RL-83 Blindicide

The RL-83 Blindicide is mainly an anti-tank warfare rocket launcher, but other types of rounds can be fired. It was produced by Mecar SA of Belgium and was an improved derivative of the M20A1 bazooka. Its name roughly means "tank killer", derived from the French "véhicule blindé" (armoured vehicle) and the suffix -cide.

Quick Facts Type, Place of origin ...

RL-83 Blindicide
RL-83 Blindicide
Type	Anti-tank rocket launcher
Place of origin	Belgium
Service history
Used by	See Users
Wars	Congo Crisis Aden Emergency Konfrontasi Six-Day War Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Yom Kippur War Lebanese Civil War Mexican drug war Syrian Civil War
Production history
Designed	1950s
Manufacturer	Mecar SA
Specifications
Mass	8.4 kg (RL-83) 12.9 kg (RL-100)
Length	1.7 m (RL-83) 1.885 m (RL-100)
Crew	2
Shell	High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT)
Caliber	83 mm, 100 mm
Rate of fire	6 rpm
Muzzle velocity	100 m/s (RL-83) 195 m/s (RL-100)
Effective firing range	400 m (0.25 mi)
Maximum firing range	900 m (0.56 mi)

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The 83 mm version fired a 1.6 kilograms (3.5 lb) projectile with a 0.5 kilograms (1.1 lb) warhead, while the 100 mm version fired a 2.75 kilograms (6.1 lb) projectile. The rate of fire was six rounds per minute and the range 400 metres (1,300 ft) for both versions. This rate of fire was considerably in excess of the M20A1 bazooka since Blindicide used a mechanical firing pin hitting a percussion cap in the tail of the rocket motor rather than a hand grip magneto system that required trailing wires from each rocket to be connected to terminal posts on the launcher as each round was loaded. The muzzle velocity of both versions varied, with the 83 mm version firing at 100 m/s while the 100 mm version fired at 195 m/s.^[1] A later round introduced for the RL-83 has a muzzle velocity of 120 m/s and uses a rocket booster to achieve a velocity of 300 m/s. The effective range of this 2.4 kg projectile is 500 meters.

The high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rocket of the RL-83 Blindicide can penetrate 300 millimeters of rolled homogeneous armour or one meter of concrete.^[2] Besides HEAT, the Blindicide can also fire anti-personnel, smoke, incendiary and illumination rounds.

The Blindicide was also produced in a 100 mm version (the RL-100). The RL-100 was trialled by Belgian Army but not put into service. The German BGS used the RL-100 as the Panzerabwehrgerät 101mm.

A final version of the Blindicide was the RLC-83, a shortened version of the RL-83. The RLC-83 differs from the RL-83 in having a 1.2 meter launch tube. The RLC-83 is intended to be used only with the rocket-boosted long-range projectiles.

Switzerland produced a licence version of the Blindicide, the Raketenrohr 58 (RR 58). The Raketenrohr 80 (RR 80) was an improved version with new aiming system for use by night. The Swiss army had a total of 20,000 RRs in service, all of which have been replaced by the German Panzerfaust 3.^[3] Apart from the defensive role the Swiss also used the Raketenrohr 80 to cause controlled avalanches, thus reducing the risks to civilians in avalanche prone areas.

A training round, practice rocket was available for Blindicide. This used a blank 20 mm cartridge to produce a flash and a bang, but the round fell only a few feet in front of the launcher.

A 20 mm Sub-caliber training round was also available. This had a rifled barrel and fired either a plastic or copper projectile. Initially this sub-caliber gun had a wooden body, but later an anodised Aluminium body was used.

The Blindicide saw service with the Belgian forces during the Congo crisis.

The Blindicide was also used by Anti-British guerrillas during the Aden Emergency. A complete launcher and the remnants of several projectiles recovered from Aden are held by the Imperial War Museum.

The RL-83 version was used by the Israel Defense Forces during the Six-Day war and the Yom Kippur War; it was also used by the Lebanese Army and by some Christian and Muslim militias during the Lebanese Civil War.^[4]

In recent years it has been reported that the Mexican Army deployed Blindicides against improvised armored vehicles in use by drug cartels.^[5]

The Blindicide has also been identified in video clips of the Free Syrian Army operating in Syria.

•  Burundi – In use.
•  Mexico – Acquired 1,191 launchers.^[6] In use as of 2011.^[5]

• Congo Crisis
• Aden Emergency
• Six-Day War
• Yom Kippur War
• Lebanese Civil War^[4]
• Mexican drug war
• Syrian civil war