Anti-tank weapons of the Afghan dushmans. Mounted grenade launchers, recoilless guns and guided missile systems

33

During the Afghan war, armed opposition detachments very actively used Soviet, American and Chinese-made mounted anti-tank grenade launchers and recoilless rifles in combat operations.

In the late 1980s, anti-tank missile systems appeared at the disposal of the rebels. But due to the high complexity and the need for qualified maintenance of anti-tank systems against Soviet troops and Afghan government forces, they were used to a limited extent.



Easel anti-tank grenade launchers


In the late 1950s, the Soviet Union, along with other weapons delivered 82-mm SPG-82 anti-tank grenade launchers to Afghanistan.

Anti-tank weapons of the Afghan dushmans. Mounted grenade launchers, recoilless guns and guided missile systems

LNG-82

The SPG-82 grenade launcher entered service with the Soviet Army in 1950. For that time, it was a fairly effective anti-tank weapon capable of penetrating the frontal armor of most of the existing tanks likely opponent.

The range of a direct shot of the SPG-82 heavy grenade launcher was 200 meters, and the combat rate of fire was up to 6 rds / min. Weight in combat position - 32 kg. Calculation - three people: gunner, loader and ammunition carrier.

The thin-walled barrel of the SPG-82 grenade launcher consisted of a breech and muzzle parts, which were interconnected by a coupling. The barrel, in turn, was mounted on a machine with wheel travel and a folding shield. The main purpose of the shield was to protect the calculation from the effects of powder gases from a jet engine. When fired, glazed viewing windows in the shield were automatically closed with metal protective shutters. A shoulder rest and a mechanical sight were attached to the barrel.


The main ammunition was considered a cumulative rocket-propelled grenade PG-82. To stabilize the rocket-propelled grenade on the nozzle of the jet engine, there was an annular stabilizer with six hard feathers. The jet fuel was a charge of smokeless nitroglycerin powder. The mass of the PG-82 grenade is 4,5 kg. Armor penetration along the normal -170 mm.


In the mid-1950s, the OG-82 fragmentation grenade was developed. The firing range of a fragmentation grenade was 700 m. The introduction of a fragmentation grenade made it possible to expand the combat potential of the grenade launcher. It became possible, in addition to fighting tanks, to successfully solve the tasks of defeating enemy firepower and manpower.

Judging by the available photographs, the SPG-82 grenade launchers were very widely used by dushmans at the initial stage of hostilities, and they were regularly captured by our troops during operations.


The popularity of the SPG-82 in gangs was facilitated by the simple design, reliability and relatively low weight of the grenade launcher, which was even less than that of the SG-43 machine gun on a wheeled machine.


But after the appearance of the much more long-range 73-mm mounted anti-tank grenade launchers SPG-9, as well as 75-mm American and Chinese-made recoilless rifles, the use of the SPG-82 became episodic in the hands of the rebels.


Nevertheless, SPG-82s remained in the arsenals of the rebels until the mid-1990s.

A much more advanced anti-tank weapon compared to the SPG-82 is the 73-mm SPG-9 Spear mounted anti-tank grenade launcher, adopted by the Soviet Army in 1963. Structurally, the SPG-9 is a light breech-loading recoilless gun on a tripod machine.


LNG-9

For firing from the SPG-9 grenade launcher, the PG-9 active-reactive grenade is used, the engine of which continues to work even after leaving the barrel, accelerating the projectile to 700 m / s.


Shots for LNG-9

Due to the rather high flight speed, comparable to the speed of an artillery shell, the PG-9 has a much better hit accuracy compared to the PG-82. With a barrel length of 670 mm, the effective range of fire against tanks is 700 meters.

In the tail section of the PG-9 shot there is a jet engine that starts after the grenade leaves the barrel. The starting charge consists of a sample of nitroglycerin powder in a cloth cap. After the grenade leaves the barrel, the six-fin stabilizer opens. In the tail section of the PG-9 there are tracers with which you can observe the flight on the trajectory. A cumulative grenade, depending on the modification, is capable of penetrating homogeneous armor 300–400 mm thick.

The mass of the grenade launcher in combat position is 48 kg, length - 1 mm. On the battlefield, a grenade launcher can be transported over short distances by a crew of four. For transportation over long distances, the grenade launcher is disassembled into separate units. Rate of fire up to 055 rds / min.

In the first half of the 1970s, production of a modernized version began. The ammunition load of the SPG-9M grenade launcher included shots with increased armor penetration and a direct shot range increased to 900 meters. The OG-9 fragmentation grenade was adopted for the modernized easel grenade launcher. It does not have a jet engine, but only a starting powder charge. The maximum firing range of the OG-9 is 4 meters.


Afghan government forces and limited contingent units used mounted 73-mm grenade launchers to fire at rebel positions, suppress firing points and provide fire support to their infantry.

The exact number of mounted grenade launchers captured by dushmans is unknown. Apparently, we can talk about dozens of units. After studying captured samples in the late 1980s, production of a copy of the SPG-9 began in Pakistan.

Recoilless guns


Since the mid-1980s, 75-mm American and Chinese-made recoilless rifles have become widespread in large gangs. Starting from the middle of 1984, the presence of one "recoilless rifle" in a detachment of 25-30 people was considered the norm, and five recoilless guns were relied on for a formation of a hundred fighters.

At first, the Americans tried to organize the supply of 75-mm M20 recoilless rifles. This weapon was developed at the end of World War II, and by the time the Soviet troops entered Afghanistan, it was already considered obsolete. But, being relatively light and compact, it turned out to be well adapted to the conditions of guerrilla warfare in mountainous areas.


75 mm M20 recoilless gun

The 75 mm M20 recoilless rifle had a very simple design. It was a steel rifled barrel open at both ends, in the back of which a hinged bolt with a nozzle for the exit of powder gases was installed to compensate for the recoil when fired. For precise aiming, the rotary and lifting mechanisms of the gun are equipped with manual drives. The total length of the gun was 2 mm, and together with the machine it weighed 008 kg. When assembled, the “recoilless” on the battlefield could be carried by two people. For transportation over a long distance, the machine was separated from the barrel.


If necessary, the 75-mm M20 recoilless rifle could be transported on a mule or horse.

Unlike smooth-bore hand and mounted grenade launchers, which used rocket-propelled grenades with feather or ring stabilizers, the M20 recoilless gun had a rifled barrel and a projectile with a steel perforated sleeve. The propellant charge of pyroxylin powder inside the sleeve is in a burning bag made of nitrocellulose fabric.

The main weapon in the ammunition load was considered to be a cumulative shot weighing 9,5 kg with armor penetration along the normal of 90 mm. The cumulative grenade contained 400 g of pentolite and left the barrel at an initial speed of 300 m/s.


Shot for M20 recoilless gun

Also, from the 75-mm M20 gun, it was possible to fire fragmentation and incendiary grenades and even buckshot. Leading belts of 75-mm projectiles had ready-made rifling, which, when loaded, were combined with the rifling of the gun barrel. The range of effective fire on tanks is up to 600 m, the maximum firing range of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile is 6 m. The combat rate of fire is up to 500 rds / min.

By the beginning of the Afghan war, the Americans transferred, as part of military assistance, most of the 75-mm "recoilless" weapons available in warehouses to friendly regimes in third world countries. Since the production of M20 guns was completed in the mid-1950s, there was nowhere to get them. But then China came to the rescue, becoming the largest supplier of weapons for the Afghan Mujahideen, which were purchased with money allocated by Western and Arab countries.

In the first half of the 1980s, the delivery of Chinese 75-mm Type 56-II recoilless rifles and ammunition for them was organized from the PRC to militant camps in Pakistan.


Type 75-II 56mm recoilless gun

The Chinese first got acquainted with the 75-mm American "recoilless" in Korea, and in the 1950s in the PRC, based on the M20, a number of guns of a similar class were created.

According to its characteristics, the 75 mm Type 56-II recoilless rifle was similar to the M20. It had a collapsible barrel and a light alloy machine.

A new cumulative grenade with normal armor penetration up to 140 mm was introduced into the ammunition load, which outwardly resembled a mortar mine.


However, due to the fact that the cumulative grenade of increased power was heavier, the effective range of fire on tanks did not exceed 450 m.

The gun could conduct aimed fire with fragmentation shells at stationary targets at a distance of up to 2 m. The maximum firing range was up to 000 m.


Dushmans very actively used 75-mm "recoilless" in combat. They also appeared quite often among the trophies captured by our troops.

In addition to the above-mentioned heavy grenade launchers and 75-mm M20 and Type 56-II guns, the Dushmans had 82-mm Soviet-made B-10 recoilless rifles and their Chinese clones.


82-mm recoilless gun B-10

The Soviet 82 mm B-10 recoilless smoothbore gun entered service in 1954 and fired feathered HEAT and fragmentation shells. The gun weighing 85 kg (with a wheel drive), with a barrel length of 1 mm, could fire at targets at a distance of up to 910 m, firing up to 4 shells per minute. The effective range of fire against armored targets is up to 400 m, armor penetration is up to 6 mm. The ammunition of the gun included cumulative and fragmentation shots of caseless loading. The mass of fragmentation and cumulative projectiles is 400 kg, the initial speed is 200 m / s.

In the late 1950s, China received a package of documentation for the establishment of licensed production of B-10 guns. In 1965, the 82-mm "recoilless" was adopted by the PLA under the designation Type 65. The release of this gun in China continued until the second half of the 1970s.

In 1978, the PLA received the 82-mm Type 78 recoilless rifle. The new gun became much lighter, its mass was about 30 kg, which was of great importance when transporting in mountainous areas.


82 mm Recoilless Type 78 Gun

Due to the fact that the barrel has become significantly shorter, in order to maintain an acceptable range of a direct shot, the propellant charge was increased. It is stated that the armor penetration of a new type of cumulative 82-mm grenade is 400 mm normal. To combat manpower, shells equipped with 5-mm steel balls with an effective destruction zone of up to 15 m are intended.


Chinese-made shots to 82mm recoilless guns

At the same time, the initial speed of the cumulative grenade is 260 m/s, the effective range of firing at tanks is 300 m. The maximum firing range of a fragmentation grenade is 2 m. The combat rate of fire is up to 000 rds/min.

Type 78 smoothbore recoilless rifles appeared in Afghanistan in the second half of the 1980s. There were much fewer of them than the outdated rifled Type 56-II, which the Chinese decided to get rid of by selling them to the Afghan spooks.


The much lighter Type 78s were popular. They had better mobility and could be fired from the shoulder. In addition, compared to 75 mm shells, 82 mm mines were more powerful.

Anti-tank guided missile systems


In 1988, the Americans delivered about a hundred TOW ATGMs to one of the militant groups based in northwestern Pakistan. Unfortunately, it was not possible to establish which particular modification of the anti-tank complex was at the disposal of the Afghan dushmans, but, most likely, these were Improved TOWs with BGM-71C ATGMs, which could hit targets at ranges up to 3 m.


ATGM BGM-71 TOW in firing position

The ATGM launch tube, about 2 meters long, and the guidance equipment are mounted on a tripod machine. The mass of the anti-tank complex in combat position is about 90 kg. After the launch of the ATGM, it was enough for the operator to keep the central mark on the target until the missile hit. Control commands were transmitted over thin wires. The mass of the BGM-71C rocket was 19,1 kg, length - 1 mm. The maximum flight speed is 450 m / s.


As of the end of the 1980s, it was a completely modern ATGM with armor penetration sufficient to confidently defeat the T-55M and T-62M tanks, which were part of a limited contingent. The BGM-71C ATGM, put into service in 1981, had a cumulative warhead weighing 3,9 kg and normally penetrated 600 mm homogeneous armor.

Another ATGM that appeared among the rebels in the late 1980s was the Franco-German Milan complex. According to Western sources, 160 complexes were sent to Afghanistan.

The Milan ATGM, which entered service in 1972, like the TOW, had a semi-automatic guidance system. The operator was only required to keep the enemy tank in sight.


ATGM Milan in firing position

The first modification of the Milan ATGM had a length of 918 mm and a mass of 6,8 kg (9 kg in the transport and launch container). Its cumulative 3-kg warhead was capable of penetrating 400-mm armor. The launch range was in the range from 200 to 2 m. The average rocket flight speed was 000 m/s. The mass of the anti-tank complex ready for use was slightly more than 200 kg, which made it possible to carry it over a short distance by one operator.

Features of the use of easel grenade launchers, recoilless guns and anti-tank missile systems available to dushmans


The most common long-range anti-tank weapons at the disposal of the dushmans were 75-mm recoilless guns with a rifled barrel. Due to their availability and the absence of a shortage of ammunition, Chinese 75-mm "recoilless" were used very widely.


Recoilless guns, along with mortars, became the main means of artillery support for the rebels, to some extent making it possible to compensate for the superiority of Soviet troops in firepower.

But, unlike the mortar, when firing from the "recoilless" it was not necessary to calculate the hinged trajectory and accurately determine the firing distance. Most often, recoilless rifles fired with a minimum angle of elevation of the barrel, while adjusting the fire when firing at a visually observed target is much easier. Recoilless guns were more understandable to former farmers and artisans, their sights were no more difficult to handle than mechanical sights of small arms.

Although 75 mm HEAT shells could not penetrate the frontal armor of Soviet tanks, the side armor was still vulnerable to them. They posed an even greater threat to armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles protected by bulletproof armor, even when firing fragmentation shells at them. Having the ability to hit armored targets and infantry at ranges up to 800–1 m with “recoilless” fire, the rebels no longer tried to get close to regular troops, as this led to losses, but tried to open fire from a safe distance for themselves.

Much attention was paid to the preparation and selection of a firing position. The rebels skillfully camouflaged the locations of the recoilless guns in dense thickets of greenery or among stones, and to prevent the formation of a dust cloud that betrayed the place from which the fire was fired, they moistened the soil with water behind the bell and in front of the muzzle of the guns. Careful camouflage of the firing position and prevention of dust formation during firing allowed the rebels to fire a series of shots without being noticed.

The SPG-82 and SPG-9 mounted anti-tank grenade launchers were used relatively rarely in combat. The SPG-82 had a relatively short range, and it was difficult for captured SPG-9s to get ammunition. The release of 73-mm heavy grenade launchers in Pakistan and shells for them was managed when the Soviet troops were already leaving Afghanistan, and this niche was occupied by Chinese recoilless rifles.

Chinese 82-mm recoilless guns showed themselves well. Although the range of the Type 78 HEAT recoilless projectile is relatively short, it is still higher than that of a hand grenade launcher. Fragmentation 82 mm grenades contained more explosives and had a larger radius of destruction than 75 mm shells. In addition, the 82mm Type 78 smoothbore guns were almost twice as light as the 75mm Type 56-II rifled guns.

Massive 82-mm Type 78 guns began to be delivered when the stocks of 75-mm Type 56-II guns were almost exhausted in the PRC, and 82-mm Chinese “recoilless guns” basically already fought in the civil strife that began after the withdrawal of Soviet troops.

Guided anti-tank systems of Western production, handed over to the dushmans, did not show themselves in any way. The very large and heavy American TOW ATGM, designed to replace the 106-mm recoilless rifles in the battalion, turned out to be too burdensome to carry in the mountains.

ATGM Milan was lighter, more compact and easier to handle. But, like the American complex, it was too gentle for the harsh conditions of Afghanistan, it required a very careful attitude and qualified service. With the money spent on the purchase and delivery of one ATGM, one could buy a hundred Chinese recoilless rifles and several thousand shells for them.

The rebels, realizing the advantages of MANPADS in comparison with anti-aircraft heavy machine guns, purposefully selected and trained operators for them, and paid much attention to ensuring safety during transportation. Guided anti-tank systems, which required the same attitude and level of personnel training as portable anti-aircraft ones, did not have such an overwhelming superiority over recoilless guns and heavy grenade launchers, and Soviet armored vehicles did not cause such damage as combat helicopters and attack aircraft.

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33 comments
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  1. +3
    24 March 2022 05: 32
    This bitch .... It's hard to hear, the detail is incomprehensible to her. They searched with their eyes at 800-1000 m. And they saw at 200-300 when the crew ran and her leash.
    1. 0
      24 March 2022 07: 29
      The Afghan experience must be urgently raised, especially the counter-guerrilla struggle, everything will be needed in the coming years in Ukraine.
  2. +7
    24 March 2022 05: 34
    I successfully went to VO, there will be something to read during breakfast !!!
    Many thanks to Sergey for the article!
    Regards, Vlad!
    1. +6
      24 March 2022 14: 16
      Quote: Kote Pan Kokhanka
      I successfully went to VO, there will be something to read during breakfast !!!
      Many thanks to Sergey for the article!
      Regards, Vlad!

      Vlad, hello!
      Thanks for the kind words! The support of thoughtful readers means a lot to me! drinks
      1. +4
        24 March 2022 17: 30
        Sergey, thank you very much for my rating. Unfortunately, in technical topics, I am closer to a neophyte, which will encourage you to read your work more!
        Special thanks to Olga, I think without her support we, as readers, have lost a lot of interesting things! Reliable rear, the most important thing!!!
        Sincerely, Vlad!
        1. +5
          25 March 2022 00: 03
          Good morning!
          Unfortunately, I have rarely been able to edit Seryozha's articles lately. I have my own small business, due to the price leapfrog and problems with suppliers, there is almost no time left for household chores.
          1. +2
            25 March 2022 05: 57
            Dear Olga, I'm talking more about breakfast, lunch and dinner - for which I hope you don't forget to invite Sergey !!! laughing
            With sincere respect, Vlad!
  3. +8
    24 March 2022 06: 08
    Thanks to Sergey for the new article, and to the moderators for posting it quickly. smile good

    But I remember the American recoilless M20 on the "Jeep" almost from childhood, in the photograph, of course, there was no such thing in the Red Army Museum.

    1. +8
      24 March 2022 14: 37
      Quote: Sea Cat
      Thanks to Sergey for the new article, and to the moderators for posting it quickly. smile good

      But I remember the American recoilless M20 on the "Jeep" almost from childhood, in the photograph, of course, there was no such thing in the Red Army Museum.


      Kostya, hello! Glad you liked it! This time, the article really did not wait for its turn for long.

      As for the 75 mm M20 recoilless, they were not often installed on SUVs. Jeeps were mainly equipped with 106-mm M40 guns (pictured), which until the early 1970s were the main anti-tank weapon of the battalion.

      In the PRC, this weapon was also copied, and put on off-road vehicles. Now Chinese 106mm recoilless rifles are actively fighting in Libya and Yemen.
      1. +4
        24 March 2022 18: 48
        In the PRC, this weapon was also copied, and put on off-road vehicles.

        Chinese UAZ?

        I found such a monument to a Chinese hero.

        Didn't he, by chance, knock out the tank in which Colonel Leonov died?
        1. +2
          24 March 2022 21: 18
          Didn't he, by chance, knock out the tank in which Colonel Leonov died?

          Leonov died in a tank blown up by a mine. During the first clash on Damansky, the entire battle was decided by a raid on the BTR-60 along the canal that separates Damansky from the Chinese coast. For the second battle, the Chinese prepared better and mined the channel, and Leonov decided to repeat the BTR-60 raid, but on a tank. And died.
          1. +2
            24 March 2022 21: 36
            Where did you get your information from? You were there? I served at the same time, but not at Damansky. Keep in mind, everything was different there, as they wrote in our newspapers, my chief of staff of the regiment (among others) went to Damansky and I know the details from him personally, he brought photographs of our crippled border guards. And I have my own account with the Chinese, for cut off ears and everything that they could cut off from our dead border guards.
            1. +2
              24 March 2022 22: 11
              These are not newspapers. There are two books, one - by Babansky himself, the other - by the author D.S. Ryabushkin "Myths of Damansky", a series of military-historical library, editions of 2004. There, on the basis of many of the documents cited, the battles of March 2 and 15 were analyzed. I remember the mutilated corpses of our border guards from the newspapers of that time.
              1. +2
                24 March 2022 22: 16
                Sergey, well, you understand that newspapers with books and personal communication are completely incomparable things.
                1. +3
                  24 March 2022 22: 23
                  Sergey, well, you understand that newspapers with books and personal communication are completely incomparable things.
                  Certainly. But it is unlikely that a serious analysis of absolutely all information is possible in the mode that is called "online". Do not be lazy, the analysis in the book is good. This is not a newspaper. Your appeal to eyewitnesses and participants in the events is commendable, but it is in this book that they are most fully collected.
                  1. +3
                    24 March 2022 22: 37
                    Do not be lazy, the analysis in the book is good.

                    That's right, but why do I need all this when I myself experienced everything. We didn’t have fights, like at Damansky, but you won’t return those who are no longer there.
                    1. +5
                      25 March 2022 08: 06
                      Konstantin, everything is right on your part. Initially, our dialogue arose regarding the combat damage of the tank. In your photo, damage to the left caterpillar is clearly pronounced, which is typical for hitting a mine. Best regards, Sergei.
        2. +4
          25 March 2022 00: 05
          Quote: Sea Cat
          Chinese UAZ?

          Konstantin, good morning!
          Seryozha probably had an article on this topic a year ago.
          Almost forgot. The number of Serezha's publications on VO has exceeded six hundred. We plan to celebrate at the weekend, unless, of course, my husband is again pulled out to work.
          1. +3
            25 March 2022 16: 05
            Good afternoon, Olya. smile love
            This should definitely be noted, it's a pity that I can't join. smile drinks
  4. +3
    24 March 2022 13: 32
    Normal article. Didn't know about something.
  5. +6
    24 March 2022 13: 36
    hi
    Like the article and photos!
    The very large and heavy American TOW ATGM, designed to replace the 106-mm recoilless rifles in the battalion, turned out to be too burdensome to carry in the mountains.
    - IMHO, TOU can, of course, be worn if you really need it



    (photo is not mine taken from LJ "The Cave of the Evil Bukvoed")
    but as "carried" it is better.
    1. +7
      24 March 2022 14: 41
      Quote: Wildcat
      IMHO, TOU can, of course, be worn if you really need to

      Greetings! hi
      These are well-known photographs.
      Of course you can wear it, but not too far. Especially considering the fact that you will have to load several spare ATGMs on yourself. belay
      1. +3
        25 March 2022 08: 13
        Of course you can wear it, but not too far.
        Quite right. In their youth, they carried kayaks and backpacks with a load of 70 kg for each. But we walked in sections of 300-400 m with a rest of 3 minutes each. This is on the train and from the train. The standard weight of a load with which a healthy man can walk for a long time is 30-35 kg. By the way, in the tsarist army there was a standard for a soldier - 2 pounds.
    2. +5
      24 March 2022 19: 11
      M-das... Ladies obviously gravitate towards something big and solid. laughing
  6. +5
    24 March 2022 13: 51
    I’m very sorry that I squandered the photo. My sidekick and I are holding a rocket. We took the warehouse by accident, followed one shooter
  7. +6
    24 March 2022 14: 00
    Over the past couple of months, this is probably the best material in the Armaments section for the 20-21 centuries, it is very easy to read! Thanks to Sergey for the work and we "require" continuation!
    1. +12
      24 March 2022 14: 46
      Quote: Gvardeetz77
      Over the past couple of months, this is probably the best material in the Armaments section for the 20-21 centuries, it is very easy to read! Thanks to Sergey for the work and we "require" continuation!

      Thanks for the high rating!
      Unlike most of the authors of the Military Review, I write only what I myself am interested in. At the same time, I give a report that the cycle will not gain a large number of views, and this topic will be of interest to a very limited circle of readers. It's not about Ukraine... request
  8. +1
    24 March 2022 18: 55
    It turns out that different "clones" of the Soviet "Baby" or the "Malyutka" itself were not used in hostilities on the territory of the DRA?
    It turns out that the "dushman oppositionists" preferred RPGs or recoilless rifles for their greater mobility and ease of development?
    And the anti-tank systems were less mobile and difficult for the "former peaceful farmers" to master.
    1. +6
      25 March 2022 17: 02
      Quote: hohol95
      It turns out that different "clones" of the Soviet "Baby" or the "Malyutka" itself were not used in hostilities on the territory of the DRA?
      It turns out that the "dushman oppositionists" preferred RPGs or recoilless rifles for their greater mobility and ease of development?
      And the anti-tank systems were less mobile and difficult for the "former peaceful farmers" to master.

      ATGM "Malyutka" in Afghanistan was used by Soviet troops, actively firing off ATGMs outdated by that time.
      The rebels could easily get "Baby" from the PRC or Egypt, but the problem is that for this complex it is necessary to constantly train operators, otherwise the shooting accuracy will be near zero. It is clear that the Mujahideen could not afford it.
      1. +3
        25 March 2022 18: 32
        "Peaceful" mujahedin "-dekhkans" were tritely weak theoretically and practically for the use of "Baby".
        Constantly retraining "forgetful" operators was expensive.
        Drive them through mountains and deserts...
        to camp sites in Pakistan!
        Expensive! The United States had not yet "drawn" so many dollars.
        1. +3
          25 March 2022 18: 41
          Quote: hohol95
          "Peaceful" mujahedin "-dekhkans" were tritely weak theoretically and practically for the use of "Baby".
          Constantly retraining "forgetful" operators was expensive.
          Drive them through mountains and deserts...
          to camp sites in Pakistan!
          Expensive! The United States had not yet "drawn" so many dollars.

          Here the point is rather not "in retraining", but in the absence of the possibility of maintaining training. You can’t drag the simulator into the mountains.
          1. 0
            25 March 2022 18: 59
            Were Soviet "Baby" operators constantly driven to training grounds to "maintain knowledge"?
            1. +4
              26 March 2022 02: 22
              Quote: hohol95
              Were Soviet "Baby" operators constantly driven to training grounds to "maintain knowledge"?

              Of course not. Shooting "Baby" was rare, and very few operators managed to do this in reality. To maintain skills, each operator was required to spend a minimum of 2 hours per week on the simulator.
              In 1973, the Arab operators of the Malyutka anti-tank systems continued to train even under fire.

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