Philippines receives more RPG-7s ordered from Russia

An RPG-7V. Photo c/o Wikimedia Commons  

The Philippine Army (PA) has received another batch of RPG-7V rocket propelled grenade launchers and ammunition from Russia last December 2019.

As reported by Philippine defense page MaxDefense Philippines, an undisclosed number of RPG-7Vs made by Russia’s NPO Bazalt were delivered from Rosoboronexport as part of an order totalling more than 700 launchers and thousands of assorted ammunition worth PHP408 million (US$8 million) under the Rocket Launcher Light Phase 2 project.

The PA has introduced several variants of the RPG-7, including derivatives made in Bulgaria and China, to replace old model 90mm recoilless rifle in their inventory. Bulgaria’s  Arsenal JS Co. delivered more than 200 units of their ATGL-L under the Rocket Launcher Light Phase 1 project, while the Chinese government donated several dozen Norinco Type 79 RPGs as a goodwill gesture.

The decision to acquire the RPG-7 series was said to be due to its lighter weight compared to comparable rocket launchers and recoilless rifles, which is more suitable for smaller physical attributes of Filipino soldiers.


[1]  MaxDefense Philippines
[2] Philippine Defense Resource
[3] Army Recognition