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RGW 90 Matador

The Wirkmittel 90, capable of night combat, is used to combat both soft and semi-hard targets, such as lightly armored vehicles or field fortifications. The shooter can program the weapon in such a way that the cartridge explodes when it hits the target or after it has penetrated with a delay. The Wirkmittel 90 can also be used to illuminate the battlefield in the visible and infrared range and to blind the enemy by using smoke cartridges.

Matador is a 90 mm disposable anti-tank grenade launcher, considered the lightest (about 8 kg). In addition to armored vehicles, the grenade launcher can handle various obstacles: walls, doors, light field shelters. Matador shoots almost without recoil. Therefore, it is safe to open fire even from a room of less than 15 m2. It fires at a distance of up to 700 m. After launch, the grenade moves several meters away and switches to the engine, which accelerates it to a speed of approximately 250 m/s.dor

The Ukrainian state bought the systems directly from DND and had them delivered to Ukraine. A corresponding export application was submitted by the manufacturer on 18 March 2022. According to Die Welt, the approval was granted by the responsible Ministry of Economics last weekend. According to the report, the weapon systems had already left the manufacturer's warehouse for Ukraine.

Ukraine has ordered the RGW90 HH [HEAT/HESH] A2. It is equipped with a mono-shaped charge warhead that can be used against both armored vehicles and masonry. All "small" anti-tank weapons work on the principle of a shaped charge. It does not work outwards through an explosive effect. If the warhead hits the target, a targeted detonation starts inside (shaped charge), the entire effect of the explosive device works inwards and drives a metal spike through the armor.

The RGW90 HH (HEAT/HESH) has a mono-shaped charge warhead and can therefore also be used against armored vehicles. Weighing around eight kilograms, it can penetrate more than 600 millimeters of armor steel at a combat distance of 500 meters - the manufacturer states that the hit probability is more than 90 percent on a 2.3 meter x 2.3 meter NATO standard target. Thus, with the RGW90 HH, for example, battle tanks of the type T54 or T72 - provided they do not have reactive armor - can be successfully combated.

Like the bazooka3, the RGW90 has also received less attention than the smart self-guided anti-tank missiles (ATGM). For the infantry, the RGW90 is an important addition, giving a squad of soldiers a lot of firepower with little weight. A firepower that does not need to be called up, but can be used immediately. In particular, the dual-use anti-tank and anti-concrete warhead is tailor-made for the fighting in Ukraine, which often takes place in confined spaces in urban areas. ATGMs have a much longer range, but cannot be used effectively at ranges between 20 and 50 meters. The RGW90 can also be carried ready to fire and is not specialized for tanks. The explosive effect is used to prepare for storming houses.