Russian RPG Line Dominates World Market for Man-Portable Anti-Armor Weapons

Forecast International, NEWTOWN: As the role of a man-portable anti-armor weapon continues to morph from a dedicated anti-tank weapon to a general-purpose fire support asset for light and medium forces, the international market for man-portable anti-armor and bunker buster weapons remains robust. In its annual analysis, “The World Market for Man-Portable Anti-Armor and Bunker Buster Weapons,” the Forecast International Weapons Group expects the market will produce nearly 1.9 million weapons, worth $5.33 billion, through 2014. 
 
Dean Lockwood, a weapons systems analyst at Forecast International, notes the Russian RPG (Ruchnoy Protivotankoviy Granatomet) line of weapons continues to dominate this market. Under the auspices of the Rosoboronexport organization, the combined output of Russian defense contractors will account for over 68 percent of man-portable anti-armor and bunker buster weapon production, worth over 51 percent of the total market value, through 2014. 
 
The most significant production will involve the Russian RPG-26 and RPG-27. According to Lockwood, “Combined production of these two weapons will account for over 54 percent of all new production, worth over 31 percent of the total market value, through 2014.” Nevertheless, the ubiquitous RPG-7 remains the man-portable anti-armor weapon of choice worldwide. Through 2014, the RPG-7 (and the follow-on RPG-16)