Bur Multi-purpose rocket launcher

[Zarvan]

Essentially a smaller version of the RPO-M, the Bur is a compact infantry fire support weapon, with tremendous power for its size



Country of origin Russia
Entered service 2014
Caliber 62 mm
Cartridge size 62 x 742 mm
Cartridge weight 3.5 kg
Weight (launch unit with optical sight) 1.3 kg
Weight (loaded) 5 kg
Length 742 mm
Muzzle velocity ?
Rate of fire ?
Sighting range 650 m
Range of effective fire up to 650 m
Maximum range 950 m
Armor penetration ~ 15 mm
Concrete penetration ~ 250 mm


Developed by KBP in Russia, the Bur is a compact rocket launcher, designed to give infantry an equalizer against heavily-fortified enemy defenses. It is essentially a miniaturized RPO-M "Shmel-M", but is reloadable, and offers a different range of warheads. The manufacturer boasts that the Bur is the smallest reloadable rocket launcher in the world. The word "Bur" is Russian for "Drill".

The Bur is intended for use by personnel in closed terrain, such as mountains, forests, and cities, where outside means of fire support are difficult or impossible to provide. It is intended to defeat fortifications, field works, and personnel holed-up in structures and entrenchments, but can also be used against thin-skinned or lightly-armored vehicles, structures, or "material targets" (such as parked aircraft, radar dishes, command posts, and so on). It is exceptionally compact for a weapon of this type, weighing less than all but the lightest assault rifles.

The Russian military-industrial complex is said to have previously been skeptical of the use of weapons like the Bur, but observations of the many recent combat operations in urban terrain of armies equipped only with small arms, grenade launchers, and anti-tank weapons has made them re-think the concept.

Very little of the Bur's origins or development have been publicized, and it is unclear when the program began, or how long it was in development. The Bur was first officially unveiled in the October 2013 INTERPOLITEX expo, and first displayed in the West during the 2014 EUROSATORY expo.

The complete Bur weapon system is composed of three major components; the launch unit, launch tube, and sight assembly.

The launch unit is extremely compact, and resembles a pistol in appearance. The grip is uncontoured and relatively straight, and is horizontally ridged, while the foregrip is short, angled, and generously ribbed. A prominent sight rail is fitted to the left side, just above the foregrip. The oval-shaped trigger group is recessed into the frame in front of the pistol grip. The safety switch is located directly above the pistol grip on the left side, allowing the user to operate it with their thumb. Further lending to a pistol-like appearance of the launch unit is a piston-like fixture protruding from the front, just ahead of the foregrip. All examples of the launch unit displayed to date have a rough, non-lustrous black finish.

The launch tube is cylindrical, short, narrow, and mostly nondescript, with rubberized caps on either end. The venturi has a thin sleeve wrapped around it, and both the venturi and muzzle are slightly flared at the ends of the weapon. The launch tube has been displayed in several colors, finished, and camouflage patterns, though the caps on the muzzle and venturi exhibited thus far have all been black.

The sight assembly is roughly F-shaped, and attached to the launch unit via a bracket-like assembly. It is offset to the left side (not unlike the sights typically used on the AK-series assault rifles or SVD designated marksman rifles), and can be elevated or depressed to provide an accurate sighting solution on targets at different ranges. The sight assembly accepts a variety of clip-on sights, including a day sight, an infrared sight, and a laser sight. As with the launch unit, all examples of the sight assembly displayed thus far have been black in color, with a non-lustrous finish.

The projectiles are 742 mm long, with a cylindrical fuselage, a slightly bulbous ball-like nose, and four "wraparound" conformal fins on the tail. All of the exhibited projectiles appear to have a polished, bare metal exterior, with no identifying markings or text. This is likely only for display purposes, as munitions like these are typically given distinctive markings which warn of their purpose and danger, in the event that the round is a dud after being launched.

The launch unit is made of polymer, has a ribbed handguard, a trigger with a manual safety, and a quick-detaching mounting bracket that accepts a wide range of clip-on sights. The launch unit and day sight combined weigh 1.3 kg. The sight is located on the topside, and is offset to the left. As such, the Bur can only be effectively fired from the right shoulder.

The launch unit is rated for a service life of 500 rounds fired, and an operating temperature from -40° C to +60° C. A similar launch unit is used with the RPO-M.

Ammunition for the Bur is factory pre-loaded into launch containers, which (as the description implies) are used for storing and transporting the rockets, and serve as the barrel when they are launched. The launch containers are hermetically sealed and made of high-impact plastic, with synthetic rubber caps on both ends. The containers are weatherproof and waterproof at shallow depths, though moisture may permeate and launch container that is left submerged for a long period of time.

When the round is fired, the overpressure blows-off both caps by the time the rocket and most of its exhaust have even left the tube. The spent tube is then simply unclipped and discarded, and a new round (if available) attached to the launch unit.

The Bur has a minimum range of 25 m, an effective range of 650 m. Maximum range is 950 m. It is an impressive range for a 62 mm rocket. At a distance of 200 m, the Bur has a probable error of 0.5 m in both the horizontal and vertical (meaning, at least half of all rockets fired will strike within this circle when properly aimed).

Initially it was though that the Bur is a thermobaric weapon. However it appeared to have a high explosive warhead instead. Two types of projectiles have been developed for the Bur to date; a High Explosive (HE) round, and a High Explosive Fragmentation (HE-FRAG) round. The HE round is rated for a casualty area of 50 m² in the open, while the HE-FRAG round has a casualty area of 80 m² in the open.

According to some sources the HE round's bursting charge is the equivalent of 6 kg of TNT. This compares favorably to the 3.67 kg bursting charge of the OF-462 HE-FRAG round for 122 mm howitzers. While the OF-426 still have a much larger casualty radius (due to its thick shell walls and 1 000 shrapnel pellets), the blast radius and destructive power of the Bur would be similar.

It is estimated that the HE round penetrates around 250 mm of reinforced concrete or around 15 mm of steel armor.

Personnel can be trained on the Bur without firing live ammunition, using the GK62-T system. This is a computer simulator that emulates a wide range of targets and fighting conditions, and also models the distinct ballistics and terminal effects of the Bur.

There are presently no dedicated anti-armor rounds available for the Bur, though according to some sources the KPB might develop such a round for the Bur as well. All modern anti-tank hollow-charge tandem warheads feature huge weight. The combat weight of an anti-tank munition for Bur is supposed to be no less than 8 kg. Such heavy rocket eliminates the idea of light and compact man-portable weapon, being able to fire from confined spaces. Moreover, Russia's Armed Forces operate anti-tank grenade launchers that do not fall short of modern requirements.

The Bur can be fired from standing, kneeling, or prone positions, the latter requiring the user to aim the weapon slightly off-axis from their body (to avoid injuries from the backblast). The rocket motors employ a countermass, allowing the Bur to be fired from a 30 m³ space, equivalent to a 16 m² room. The exact size and geometry of the backblast area, however, has not been published.

User trials with the Russian MoD began in December of 2013, and the Bur ultimately passed these and was accepted into service with the Russian MoD in 2014. In is now service with the Russian National Guard, several counter-terrorist units, and various special forces units.

By 2018, there were no known export operators, nor any recorded instances of the Bur being used in combat. Though given that it was some time before the RPO-A Shmel (now used by at least 11 nations) proliferated, the Bur may yet become a commonplace weapon throughout the world.

The Bur is now heavily-advertised for export sale, though to date, no purchases outside the Russian military have been reported.



Similar weapons



RPO-A Shmel: Effectively the "grandfather" of the Bur, the RPO-A Shmel was the first rocket launcher with a thermobaric warhead. It was designed to engage buildings and fortified structures. This weapon entered service in 1988, just in time to see limited use in Afghanistan, and in the process it validated the concept of a thermobaric rocket launcher.

RPO-M Shmel-M: A second-generation RPO-A Shmel, the RPO-M entered service in the early 2000s, and boasted a wide range of improvements. Most importantly, it used a completely new thermobaric filler, reputedly making its detonation as powerful as that of a 152 mm high explosive artillery shell. The Bur was reportedly developed directly from the RPO-M, but was smaller.

Wasp 58: Though intended mostly to destroy light armor, the agronomical philosophy behind the French Wasp 58 is remarkably similar to that of the Bur; to sacrifice power in favor of a lighter, simpler, more compact weapon that can be issued in great numbers, and used in battles fought in relatively confined spaces.

Bur
Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher

Bur
Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher

Bur
Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher

Bur
Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher

Bur
Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher

Bur
Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher

Bur
Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher

Bur
Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher

Bur
Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher

Bur
Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher

Bur
Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher

Bur
Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher

Bur
Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher

Bur
Multi-Purpose Rocket Launcher

http://www.military-today.com/firearms/bur.htm

 

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