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WDS 2026: Russia Unveils RPG-29M Portable Rocket Launcher With New Thermal Sight and Three Munition Types.
Russia has publicly presented the RPG-29M anti-tank launcher at the World Defense Show 2026, highlighting a new thermal sight and three 105 mm munition types. The update reflects battlefield feedback and positions the system as a lower-cost, export-focused counter to modern armored threats.
At the World Defense Show, Research and Production Association Bazalt has publicly introduced the RPG-29M, a modernized version of the well-known RPG-29 shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon. The system is presented within the export lineup managed by Rosoboronexport and backed by Rostec, where it appears alongside armored vehicles, unmanned systems and small arms. The manufacturer is showing the launcher together with its thermal sight and a complete family of 105 mm rounds, detailing changes derived from operational feedback and industrial redesign.
Russia unveiled the upgraded RPG-29M rocket launcher at the World Defense Show 2026, featuring a new thermal sight and a family of redesigned 105 mm munitions aimed at export customers (Picture Source: Army Recognition Group)
The RPG-29M is characterized by the company as a heavily upgraded configuration of the original launcher. Data distributed during the exhibition specify that the weapon’s mass has been reduced by one third compared with earlier versions. The modernization introduces a day and night thermal imaging sight incorporating a fire-control function. In parallel, the upgrade broadens compatibility with several types of ammunition intended to provide different terminal effects while maintaining common ballistic architecture.
Figures released at the stand define the launcher as a 105 mm system weighing 4.4 kilograms and measuring 620 millimeters in length. The assigned operating life is stated at 300 shots. Display material presents the tube, the sighting unit and sealed transport containers for the rockets as part of the same package. The anti-armor element of the family is represented by the PG-29VM. This projectile uses a tandem cumulative warhead. The caliber is 105 mm, while weight with container is given as 9 kilograms and length with container as 1,050 millimeters. The sight shooting range is specified at 700 meters.
For engagements requiring blast effects, Bazalt proposes the TBG-29VM thermobaric round. Physical parameters remain identical, with a 105 mm caliber, a containerized mass of 9 kilograms and a length of 1,050 millimeters. The sighted firing distance is listed as 1,000 meters. The MG-29V is introduced as a multifactor munition combining tandem, cumulative and thermobaric action. As with the other rockets, it is supplied in a 1,050 millimeter container weighing 9 kilograms and designed for a 105 mm launcher. The published sight shooting range is 1,000 meters.
Beyond the launcher itself, company documentation shared at the exhibition outlines Bazalt’s position in Russian defense manufacturing. The enterprise reports activities covering hand-held grenade launcher systems and mortar rounds for land forces, aircraft unguided bombs for aerospace forces and anti-sabotage grenade launcher systems for naval requirements. It further indicates ongoing development work related to combat payloads for unmanned aerial vehicles.
The manufacturer highlights the availability of dedicated production and testing facilities. These are described as enabling research, serial design, technological development, full-scale qualification and experimental efforts aimed at maintaining and expanding scientific and industrial capabilities. According to the material provided, products developed by the company remain in steady demand on international markets and are associated with efficiency and reliability.
The RPG-29M is displayed within a broader Rosoboronexport presentation structured around land systems, precision weapons, drones and infantry equipment. In the outdoor exhibition zone, visitors can see the BTR-22 armored personnel carrier, developed using experience from operating wheeled armored vehicles and featuring a revised layout with increased ballistic protection and blast resistance. Depending on user requirements, the vehicle may carry the BTR-82A turret or the Ballista remote-controlled weapon station equipped with a 2A42 30 mm cannon with selectable rates of fire and the option to integrate two anti-tank guided missiles. The exporter also notes that the systems shown can be transported by Il-76MD-90AE military transport aircraft.
Inside Hall 3, Rosoboronexport is presenting its loitering munition segment. The RUS-PE, developed and produced by the Kalashnikov Group, is offered with either a one- or two-kilogram warhead, as reported by Army Recognition. The munition incorporates a seeker and is intended for fully autonomous employment, with artificial intelligence algorithms supporting target detection and identification. The KUB-2E is exhibited together with the Skat-350M unmanned aerial vehicle responsible for reconnaissance, guidance and communications relay. The Lancet-E reconnaissance-and-strike system, combining the Z-16-E UAV with two ZALA-manufactured loitering munitions, is also included.
Within this industrial framework, Bazalt’s new launcher is defined through quantitative parameters and integration of updated sighting equipment. The company lists a 105 mm tube weighing 4.4 kilograms, 620 millimeters long and rated for 300 firings, paired with ammunition delivered in nine-kilogram containers of 1,050 millimeters. Depending on the selected projectile, the sighted engagement range varies between 700 meters for the tandem anti-tank configuration and 1,000 meters for thermobaric or combined-effect variants, establishing the RPG-29M as a modular system built around standardized dimensions and multiple warhead choices presented to international customers at the exhibition.