Jump to content

Yasin (RPG)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2600:8800:4903:3500:690d:f75a:712a:91ac (talk) at 05:50, 20 December 2024. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Yasin (RPG)
Yasin RPG with tactical vest and assault rifle magazines found in Beit Hanoun in 2006
TypeAnti-tank rocket-propelled grenade
Place of originPalestine
Service history
In serviceAugust 3, 2004[1]–Present
Used by
Wars
Production history
DesignerAdnan al-Ghoul
DesignedBelieved to be in 2004
ManufacturerAl-Qassam Brigades (Hamas)
Produced2004–present
Specifications
Mass7 kg (15 lb)[2]
Length95 cm (37")[2]
Crew1 or 2
Caliber40 mm (1.57") rocket engine ; 85mm warhead[2]
Muzzle velocity295 m/s[2]
Effective firing range300 m[2]
SightsIron or telescopic sights.

The Yasin (Arabic: ياسين), also known as Yassin,[2] or Al-Yassin,[3] is an anti-tank weapon derived from the RPG-7 produced by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and first deployed in 2004.[4] It was named after Hamas' spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yasin, killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on March 22, 2004.[2]

Primarily used by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades,[5] it has also been deployed by other Hamas units in Gaza, including the Executive Force,[6] and Naval Police.[7] Other users include fighters connected to Fatah and the PFLP.[2]

Although intended as an anti-tank weapon, the first version of the Yasin was chiefly operated against soft-skin vehicles and personnel. Later models like The Yasin 105 have larger warheads that Palestinian militants claim can penetrate Merkava tanks.[8][dubious – discuss][unreliable source?]

History

Unveiled on August 30, 2004,[1] the Yasin was reportedly developed by Hamas engineers from the Research and Industry Unit,[9] directed by Adnan al-Ghoul, killed in Gaza by the IDF on October 22, 2004.[2]

First used against Israeli soldiers in 2005,[10] after the 2006 Lebanon War, production was accelerated in anticipation of an armed conflict with Israel.[11] During the 2006 Gaza conflict, there were reports of its use against Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip,[12] as well as at Beit Lahiya.[13] On August 14, 2007, Hamas reported firing a Yasin at an Israeli tank in Khan Yunis.[14] During the Gaza War, Hamas Naval Police officers were reportedly trained in its use.[7]

In 2018, Israeli intelligence claimed Yasin warheads were being converted into balloon-based IEDs, since improvements to the armor used by Israeli military vehicles made them obsolete in their primary role.[10]

Design

The Yasin's design was influenced by the RPG-2 and RPG-7,[2] made in Gaza.[15] From the former, it used the rocket launcher tube design and the warhead's external shape and rocket motor which are very simple.[2] From the latter, it copied the enhanced warhead and the divergent nozzle at the launcher's rear to deflect recoil generated by launching the rocket with a rocket booster attached to the propelled grenade to extend its range.[2] The large cone at the back end of the Yasin launcher is thus typical of the RPG-7.[3]

The RPG is reported to be made in small underground workshops, with an explosive filler made from molten TNT and powdered ammonium nitrate.[16] While it has a claimed effective range of 300 meters, the Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) suggests a range between 200 and 250 meters.[17]

According to fighters from Popular Resistance Committees's Saladin brigades, the Yasin was able to take down a Merkava Mk. 3 on an undisclosed date by firing it at a weak point.[2][dubious – discuss] However, it is more effective in urban warfare, able to destroy brick walls and penetrate a 21 cm steel plate from 150 meters,[2] closely matching the ITIC estimate of 200 mm (20 cm).[17]

Continued efforts to upgrade the Hamas-made RPG rocket to penetrate protective armor lead to the development of the more recent "Tandem 85" rocket, using a tandem-charge system designed to be more effective against reactive armor,[10] followed by the more recent yet "Al-Yassin 105" rocket. The Yassin 105 is reported to have first seen action during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.[18][19]

References

  1. ^ a b "Hamas's Military Wing Marks Organization's 29th Anniversary With Special Report On Its Military Industry". MEMRI.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Yassin RPG – The Underground RPG of Gaza". 2017-11-14. Archived from the original on 2021-11-13.
  3. ^ a b "SADJ Identification Series: The RPG ID Guide". Archived from the original on 2021-10-14. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  4. ^ "Hamas Army". Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  5. ^ Friedrich & Luethold 2007, p. 107.
  6. ^ "Hamas's military buildup in the Gaza Strip (Updated April 2008)" (PDF). Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC). 2007-04-08. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-01-17. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  7. ^ a b "Hamas and the Terrorist Threat from the Gaza Strip" (PDF). Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC). March 2010. p. 285. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  8. ^ "Hamas Destroying Israeli Tanks with Improvised Missile". www.defensemirror.com. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
  9. ^ "Guest Post: Ghoul 14.5mm Anti-Materiel Rifle, a Palestinian copy of the Steyr HS-50 or Modified Domestically? -". March 6, 2018.
  10. ^ a b c Obscura, Calibre (26 August 2019). "Hamas' Mysterious Anti-Tank Weapon". calibreobscura.substack.com.
  11. ^ "Hamas's military buildup in the Gaza Strip (Updated April 2008)" (PDF). Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC). 2007-04-08. p. 34. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-01-17. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  12. ^ "RPG-missile-..-Yassin-Missile-..-"-Shewath-bomb"-during-the-attack-On-Maghazi | Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades". 67.215.245.108. Archived from the original on 2020-03-20.
  13. ^ Shaked, Ronny (7 November 2006). "Hamas presents: Daily terror report". Ynetnews.
  14. ^ "Al Qassam Brigades fired 6 RPGs and Yassin rocket - Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades". www.qassam.ps. 2007-11-14. Archived from the original on 2020-03-20.
  15. ^ Kate Seelye (Reporter) (May 9, 2006). Palestinian Territories: Inside Hamas (Documentary). Gaza Strip & West Bank: PBS. Event occurs at 9:19 to 9:36.
  16. ^ smallarmssurvey.org
  17. ^ a b "Hamas's military buildup in the Gaza Strip (Updated April 2008)" (PDF). Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC). 2007-04-08. p. 41. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-01-17. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  18. ^ Sof, Eric (2023-11-08). "Al-Yassin 105: A heavily modified anti-tank round based on RPG-2 and RPG-7 design". Spec Ops Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  19. ^ Psaropoulos, John. "'Extremely challenging': Israel's Gaza ground assault faces stumbles". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-11-09.

Bibliography

  • Friedrich, Ronald; Luethold, Arnold (2007). Entry-Points to Palestinian Security Sector Reform. Democratic Control of Armed Forces. ISBN 978-9292220617.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Yasin_(RPG)&oldid=1264060708"