RL-83 Blindicide

RL-83 Blindicide

RL-83 Blindicide
Swiss Army 8.3 cm Raketenrohr launchers (Blindicide copy) on display
Type	Antitank rocket launcher
Place of origin	Belgium
Service history
Used by	See Users
Production history
Designed	1950s
Manufacturer	Mecar SA
Specifications
Weight	8.4kg (RL-83) 12.9kg (RL-100)
Length	1.7m (RL-83) 1.885m (RL-100)
Crew	2
Shell	HEAT
Caliber	83mm, 100mm
Rate of fire	6 rpm
Muzzle velocity	100 m/s (RL-83) 195 m/s (RL-100)
Effective range	400 m (0.25 mi)
Maximum range	900 m (0.56 mi)

The RL-83 Blindicide is an antitank rocket launcher produced by Mecar SA of Belgium and was an improved derivative of the M20A1 Bazooka. Its name roughly means «tank killer», derived from the French «véhicule blindé» (armoured car) and the suffix -cide.

The Blindicide was also produced in a 100mm version (the RL-100). The 83mm version fired a 1.6 kilogram projectile with a 0.5 kilogram warhead while the 100mm version fired a 2.75 kilogram projectile. The rate of fire was six rounds per minute and the range 400 meters for both versions. The muzzle velocity of both versions varied, with the 83mm version firing at 100 m/s while the 100mm version fired at 195 m/s. [1] A later round introduced for the RL-83 has a muzzle velocity of 120 m/s and uses a rocket booster to achieve a velocity of 300 m/s. The effective range of this 2.4 kilogram projectile is 500 meters.

The high-explosive antitank (HEAT) rocket of the RL-83 Blindicide can penetrate 300 millimeters of rolled homogeneous armour or one meter of concrete. [2] Besides HEAT, the Blindicide can also fire anti-personnel, smoke, incendiary, and illumination rounds.

A final version of the Blindicide was the RLC-83, a shortened version of the RL-83. The RLC-83 differs from the RL-83 in having a 1.2 meter launch tube. The RLC-83 is intended to be used only with the rocket-boosted long-range projectiles.

Switzerland produced a licence version of the Blindicide, the Raketenrohr 58 (RR 58). The Raketenrohr 80 (RR 80) was an improved version with new aiming system for use by night. The Swiss army had a total of 20,000 RRs in service, all of which have been replaced by the German Panzerfaust 3. [3]