RGN hand grenade

It consists of a smooth spherical aluminium body, internally scored to generate fragments upon detonation.{{sfn|Jones|Ness|2010|page=755}} Externally, the RGN is similar to the RGO hand grenade and shares the same UDZS fuze.{{sfn|Rottman|2015|page=31}}

The UDZS fuze has both impact and time delay functions, the impact fuze arms after a pyrotechnic delay of 1 to 1.8 seconds. If the grenade strikes an object after this time a spherical lead shot filled impact weight will trigger detonation.{{sfn|Jones|Ness|2010|page=755}} If the grenade has not struck anything after 3.5 to 4 seconds the second pyrotechnic delay will detonate the grenade,{{sfn|Rottman|2015|page=32}} allowing the grenade to cause an airburst over a target area if necessary.{{sfn|Jones|Ness|2010|page=755}}

The impact fuze detonates when it hits any kind of terrain, including sand, snow, or water.{{sfn|Russian General Staff|2002|pages=40–41}} The RGN detonates reliably under extreme temperatures between {{convert|-50-50|C}}.{{sfn|Jones|Ness|2010|page=755}}

The grenade contains {{convert|97|g}} of A-IX-1 (a mixture of 96% of RDX and 4% of wax) explosive;{{sfn|Jones|Ness|2010|page=755}} it has a stated lethal radius of {{convert|4|m}}{{sfn|Rottman|2015|page=32}}{{cite book |last1=McCullough |first1=Jay |title=Ultimate Guide to U.S. Army Combat Skills, Tactics, and Techniques |date=July 2010 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tV80URzUrTQC&q=rgn+lethal+radius&pg=PA483 |publisher=Skyhorse Publishing|isbn=9781616080105 }}{{efn|{{convert|8|m|abbr=on}},

according to Jane's{{sfn|Jones|Ness|2010|page=755}}}} to a maximum of {{convert|10|m|abbr=on}},{{cite web |title=FM 3-23.30, Grenades and Pyrotechnic Signals |url=http://bulletpicker.com/pdf/FM%203-23.30,%20Grenades%20and%20Pyrotechnic%20Signals.pdf |website=bulletpicker.com |publisher=Department of the Army}} and a safety radius of {{convert|25|m|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Jones|Ness|2010|page=755}}

According to Jane's, the grenade can be thrown to a distance of approximately {{convert|30-40|m|yd|abbr=on}},{{sfn|Jones|Ness|2010|page=755}} while Russian sources gives an approximate throwing range of {{convert|40-50|m|yd|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Russian General Staff|2002|pages=40–41}}

The RGN and RGO grenades were introduced mid 1980s,{{sfn|Rottman|2015|page=30}} during the Soviet–Afghan War to replace the F-1, RG-42 and RGD-5 hand grenades. During combat in the mountains, Soviet troops found out that their grenades were less effective: the steep terrain often caused grenades to accidentally bounce or roll back towards the thrower's position and cause friendly casualties, while their long fuse time allowed the enemy forces to get under cover.{{sfn|Russian General Staff|2002|pages=40–41}}

The time delay mechanism in the impact fuze acts as a safety, preventing friendly casualties if it impacts too soon, while the time fuze will air-burst over an enemy under cover if it hadn't impacted after 3.5 to 4 seconds.{{sfn|Jones|Ness|2010|page=755}}

During the war in Donbas, Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian militias from the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic both made use of RGN grenades.{{sfn|Ferguson|Jenzen-Jones|2014|page=61}} A photo shared by the insurgents in Russian social media seems to indicate they employed unmanned aerial vehicles modified to drop RGN or RGO grenades on Ukrainian positions.{{sfn|Ferguson|Jenzen-Jones|2014|page=81}}

The grenade is currently in production in Russia and Ukraine, and is in service with a number of other countries.{{sfn|Rottman|2015|page=31}} Bulgaria also produces a close copy of the RGN.{{sfn|Jones|Ness|2010|page=756}}

• {{BUL}} − Locally produced copies{{sfn|Jones|Ness|2010|page=756}}
• {{RUS}}[https://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12536800@egNews Добровольцы из разных регионов Дальневосточного федерального округа проходят боевую подготовку на полигоне ВВО «Дивизионный»] / официальный интернет-сайт министерства обороны РФ от 11 ноября 2024
• {{UKR}} − Produced locally{{sfn|Jones|Ness|2010|page=756}}

• {{flag|Iraq|1991}}{{sfn|Jones|Ness|2010|page=756}}
• {{flagicon image|War flag of Novorussia.svg}} Russian separatist forces in Ukraine{{sfn|Ferguson|Jenzen-Jones|2014|pages=61,81}}
• {{URS}}

• List of Russian weaponry
• RGO hand grenade
• V40 Mini-Grenade

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite report |last1=Ferguson |first1=Jonathan |last2=Jenzen-Jones |first2=N.R. |title=Raising Red Flags: An Examination of Arms & Munitions in the Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine, 2014 |date=2014 |publisher=Armament Research Services (ARES) |location=Australia |isbn=978-0-9924624-3-7 |url=https://armamentresearch.com/Uploads/Research%20Report%20No.%203%20-%20Raising%20Red%20Flags.pdf |access-date=22 September 2024}}
• {{cite book |editor1-last=Jones |editor1-first=Richard D|editor2-last=Ness |editor2-first=Leland S |title=Jane's Infantry Weapons 2010-2011 |date=2010 |publisher=Jane's Information Group |isbn=978-0-7106-2908-1 |language=en}}
• {{cite book |last1=Rottman |first1=Gordon L. |title=The Hand Grenade |date=2015 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4728-0735-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3D-VCwAAQBAJ |language=en}}
• {{cite book |last1=Russian General Staff |editor1-last=Grau |editor1-first=Lester W |editor2-last=Gress |editor2-first=Michael A. |editor1-link=Lester W. Grau |title=The Soviet-Afghan War: How a Superpower Fought and Lost |date=2002 |publisher=University Press of Kansas |isbn=978-0-7006-1185-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cB51AAAAMAAJ |language=en}}

Category:Hand grenades of the Soviet Union

Category:Fragmentation grenades

Category:Military equipment introduced in the 1980s