Rocket Propelled Grenades and You Published Dec. 3, 2015 By Senior Airman Sean D. Smith Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Easily recognizable from frequent appearances in films and video games, rocket propelled grenades are one of the most strategically significant innovations of the 20th century. An RPG is ostensibly an anti-tank weapon that's fired from the shoulder, but these weapons are commonly employed against infantry and helicopters. The RPG is inexpensive, easy to transport, and capable of inflicting damage that other small arms can't. The earliest modern RPGs came about during World War II -- the American Bazooka and the German Panzerfaust. RPGs later saw widespread use during the Vietnam War, and continue to be used to great effect in conflicts in the Middle East in present day. Just as the ubiquitous Kalashnikov rifle has spread through the world's war zones, so have tens of thousands of Soviet RPGs, whose capabilities have dramatically shifted the dynamics of numerous conflicts. These weapons are not only cheap, but simple to use, making them ideal for use by forces that lack formal military training. The most iconic RPG is likely the Soviet RPG-7, which is commonly featured in mainstream media, but there are variations on this technology from all over the world. In the 1950s, the United States developed the Light Anti-Tank Weapon, or LAW -- a disposable rocket launcher effective against vehicles. Today, the Marine Corps uses the Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon, essentially a modernized LAW. The impact of the RPG on global conflicts is substantial. Because these weapons are so plentiful and easily moved, they can be supplied to a fighting force at very low cost. Cheap though RPGs might be, they are capable of making an impact disproportionate to their price tag. In 2011, Taliban fighters used Soviet RPGs to shoot down an American Chinook helicopter. An RPG costs around $1000; a Chinook costs $30 million -- not including the 38 American military personnel aboard, all of whom were killed. Furthermore, the existence of these relatively primitive weapons, and the threat they offer has forced modern armies to adapt to protect themselves, developing composite armor and new tactics in response. Like Kalashnikov rifles, Soviet RPGs were produced in such quantities that generous stockpiles of them still exist, many in the hands of independent arms dealers, ensuring that the RPG will have a place in conflicts to come.