This Recoilless Bazooka Can Hit a Target 2,625 Feet Away

Rocket launchers have played an important part in military strength from World War II until today.

To identify every major rocket launcher from the last 100 years, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of rocket launchers from Military Factory, an online database of arms, vehicles, and aircraft used by militaries worldwide. We included information on who developed each rocket launcher, the type of launcher and what rocket/warhead sizes it used, and how far it could shoot effectively. Our list is sorted from the oldest rocket launchers to the newest rocket launchers. 

Here are 39 important rocket launchers in the last 100 years:

Why We’re Discussing Rocket Launchers

Rocket launcher technology was modernized just in time for World War II when the modern iteration of rocket launchers truly entered the battlefield and has since left an indelible mark. Rocket launchers are a major part of war. They were a way to even out battlefields against tanks and a large group of people. They changed the tides of battles, and many countries were focused on making the best, lightest, and most effective ones. This, in turn, influenced funding and political ties. (Here’s a timeline of the most important events of World War II.)

39. M1 Bazooka

Bazookasmithsonian (CC BY 2.0 DEED) by Carl Malamud

• Year first used: 1942
• Developed by: United States (General Electric)
• Type of launcher: Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 60mm
• Effective up to: 328 ft.

38. PIAT (Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank)

Bazooka (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Elroy Serrao

• Year first used: 1942
• Developed by: United Kingdom (Imperial Chemical Industries)
• Type of launcher: Anti-tank grenade launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 89mm
• Effective up to: 300 ft.

37. M9 Bazooka

• Year first used: 1943
• Developed by: United States (Conduction Corporation)
• Type of launcher: Shoulder-fired rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 60mm
• Effective up to: 930 ft.

36. Panzerfaust 30

German anti-tank rocket launch... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Tilemahos Efthimiadis

• Year first used: 1943
• Developed by: Germany (State Factories)
• Type of launcher: Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 100mm, 149mm
• Effective up to: 98 ft.

35. Panzerfaust 60

Bundesarchiv Bild 101I (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE DEED) by German Federal Archive

• Year first used: 1943
• Developed by: Germany (State Factories)
• Type of launcher: Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 149mm
• Effective up to: 200 ft.

34. Panzerschreck (Raketenpanzerbuchse)

• Year first used: 1943
• Developed by: Germany (State Factories)
• Type of launcher: Reusable man-portable anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 88mm
• Effective up to: 492 ft.

33. Raketetenwerfer 43 (Puppchen)

• Year first used: 1943
• Developed by: Germany (State Factories)
• Type of launcher: Anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 88mm
• Effective up to: 1,150 ft.

32. M20 Super Bazooka

M20 Super Bazooka 3.5 inch (90... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Tomu00c3u00a1s Del Coro

• Year first used: 1944
• Developed by: United States (Conduction Corporation)
• Type of launcher: Shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 89mm
• Effective up to: 1,800 ft.

31. RPG-2

RPG-2. (CC BY 2.0) by Mohit S

• Year first used: 1954
• Developed by: Soviet Union (State Factories)
• Type of launcher: Rocket-propelled grenade launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 82mm
• Effective up to: 492 ft.

30. RPG-7

RPG-7 Grenade Launcher (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Tomu00c3u0083u00c2u00a1s Del Coro

• Year first used: 1961
• Developed by: Soviet Union (Bazalt)
• Type of launcher: Rocket-propelled grenade launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 40mm
• Effective up to: 984 ft.

29. Panzerfaust 2

• Year first used: 1963
• Developed by: Germany (Dynamit Nobel)
• Type of launcher: Shoulder-fired recoilless rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 67mm
• Effective up to: 1,000 ft.

28. M72 LAW

• Year first used: 1963
• Developed by: United States (Talley Industries)
• Type of launcher: Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 66mm
• Effective up to: 1,640 ft.

27. Type 69

Type 69 RPG... (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Rhk111

• Year first used: 1970
• Developed by: China (China North Industries Corporation)
• Type of launcher: Rocket-propelled grenade launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 40mm
• Effective up to: 655 ft.

26. RPG-26

• Year first used: 1970
• Developed by: Soviet Union (State Factories)
• Type of launcher: Disposable rocket-propelled grenade launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 72.5mm
• Effective up to: 820 ft.

25. Mukha (RPG-18)

• Year first used: 1972
• Developed by: Soviet Union (State Factories)
• Type of launcher: Disposable lightweight anti-tank weapon
• Rocket Caliber: 64mm
• Effective up to: 656 ft.

24. M202 FLASH

• Year first used: 1978
• Developed by: United States (State Factories)
• Type of launcher: Four-shot shoulder-fired incendiary rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 66mm
• Effective up to: 66 ft.

23. M79 Osa (Wasp)

M79-OSA (CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED) by Amon16

• Year first used: 1979
• Developed by: Yugoslavia (State Factories)
• Type of launcher: Shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 90mm
• Effective up to: 1,150 ft.

22. LRAC 89-F1

LRAC F1-detoured-cropped (CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED) by Crochet.david

• Year first used: 1980
• Developed by: France (Manufacture Nationale d-Armes de Saint-Etienne)
• Type of launcher: Reusable rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 89mm
• Effective up to: 1,969 ft.

21. M80 Zolja (Wasp)

• Year first used: 1980
• Developed by: Yugoslavia (State Factories)
• Type of launcher: Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 64mm
• Effective up to: 722 ft.

20. MBB Armbrust (Crossbow)

• Year first used: 1980
• Developed by: Germany (Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm)
• Type of launcher: Recoilless disposable light anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 67mm
• Effective up to: 980 ft.

19. B-300

MAPATS (CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED) by Natan Flayer

• Year first used: 1980
• Developed by: Israel (Israeli Military Industries)
• Type of launcher: Reusable anti-tank rocket system
• Rocket Caliber: 82mm
• Effective up to: 1,312 ft.

18. Dard 120

• Year first used: 1981
• Developed by: France (Societe Europeenne de Propulsion)
• Type of launcher: Shoulder-fired reusable anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 120mm
• Effective up to: 985 ft.

17. FHJ-84 (Type 84)

• Year first used: 1984
• Developed by: China (China North Industries Corporation)
• Type of launcher: Shoulder-fired individual anti-chemical rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 62mm
• Effective up to: 656 ft.

16. Netto (RPG-22)

RPG-22 at exhibition (CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED) by u041bu044cu043eu0448u043au043e u041du0456u043au0456u0444u043eu0440u043eu0432

• Year first used: 1985
• Developed by: Soviet Union (State Factories)
• Type of launcher: Disposable rocket-propelled grenade launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 72.5mm
• Effective up to: 575 ft.

15 . Komar (Mosquito / RPG-76)

• Year first used: 1985
• Developed by: Poland (Precision Works)
• Type of launcher: Single-shot disposable rocket-propelled grenade launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 68mm
• Effective up to: 820 ft.

14. Folgore 80

Breda folgore (CC BY 2.5 DEED) by italian army

• Year first used: 1986
• Developed by: Italy (Breda Meccanica)
• Type of launcher: Recoilless anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 80mm
• Effective up to: 3,280 ft.

13. Wasp 58

• Year first used: 1987
• Developed by: France (Luchaire SA)
• Type of launcher: Shoulder-fired man-portable rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 58mm
• Effective up to: 1,300 ft.

12. RPG-A (Shmel)

• Year first used: 1988
• Developed by: Soviet Union (KBP)
• Type of launcher: Shoulder-fired, rocket-propelled flame weapon
• Rocket Caliber: 93mm
• Effective up to: 1,970 ft.

11. Tavolga (RPG-27)

Tula State Museum of Weapons (CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED) by Vitaly V. Kuzmin

• Year first used: 1989
• Developed by: Soviet Union (Bazalt and Rosoboronexport)
• Type of launcher: Man-portable rocket-propelled grenade launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 105mm
• Effective up to: 655 ft.

10. Vampire (RPG-29)

• Year first used: 1989
• Developed by: Soviet Union (Bazalt)
• Type of launcher: Rocket-propelled grenade launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 65mm, 105mm
• Effective up to: 1,600 ft.

9. C90

• Year first used: 1990
• Developed by: Spain (Instalaza)
• Type of launcher: Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 90mm
• Effective up to: 985 ft.

8. Panzerfaust 3

Panzerfaust3 noBG (CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED) by Panzerfaust3

• Year first used: 1992
• Developed by: Germany (Dynamit Nobel)
• Type of launcher: Single-shot disposable anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 60mm
• Effective up to: 1,300 ft.

7. Matador

IDF-Matador-66-IndependenceDay 0054 (CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED) by MathKnight

• Year first used: 2000
• Developed by: Germany (Dynamit Nobel)
• Type of launcher: Man-portable shoulder-fired rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 90mm
• Effective up to: 1,600 ft.

6. RPG-30

u0420u041fu0413-30-u041au0440u044eu043a (CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED) by Despairr

• Year first used: 2008
• Developed by: Russia (Bazalt)
• Type of launcher: Rocket-propelled grenade launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 105mm
• Effective up to: 1,000 ft.

5. Hashim (RPG-32)

• Year first used: 2008
• Developed by: Russia (Bazalt)
• Type of launcher: Rocket-propelled grenade launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 105mm
• Effective up to: 2,300 ft.

4. PSRL-1 (RPG-7USA)

• Year first used: 2009
• Developed by: United States (AirTronic)
• Type of launcher: Anti-armor / anti-personnel shoulder-fired rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 40mm
• Effective up to: 2,625 ft.

3. Klyukva (Cranberry / RPG-28)

RPG-28 grenade launcher at Interpolitex (CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED) by Vitaly V. Kuzmin

• Year first used: 2011
• Developed by: Russia (Bazalt and the State Research and Production Enterprise)
• Type of launcher: Shoulder-fired disposable anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 125mm
• Effective up to: 985 ft.

2. Kestrel

u7d05u96bcu53cdu88ddu7532u706bu7bad (CC BY 2.0 DEED) by u7e3du7d71u5e9c

• Year first used: 2015
• Developed by: Taiwan (National Ching-Shan Institute of Science and Technology)
• Type of launcher: Man-portable anti-tank rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 110mm
• Effective up to: 1,315 ft.

1. GS-777

• Year first used: 2015
• Developed by: United States (AirTronic)
• Type of launcher: Lightweight shoulder-fired recoilless rocket launcher
• Rocket Caliber: 40mm
• Effective up to: 2,625 ft