According to a tweet from War Noir on July 23, 2023, a Turkish-made RDS40-MGL 40 mm multiple grenade launcher has been spotted in service with the Ukrainian military.
The photo posted on Twitter shows a soldier from the Ukrainian Defense Forces holding the RDS40 grenade launcher.
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The RDS40-MGL is a six-round 40 mm grenade launcher manufactured by Repkon Defence, a division of the Turkish company Repkon. According to the manufacturer, the grenade launcher is 1.5 kg lighter than similar models in its category, and its service life is also extended.
The distinctive feature of this grenade launcher is its ability to use reduced ballistics ammunition of 40×46 mm caliber, which is standard for infantry weapons, as well as 40×53 mm caliber medium ballistics grenades used in fixed grenade launchers.
The RDS40-MGL is equipped with multiple Picatinny rails for mounting optical sights, enabling more precise targeting, although it comes with a mechanical sight as standard.
This 5.4 kg grenade launcher is capable of accurately firing up to 400 meters with 40×46 mm caliber ammunition and up to 800 meters with 40×53 mm caliber ammunition.
Both calibers are standard for NATO countries and have been distributed in the Ukrainian army since 2022. Among the grenade varieties are fragmentation and shaped charge ammunition. The latter can penetrate up to 70 mm of armor, depending on the model.
It is worth noting that Turkey has not officially delivered any military equipment to Ukraine, so questions arise regarding the presence of such modern grenade launchers in the Ukrainian army. The efficiency of this equipment on the battlefield will likely be studied in the coming weeks. The arrival of the RDS40 grenade launcher adds an interesting dimension to the russo-Ukrainian war.
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