SPG-9

The SPG-9 Kopyo (Russian: СПГ-9 Копьё, transliterated: Stankovyi Protivotankovyi Granatomet "Kopyo" - Easel Anti-tank Grenade Launcher "Spear") is a tripod-mounted man-portable, 73mm caliber recoilless gun developed by the Soviet Union. It fires fin-stabilized, rocket-assisted high explosive (HE) and high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge projectiles similar to those fired by the 73mm 2A28 Grom low pressure gun of the BMP-1 armored vehicle. It was accepted into service in 1962, replacing the B-10 recoilless rifle.

SPG-9
A Russian SPG-9M
Type	Recoilless gun Anti-tank gun
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1962–present
Wars	Vietnam War Iran–Iraq War Salvadoran Civil War Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Gulf War Lebanese Civil War Iraq War Second Sudanese Civil War[1] Third Sudanese Civil War Libyan Civil Wars[2] Northern Mali conflict Syrian Civil War[3] War in Iraq (2013-2017) War in Donbas Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)[4][5] Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen 2022 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes Russo-Ukraine War Gaza war
Specifications
Mass	47.5 kg (105 lb) 59.5 kg (131 lb) with tripod[6]
Length	2.11 m (6 ft 11 in)[6]
Width	99 cm (3 ft 3 in) allowing full traverse[6]
Height	80 cm (2 ft 7 in)[6]
Crew	2 (1 gunner, 1 loader)
Caliber	73 mm (2.9 in) smoothbore[6]
Breech	Interrupted screw[6]
Recoil	None
Carriage	Tripod
Elevation	+7°/−3°
Traverse	30° total
Rate of fire	5–6 rounds per minute[6]
Muzzle velocity	250–435 m/s (820–1,430 ft/s)
Effective firing range	800 m (870 yd)
Maximum firing range	1,200–6,500 m (1,300–7,100 yd)
Feed system	Manually breech-loaded
Sights	PGO-9 optical 4× sight or PGN-9 IR and passive night sight

Description

The projectile is launched from the gun by a small charge, which gives it an initial velocity of between 250–400 metres per second (820–1,310 ft/s). The launch charge also imparts spin to the projectile by a series of offset holes. Once the projectile has traveled approximately 20 metres (66 ft) from the launcher, a rocket motor in its base ignites. For the PG-9 projectile, this takes it to a velocity of 700 metres per second (2,300 ft/s) before the motor burns out.

The SPG-9 is heavy, ~60 kilograms (130 lb), and normally transported by vehicle, and carried into position by its two person crew. It can be deployed in about a minute. The weapon is in service with a large number of armed forces, and a variety of ammunition is produced; however, they are mostly copies of the original Soviet PG-9 HEAT and OG-9 fragmentation high explosive (Frag-HE) rounds.

The SPG-9 is widely available to terrorists and maritime pirates such as in the Horn of Africa region, and in other regions to a lesser degree. It is not as popular as the RPG-7 because it must be mounted on a vehicle or boat and cannot be easily carried and shoulder fired. The SPG-9 requires much more skill to fire accurately than the RPG-7. There have been reports of these mounted in skiffs and larger "mother ships". The SPG-9 can typically be found mounted on a wide variety of vehicles known as "technicals" in Somalia.

A variant for use with airborne troops including detachable wheels was built as the SPG-9D.

Combat use

The SPG-9 was used by both sides during the Transnistria War.^[7]

In addition to using the SPG-9 as light indirect fire artillery, members of Wagner PMC modified SPG-9 ammunition to be fired from more portable RPG-7 launchers during the Battle of Bakhmut.^[8]

In mid October 2023 Israeli forces, during the Gaza war, captured a flyer produced by Hamas about destroying Merkava tanks. The flyer recommended the SPG-9 as an effective way of defeating the Israeli Trophy System designed to intercept incoming RPG or Anti-tank Guided Missiles. The SPG-9 was recommended due "simply by virtue of its projectile’s high speed".^[9]

Projectiles

Round (projectile)	Type	Weight (kg)	Fuze	Length (mm)	Explosive content (kg)	Muzzle velocity (m/s)	Effective range (m)	Maximum range (m)	Armour penetration (mm)	Notes
PG-9 (PG-9V)	HEAT-FS	4.39	VP-9	920	0.322 (hexogen)	435	800	1,300	300	—
PG-9N	HEAT-FS		VP-9	920	0.340 (OKFOL-3.5)[10]	435	800	1,300	400	—
PG-9VS	HEAT-FS	4.4	?	920	?		1,300	?	400	-
PG-9VNT (PG-9NT)	HEAT-FS	3.2	?	920	?	400	700	1,200	600 or 450 behind ERA	Tandem-charge
OG-9V (OG-9)	FRAG-HE	5.35	GO-2 or O-4M	1062	0.735 (TNT)	316	–	–	n/a	Cast iron casing
OG-9VM (OG-9M)	FRAG-HE	5.35	GO-2 or O-4M	1062	0.655 (TD-50)[11]	316	–	–	n/a	—
OG-9VM1 (OG-9V)	FRAG-HE	5.35	GO-2 or O-4M	1062	?	316	–	4,500	n/a	—
OG-9BG[12] (OG-9G)	FRAG-HE	6.9	O-4M	1030	0.750	316	–	7,500	n/a	Bulgarian made
OG-9BG1 (OG-9G1)	FRAG-HE	5.48	O-4M	1024	0.750	250	–	4,200	n/a	Bulgarian made

Users

Map with SPG-9 users in blue

Romanian soldiers with an AG-9 (license built SPG-9) in traveling position.

A Mongolian Mobile Training Team member reviews the SPG-9 recoilless gun with Afghan National Army soldiers prior to a live-fire weapons demonstration, September 2, 2012, at the Camp Scenic weapons range near the Darulaman Infantry School in Kabul, Afghanistan. The MTT specialize in SPG-9 recoilless rifle systems and train ANA soldiers at the infantry school.

Marines of the Iranian Navy using SPG-9. Velayat 94 military exercise

•  Afghanistan^[13][14][15]
•  Bulgaria : manufactured locally as Arsenal ATGL^[16]
•  Central African Republic^[17]
•  Cambodia^[18]
•  Democratic Republic of the Congo^[19]
•  Egypt^[18]
•  Georgia^[20]
•  East Germany^[18]
•  Iran: AMIG SPG-9^[16]
•  Iraq^[21]
•  Kyrgyzstan^[22]
•  Libya^[2]
•  Mali^[23]
•  Moldova^[24]
•  Poland^[18]
•  Romania: RomArm AG-9^[16]
•  Russia^[25]
•  Rwanda^[25]
•  Sudan^[26]
•  South Sudan^[27]
•  Syria
•  Ukraine,^[28] also used by separatist forces^[29]
•  Vietnam^[30] SPG-9T2
•  Turkmenistan

Non-state actors

• Iraqi Kurdistan^[29]
• Islamic State^[31]
• Lord's Resistance Army^[32]
• Kurdistan Workers' Party^[33]
• Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition^[31]
• Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North^[26]
• Free Syrian Army^[34]
•  Transnistria^[35]
• Hamas^[36]

See also

• SPG-82