire trajectories.
Development of the AGS-17 (Avtomatischeskyi Granatmyot Stankovyi - Automatic Grenade launcher, Mounted), had been started in the USSR in 1967 by the OKB-16 design bureau (now known as the KBP Instrument Design Bureau, located in the city of Tula). Most probably its development was inspired by the Sino-Soviet border conflict of the late 1960s, as well as initial experience with several US automatic grenade launchers, learned from Vietnamese troops who were often on the receiving end of these weapons.
It was thought that an automatic grenade launcher would be one of the most effective infantry support weapons against typical Chinese "human wave" attacks. This lightweight weapon was to provide infantry with close to medium range fire support against enemy personnel and unarmored targets like trucks. First prototypes of the new weapon entered trials in 1969, mass production commenced in 1971. Never used against the Chinese, the AGS-17 was widely operated and well liked by Soviet troops in Afghanistan as a ground support weapon or as a vehicle weapon on improvised mounts installed on armored personnel carriers and trucks.
At the same time, a special airborne version of the AG-17 was developed for installation on Mi-24 Hind gunship helicopters.
It is still in use with the Russian army as a direct fire support weapon for infantry troops; it is also installed in several vehicle mounts and turrets along with machine guns, guided rocket launchers and sighting equipment. A special airborne version, the AG-17A, was installed on the door mounts of several Mil Mi-8 Hip combat transport helicopters and on gun pods used in late model Mi-24 Hind gunships; this weapon had a thick aluminium jacket on the barrel and used a special mount and an electric remotely controlled trigger. It is being replaced by the AGS-30 launcher, (using the same ammunition, this weapon weighs only 16 kg unloaded on the tripod and has an upgraded blowback action).
The AGS-17 fires 30x29 caliber (belted) cartridges with a steel cartridge case. Two types of ammunition are commonly fired from the AGS-17. The VOG-17M is the version of the original 30 mm grenade ammunition which is currently available and has a basic high explosive fragmentation warhead. The VOG-30 is similar but contains a better explosive filling and an enhanced fragmentation design that greatly increases the effective blast radius.
Chechen and other North Caucasus rebels and terrorists use this ammunition to manufacrture improvised hand grenades commonly called the "khattabka".
Bulgarian weapons manufacturer Arcus, produces AR-ROG hand grenades based on VOG-17 cartridges and UZRGM (Russian: УЗРГМ), which is also a Soviet design of fuse.[1]
Koll, Christian (2009). Soviet Cannon - A Comprehensive Study of Soviet Arms and Ammunition in Calibres 12.7mm to 57mm. Austria: Koll. p. 239. ISBN 978-3-200-01445-9. http://www.russianammo.org.