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Yasin (RPG)

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Yasin (RPG)
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
Wars
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
Caliber40 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 derived from the RPG-7 produced by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and first deployed in 2004.[4] It was named after Hamas' spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yasin, killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on March 22, 2004.[2]

Primarily used by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades,[5] it has also been deployed by other 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 first version of the Yasin was chiefly operated against soft-skin vehicles and personnel. Later models like The Yasin 105 have larger warheads that Palestinian militants claim can penetrate Merkava tanks.[8][dubious – discuss][unreliable source?]

History

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Unveiled on August 30, 2004,[1] the Yasin was reportedly developed by Hamas engineers from the Research and Industry Unit,[9] directed by Adnan al-Ghoul, killed in Gaza by the IDF on October 22, 2004.[2]

First used against Israeli soldiers in 2005,[10] after the 2006 Lebanon War, production was accelerated in anticipation of an armed conflict with Israel.[11] During the 2006 Gaza conflict, there were reports of its use against Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip,[12] as well as at Beit Lahiya.[13] On August 14, 2007, Hamas reported firing a Yasin at an Israeli tank in Khan Yunis.[14] 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 balloon-based IEDs, since improvements to the armor used by Israeli military vehicles made them obsolete in their primary role.[10]

Design

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The Yasin's design was influenced by the RPG-2 and RPG-7,[2] made in Gaza.[15] 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.[16] While it has a claimed effective range of 300 meters, the Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) suggests a range between 200 and 250 meters.[17]

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][dubious – discuss] However, it is more effective in urban warfare, able to destroy brick walls and penetrate a 21 cm steel plate from 150 meters,[2] closely matching the ITIC estimate of 200 mm (20 cm).[17]

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,[10] followed by the more recent yet "Al-Yassin 105" rocket. The Yassin 105 is reported to have first seen action during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.[18][19]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Hamas's Military Wing Marks Organization's 29th Anniversary With Special Report On Its Military Industry". MEMRI.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Yassin RPG – The Underground RPG of Gaza". 2017-11-14. Archived from the original on 2021-11-13.
  3. ^ a b "SADJ Identification Series: The RPG ID Guide". Archived from the original on 2021-10-14. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  4. ^ "Hamas Army". Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  5. ^ Friedrich & Luethold 2007, p. 107.
  6. ^ "Hamas's military buildup in the Gaza Strip (Updated April 2008)" (PDF). Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC). 2007-04-08. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-01-17. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  7. ^ a b "Hamas and the Terrorist Threat from the Gaza Strip" (PDF). Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC). March 2010. p. 285. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  8. ^ "Hamas Destroying Israeli Tanks with Improvised Missile". www.defensemirror.com. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
  9. ^ "Guest Post: Ghoul 14.5mm Anti-Materiel Rifle, a Palestinian copy of the Steyr HS-50 or Modified Domestically? -". March 6, 2018.
  10. ^ a b c Obscura, Calibre (26 August 2019). "Hamas' Mysterious Anti-Tank Weapon". calibreobscura.substack.com.
  11. ^ "Hamas's military buildup in the Gaza Strip (Updated April 2008)" (PDF). Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC). 2007-04-08. p. 34. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-01-17. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  12. ^ "RPG-missile-..-Yassin-Missile-..-"-Shewath-bomb"-during-the-attack-On-Maghazi | Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades". 67.215.245.108. Archived from the original on 2020-03-20.
  13. ^ Shaked, Ronny (7 November 2006). "Hamas presents: Daily terror report". Ynetnews.
  14. ^ "Al Qassam Brigades fired 6 RPGs and Yassin rocket - Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades". www.qassam.ps. 2007-11-14. Archived from the original on 2020-03-20.
  15. ^ Kate Seelye (Reporter) (May 9, 2006). Palestinian Territories: Inside Hamas (Documentary). Gaza Strip & West Bank: PBS. Event occurs at 9:19 to 9:36.
  16. ^ smallarmssurvey.org
  17. ^ a b "Hamas's military buildup in the Gaza Strip (Updated April 2008)" (PDF). Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC). 2007-04-08. p. 41. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-01-17. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  18. ^ Sof, Eric (2023-11-08). "Al-Yassin 105: A heavily modified anti-tank round based on RPG-2 and RPG-7 design". Spec Ops Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  19. ^ Psaropoulos, John. "'Extremely challenging': Israel's Gaza ground assault faces stumbles". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-11-09.

Bibliography

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