Extended-Range VOG-25 Grenades for GP Series Grenade Launchers
The invention of the grenade dates back over 1,000 years to the Byzantine Empire in the eighth century. In 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War, grenade resurgence was used to address the evolving combat in trenches and fortifications, and this is where the grenade became a prominent tool of modern warfare. Since then, grenades have evolved significantly, particularly in the desire to throw them farther and increase their lethality.
In the past decade, the term “overmatch” has emerged as a key concept in government contracts, and this would describe the result of this patent. This term emphasizes enhanced lethality, greater standoff distances, and improved operational flexibility, leading to the development of extended-range grenades.
Besides the radio and machine gunner, the grenadier is the third most crucial role within the infantry squad. This allows a squad to have two local miniature artillery pieces to help decisively win contact with the enemy. With this, there is a desire to enhance the range and payload of existing grenade launchers. The earliest Russian reference I found dates to a patent from 2013, while the most recent is the GPR-20, an under-barrel rocket-propelled grenade launcher where the concept was developed during research and development projects from 2016 to 2018. These systems offer an overmatch capability, surpassing the performance of Western infantry squad weapons in terms of range, accuracy, and lethality. These extended-range concepts are designed to double the range of their Western standard 40x46mm counterparts. These systems also can reduce flight time to the target.
The Patent
This concept was intended to improve the GP-25 and GP series’ operational flexibility by allowing the option to engage a broader range of targets at different ranges. To achieve this capability, the system could not increase the recoil when firing the grenade, so a delayed secondary propulsion system was developed to launch a heavier grenade farther.
The patent titled “GRENADE LAUNCHER SHOT” is assigned RU 2525352 C1. Its objective is to enhance grenades’ range and payload capacity by incorporating a heavier payload and an advanced propulsion system. This approach aims to increase the effective range of grenades, increasing combat effectiveness. Additionally, a heavier high-explosive or thermobaric payload significantly enhances lethality. However, this improvement comes with a trade-off regarding weight, which is not addressed in the patent. This design approach is a more conventional solution than the GPR-20, an under-barrel rocket-propelled grenade launcher.
This proposed design uses a conventional propellant charge and a secondary propellant charge. When fired, the primer sets off the conventional propellant charge, giving the grenade linear acceleration. Then, the hot gases ignite a pyrotechnic delay element, which burns through; the hot gases expand through a channel and ignite a secondary ignition charge, which develops and sets off the solid fuel charge in the combustion chamber. The rapidly expanding gases vent out three inclined nozzles to form a diverging jet, propelling a heavier grenade to 400 meters or a lighter grenade up to 1000 meters. According to the patent, the trade-off is to either go farther with a standard payload or launch a heavier payload at standard VOG-25 ranges.
The advantage of this approach is that it utilizes existing weapon systems already in service, eliminating the need to develop and purchase new under-barrel grenade launchers. This results in a cost-effective solution for achieving improved performance. A potential next step in development could be introducing a sighting system to enhance accuracy at greater distances. The latest development is the GRS-20 by Kalashnikov Concern; though it may introduce new challenges of its own, it has the potential to give the infantry the overmatch capability they need.
Conclusion
Extended-range grenade launchers significantly improve the effectiveness of infantry squads by increasing engagement ranges, enhancing firepower, and providing greater tactical flexibility. By integrating these launchers at the squad level, infantry units would be better equipped to address modern combat challenges. However, it remains unclear whether the Russian Ministry of Defense has garnered any interest in this concept, at least publicly. However, a new patent has been filed under the same concept, modified to improve reliability, under RU 2765745 C1 in 2021-2022.
In summary, extended-range grenade launchers offer infantry units enhanced engagement capabilities, increased lethality and versatility, improved accuracy and precision, effectiveness against defilade targets, and a force multiplier for the warfighter.
Sources:
RU2525352C1 – Round for grenade launcher – Google Patents
