From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Tank buster used in attack on MI6
Special report: Northern Ireland
Jamie Wilson
Saturday September 23, 2000
Anti-terrorist branch officers investigating the missile
attack on the headquarters of the foreign intelligence
service MI6 have identified the weapon used as a
Russian-built Mark 22 tank buster.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alan Fry, head of the
anti-terrorist branch, said it was the first time such
a weapon had been seen or used on the mainland. But a
similar Bulgarian-built device, believed to belong to the
Real IRA, was found in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, in February.
Mr Fry said the weapon, which can only be fired once,
was portable, easily concealable and designed to use
under battlefield conditions. It was found by police on
Thursday in Spring Gardens, a park in Vauxhall Cross, on the
south bank of the Thames.
"It is designed to go through tanks and therefore it is
fairly impressive against metal and it will go through
about one metre of concrete. It is a very powerful weapon
and we are fortunate that not more damage was sustained
on Wednesday night," Mr Fry explained.
"This is a very easily acquired weapon if you have the
mind to acquire it. There are stockpiles of these
weapons available for those who have the intent and
purpose to use them."
He added: "I do not pretend other than that this is a
most undesirable piece of equipment to be in the hands
of terrorist groups. It is a lethal weapon."
The RPG, which can be prepared and fired in under 10
seconds, has simple pop-up sights and a range of up to
250 metres.
Paul Beaver, spokesman for Jane's Defence Weekly,
said the RPG-22 fires a fin-stabilised Heat rocket
of 72.5mm calibre. "The rocket penetrates the
tank's skin, the head pops off and blows up inside.
"In the case of the MI6 attack, the rocket will have
hit the reinforced glass but will not have gone through.
We are talking about multi-layered armoured glass which
is stronger than 400mm of tank armour or a metre of
reinforced concrete."
When carried, the launcher is 785mm long and weighs 2.8kg
- small enough to be concealed in a large holdall.
Mr Fry said he was anxious to identify anyone who may
have been acting suspiciously around the Spring Gardens
area up to Kennington Lane and Lambeth Bridge at around
9.30pm on Wednesday.
"Almost certainly they had been there before and checked
out the area and where they were going to use this
weapon," he said.
The person who had fired the weapon had certainly had
some training, "although the skill necessary to use this
weapon takes about 30 minutes to acquire."
Source: GuardianUnlimited.co.uk
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Wow, materials science came on a long way while I was
asleep last night. If the armoured glass was tougher than
tank armour, do we not think tanks would be made of the
same glass? The Jane's guy is obviously inept. The armour
ratings I have say this:
Weapon Muzzle Velocity Energy @ 50m
Ball 7.62mm 855 m/s 380 m Kg
Aluminium Steel Composite Glass Glass & Polycarbonate
27.5 5 15.23 63 35.5 (mm)
Polycarbonate & glass, or "bulletproof" glass, is some
seven times less effective than steel, and not even as
good as aluminium, despite being nearly twice as dense.
I love the comment about them being very easy to
acquire! "Mr. Fry, can I have a single shot .22 rifle?"
"Give me everything bar dental records, wait six months,
and we will see." "Can I have an anti-tank missile?" "Oh, yes.
Pop down the pub." Quick, someone pass a law!!
Nigel Tolley
http://www.shootersweb.co.uk
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
--
It does say "multi-layered", multi layering can stop RPGs
because the warhead goes off at the first layer and the
other layer stops the blast. You can't do it with vehicles
for obvious reasons. The RPG-22 is basically a copy
of the 66mm LAW but is 64mm instead.
Russian military equipment is easy to acquire, the Russian
mafia have set up shop in the Netherlands in a big way and
they ship hardware through the ports there. Some of the
stuff that has been seized in Belgium is pretty scary!
Steve.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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