AGS-17 mounted on its tripod.
The AGS-17 Plamya (Russian: Flame) is a Soviet-designed automatic grenade launcher currently in production in the Russian Federation and in service worldwide.
Description[]
The AGS-17 is a heavy infantry support weapon designed to operate from a tripod or it can be mounted on an installation or vehicle. The AGS-17 fires 30mm grenades in either direct or indirect fire to provide suppressive and lethal fire support against soft-skinned or fortification targets.
The weapon operates using a blowback mechanism to sustain operation. Rounds are rifled through a rifled barrel which is removeable (to reduce barrel stress).
Ammunition is held in a metal box and is linked. Standard boxes contain 30 rounds.
The tripod is equipped with fine leveling gear for indirect fire trajectories.
Development[]
AGS-17 in Afghanistan. 1986.
Development of the AGS-17 had been started in the USSR in 1967 by the OKB-16 design bureau. Its development was probably most inspired by the Sino-Soviet border conflict of the late 1960s, as well as initial experience with several US automatic grenade launchers, learned from Vietnamese troops who were often on the receiving end of these weapons.
It was thought that an automatic grenade launcher would be one of the most effective infantry support weapons against typical Chinese "human wave" attacks. This lightweight weapon was to provide infantry with close to medium range fire support against enemy personnel and unarmored targets like trucks, half-tracks, jeeps, and sandbag-protected machine gun nests. First prototype of the new weapon entered trials in 1969, mass production commenced in 1971. Never used against the Chinese, the AGS-17 was widely operated and well liked by Soviet troops in Afghanistan as a ground support weapon or as a vehicle mounted weapon on improvised mounts installed on armored personnel carriers and trucks.
At the same time, a special airborne version of the AGS-17 was developed for installation on Mi-24 Hind gunship helicopters.
It is still in use with the Russian Army as a direct fire support weapon for infantry troops; it is also installed in several vehicle mounts and turrets along with machine guns, guided rocket launchers and sighting equipement. A special airborne variant, the AG-17A, was installed on the door mounts of several Mil Mi-8 Hip combat transport helicopters and on gun pod used in late model Mi-24 Hind gunships; this weapon had a thick aluminum jacket on the barrel and used a special mount and an electric remotely controlled trigger. It is being replaced by the AGS-30 grenade launcher.