Source: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
A soldier of the 95th. Air Assault Brigade “Polesia” operating a Repkon Defence RDS-40 40mm automatic grenade launcher (AGL). Another unit known to use the RDS-40 is the 3rd. Assault Brigade. It remains unknown exactly where the grenade launchers were sourced nor how many are in service. Turkey, the country Repkon is based in, has not reported such a transfer nor has the Ukrainian Army reported receiving the weapons from Turkey. Thus, it is thought they were purchased or obtained by another country and distributed to Ukraine as part of a military aid package.
If the RDS-40 looks familiar, that is because it is a variant of the U.S. Army's Mk.19 40mm AGL. The Mk.19 is currently built under license in Turkey by MKE (Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi; Mechanical & Chemical Industry Corp.) and information is scant on if Repkon Defence has picked up the license or if MKE has contracted with Repkon for a modernized version. As Repkon's name can be found on the RDS-40, the former might be the case. Repkon utilizes flow forming in its metal manufacturing. In simple terms, flow forming involves using rollers to shape a metal preform against a mandrel (a support for the preform as it is shaped by the rollers). The end result is the ability to manufacture seamless components to minimize the need for welding with the components benefiting from a higher tensile strength at a lower weight as well as mitigating variance in thickness in the components.
Differences in the RDS-40 compared to the Mk.19 is the usage of flow forming manufacturing to reduce the number of components needed to construct the weapon. According to TurDef Global Defence News, the rear sight of the Mk.19 was redesigned so as to produce it with fewer parts but what other aspects of the Mk.19 were reworked to take advantage of Repkon's manufacturing process hasn't been stated. Another change noted by TurDef is a redesign of the feed mechanism to lessen the chance of jams or other ammunition related stoppages. Finally, the spade grips and trigger have been ergonomically shaped to improve handling and firing.
How much the RDS-40 weighs in comparison to the 73 pounds of the MKE built Mk.19 isn't specified. The cradle and tripod (21 and 44 pounds respectively) are the same as the Mk.19 as is the performance. The RDS-40 is fed either by a 32- or 48-round belt of 40x53mm grenades, held in an ammunition can on the left side of the weapon. Based on the coloration of the grenades in the photograph, it appears the operator is firing the M430A1 HEDP (High-Explosive Dual Purpose) grenade. This means the grenade can be fired against soft and hard targets. The grenade is armed after traveling at least 18 meters upon firing and has an effective range of 1,500 meters (.9 of a mile) though the RDS-40 can fling the M430A1 out to 1.5 miles. The M430A1's Composition A5 explosive payload has a kill radius of 16 feet with a wound radius of 50 feet. Armor penetration is 76mm of standard steel (not rolled homogenous armor as used on tanks) which makes the RDS-40 a threat to light armored vehicles. The M430A1 uses a M549A1 fuze and M55 detonator. The RDS-40 has a cyclic rate of fire of 325 to 375 rounds per minute but the more practical is the sustained rate of 40 rounds per minute. The RDS-40 uses iron sights but the RDS-40s in use by the 3rd. Assault Brigade are fitted with a panoramic sight to permit more accurate indirect fire.
Of interest is the paint brush the operator has tucked onto the front of his plate carrier vest.
