Engineering:Yasin (RPG)

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Short description: Palestinian anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade
Yasin (RPG)
Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Weaponry Found in Beit Hanoun (2).jpg
Yasin RPG with tactical vest and assault rifle magazines found in Beit Hanoun in 2006
TypeAnti-tank rocket-propelled grenade
Place of originPalestine
Service history
In serviceAugust 3, 2004[1]–Present
Used by
  • Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas)
  • Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades (Fatah)
  • Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades (PFLP)
Wars
  • Second intifada
  • Gaza War
  • Israel–Hamas war
Production history
DesignerAdnan al-Ghoul
DesignedBelieved to be in 2004
ManufacturerAl-Qassam Brigades (Hamas)
Produced2004–present
Specifications
Mass7 kg (15 lb)[2]
Length95 cm (37")[2]
Crew1 or 2
Calibre40 mm (1.57") rocket engine ; 85mm warhead[2]
Muzzle velocity295 m/s[2]
Effective firing range300 m[2]
SightsIron or telescopic sights.

The Yasin (Arabic: ياسين ), also known as Yassin,[2] or Al-Yassin,[3] is an anti-tank weapon developed by Hamas, first deployed in 2004.[4] It was named after Hamas' spiritual leader, Sheik Ahmed Yasin, killed by the Israeli Defense Forces, or IDF, on March 22, 2004.[2]

Primarily used by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades,[5] it has also been deployed by Hamas units in Gaza, including the Executive Force,[6] and Naval Police.[7] Other users include fighters connected to Fatah and the PFLP.[2]

Although intended as an anti-tank weapon, the Yasin was chiefly operated against soft-skin vehicles, and personnel. On occasion, The Heavy caliber shell has also been used as a sniper weapon.

History

Unveiled on August 30, 2004,[1] the Yasin was reportedly developed by Hamas engineers from the Research and Industry Unit,[8] directed by Adnan al-Ghoul, killed in Gaza by the IDF on October 22, 2004.[2]

First used against Israeli soldiers in 2005,[9] after the 2006 Lebanon War, production was accelerated in anticipation of an armed conflict with Israel.[10] During the 2006 Gaza conflict, there were reports of its use against Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip,[11] as well as at Beit Lahiya.[12] On August 14, 2007, Hamas reported firing a Yasin at an Israeli tank in Khan Yunis.[13] During the Gaza War, Hamas Naval Police officers were reportedly trained in its use.[7]

In 2018, Israeli intelligence claimed Yasin warheads were being converted into as balloon-based IEDs, since improvements to the armor used by Israeli military vehicles made them obsolete in their primary role.[9]

Design

RPG-2 and PG-2 munition

The Yasin's design was influenced by the RPG-2 and RPG-7,[2] made in Gaza.[14] From the former, it used the rocket launcher tube design and the warhead's external shape and rocket motor which are very simple.[2] From the latter, it copied the enhanced warhead and the divergent nozzle at the launcher's rear to deflect recoil generated by launching the rocket with a rocket booster attached to the propelled grenade to extend its range.[2] The large cone at the back end of the Yasin launcher is thus typical of the RPG-7.[3]

The RPG is reported to be made in small underground workshops, with an explosive filler made from molten TNT and powdered ammonium nitrate.[15] While it has a claimed effective range of 300 meters, the Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center suggests between 200 and 250 meters.[16]

RPG-7 and PG-7 munition

According to fighters from Popular Resistance Committees's Saladin brigades, the Yasin was able to take down a Merkava Mk. 3 on an undisclosed date by firing it at a "weak point".[2] However, it is more effective in urban warfare, able to destroy brick walls and penetrate a 21 cm steel plate from 150 meters,[2] although the ITIC suggests 200 mm (20 cm).[16]

Continued efforts to upgrade the Hamas-made RPG rocket to penetrate protective armor lead to the development of the more recent "Tandem 85" rocket, using a tandem-charge system designed to be more effective against reactive armor,[9] followed by the more recent yet "Yasin 105" rocket. The Yasin 105 is reported to have first seen action during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.[17][18]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Hamas's Military Wing Marks Organization's 29th Anniversary With Special Report On Its Military Industry". https://www.memri.org/reports/hamass-military-wing-marks-organizations-29th-anniversary-special-report-its-military. 
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 "Yassin RPG – The Underground RPG of Gaza". 2017-11-14. Archived from the original on 2021-11-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20211113065906/http://silahreport.com/2017/11/14/yassin-rpg-the-underground-rpg-of-gaza/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "SADJ Identification Series: The RPG ID Guide". http://www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/sadj-identification-series-the-rpg-id-guide/. 
  4. ↑ "Hamas Army". http://www.weaponsurvey.com/hamas.htm. 
  5. ↑ Friedrich & Luethold 2007, p. 107.
  6. ↑ "Hamas's military buildup in the Gaza Strip (Updated April 2008)". Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC). 2007-04-08. p. 15. http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/hamas_080408.pdf. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Hamas and the Terrorist Threat from the Gaza Strip". Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC). March 2010. p. 285. https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/Data/pdf/PDF_19298_2.pdf. 
  8. ↑ "Guest Post: Ghoul 14.5mm Anti-Materiel Rifle, a Palestinian copy of the Steyr HS-50 or Modified Domestically? -". March 6, 2018. https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/03/06/ghoul-14-5mm-anti-materiel-rifle-a-palestinian-copy-of-the-steyr-hs-50-or-a-new-rifle-entirely/. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Obscura, Calibre (26 August 2019). "Hamas' Mysterious Anti-Tank Weapon". https://calibreobscura.substack.com/p/hamas-mysterious-anti-tank-weapon. 
  10. ↑ "Hamas's military buildup in the Gaza Strip (Updated April 2008)". Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC). 2007-04-08. p. 34. http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/hamas_080408.pdf. 
  11. ↑ "RPG-missile-..-Yassin-Missile-..-"-Shewath-bomb"-during-the-attack-On-Maghazi | Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades". Archived from the original on 2020-03-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20200320134406/http://67.215.245.108/statement/155/RPG-missile-..-Yassin-Missile-..-%22-Shewath-bomb%22-during-the-attack-On-Maghazi. 
  12. ↑ Shaked, Ronny (7 November 2006). "Hamas presents: Daily terror report". Ynetnews. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3324808,00.html. 
  13. ↑ "Al Qassam Brigades fired 6 RPGs and Yassin rocket - Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades". 2007-11-14. Archived from the original on 2020-03-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20200320134406/https://www.qassam.ps/statement-546-Al_Qassam_Brigades_fired_6_RPGs_and_Yassin_rocket.html. 
  14. ↑ Kate Seelye (Reporter) (May 9, 2006). Palestinian Territories: Inside Hamas (Documentary). Gaza Strip & West Bank: PBS. Event occurs at 9:19 to 9:36.
  15. ↑ smallarmssurvey.org
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Hamas's military buildup in the Gaza Strip (Updated April 2008)". Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC). 2007-04-08. p. 41. http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/hamas_080408.pdf. 
  17. ↑ Sof, Eric (2023-11-08). "Al-Yassin 105: A heavily modified anti-tank round based on RPG-2 and RPG-7 design" (in en-US). https://special-ops.org/al-yassin-105-a-heavily-modified-anti-tank-round-based-on-rpg-2-and-rpg-7-design/. 
  18. ↑ Psaropoulos, John. "'Extremely challenging': Israel's Gaza ground assault faces stumbles" (in en). https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/4/extremely-challenging-israels-gaza-ground-assault-faces-stumbles. 

Bibliography

  • Friedrich, Ronald; Luethold, Arnold (2007). Entry-Points to Palestinian Security Sector Reform. Democratic Control of Armed Forces. ISBN 978-9292220617. 



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