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
ManufacturerHamas
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 developed by Hamas, first deployed in 2004.[4] It was named after Hamas' spiritual leader, Sheik Ahmed Yasin, killed by the Israeli Defense Forces, or IDF, on March 22, 2004.[2]

Primarily used by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades,[5] it has also been deployed by 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 Yasin was chiefly operated against soft-skin vehicles, and personnel.

History

Unveiled on August 30, 2004,[1] the Yasin was reportedly developed by Hamas engineers from the Research and Industry Unit,[8] directed by Adnan al-Ghoul, killed in Gaza by the IDF on October 22, 2004.[2]

First used against Israeli soldiers in 2005,[9] after the 2006 Lebanon War, production was accelerated in anticipation of an armed conflict with Israel.[10] During the 2006 Gaza conflict, there were reports of its use against Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip,[11] as well as at Beit Lahiya.[12] On August 14, 2007, Hamas reported firing a Yasin at an Israeli tank in Khan Yunis.[13] 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 as balloon-based IEDs, since improvements to the armor used by Israeli military vehicles made them obsolete in their primary role.[9]

Design

RPG-2 and PG-2 munition

The Yasin's design was influenced by the RPG-2 and RPG-7,[2] made in Gaza.[14] 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.[15] While it has a claimed effective range of 300 meters, the Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center suggests between 200 and 250 meters.[16]

RPG-7 and PG-7 munition

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] However, it is more effective in urban warfare, able to destroy brick walls and penetrate a 21 cm steel plate from 150 meters,[2] although the ITIC suggests 200 mm (20 cm).[16]

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,[9] followed by the more recent yet "Yasin 105" rocket. The Yasin 105 is reported to have first seen action during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.[17][18]

References

  1. 1 2 "Hamas's Military Wing Marks Organization's 29th Anniversary With Special Report On Its Military Industry". MEMRI.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Yassin RPG – The Underground RPG of Gaza". 2017-11-14. Archived from the original on 2021-11-13.
  3. 1 2 "SADJ Identification Series: The RPG ID Guide".
  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. 1 2 "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. ↑ "Guest Post: Ghoul 14.5mm Anti-Materiel Rifle, a Palestinian copy of the Steyr HS-50 or Modified Domestically? -". March 6, 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 Obscura, Calibre (26 August 2019). "Hamas' Mysterious Anti-Tank Weapon". calibreobscura.substack.com.
  10. ↑ "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.
  11. ↑ "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.
  12. ↑ Shaked, Ronny (7 November 2006). "Hamas presents: Daily terror report". Ynetnews.
  13. ↑ "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.
  14. ↑ Kate Seelye (Reporter) (May 9, 2006). Palestinian Territories: Inside Hamas (Documentary). Gaza Strip & West Bank: PBS. Event occurs at 9:19 to 9:36.
  15. ↑ smallarmssurvey.org
  16. 1 2 "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.
  17. ↑ 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.
  18. ↑ Psaropoulos, John. "'Extremely challenging': Israel's Gaza ground assault faces stumbles". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-11-09.

Bibliography

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