That is actually the directed explosion from the shaped charge of the RPG warhead. It looks a lot like the booster of the RPG-7 going off until you figure out the difference.

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Why would the shaped charge trail be coming out the BACK of the drone? Shouldn't it exit out the front and through the vehicle? Go back and watch the video. In the FPV portion the drone is following the truck tracks down into the gully then impacts. In the wide shot the tracks (and exit of the gully) are behind the drone.

[–] zabadoh@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The RPG round still has the rocket propellant in it. That's the R in Rocket Propelled Grenade, RPG.

Then the explosive payload goes off, it also ignites the propellant.

The rocket part of the round with the propellant that would normally push the round forward has nowhere to go, so it goes backwards.

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

So that explanation contradicts @Fluke McHappenstance 's that its the shaped charge.

Even your explanation doesn't seem to line up. The munition for an RPG-7 used against a vehicle (not troops) is usually a PG-7.

Drone operators usually don't have the long stick portion out the back using to mount it in an RPG-7, so its just the shaped charge, and the rocket propellant . The propellant exhaust comes out those 4 small V shaped fin outlets. Your explanation is suggesting that, on impact, the shaped charge also ignites the (at that point) unused propellant, and that the aerodynamically unstable propellant portion of the munition flies backward in a perfectly straight line level to the ground exhausting thrusting gas out of 4 V nozzles without affecting its flight path?

I'll be the first one that says he's not an expert, but that seems suspect.