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Don’t let the size fool you: despite being small, Bulgarian ATGL-H guns are designed to defeat tanks.
Ukrainian military has recently announced that ATGL-H anti-tank recoilless weapons have been introduced into its service and is currently used by the Territorial defense forces of Ukraine.
Ukrainian soldiers learning to use ATGL-H anti-tank guns. Image credit: Armed Forces of Ukraine
The first images showcasing training activities have been posted on Facebook.
Surprisingly, there is very little information about the Bulgarian ATGL-H. This weapon can hit tanks, self-propelled artillery systems, and other armored targets. Also, it is effective against light targets.
The recoilless guns that were supplied for Ukraine are equipped with SGL-9MA optical sights.
Ukrainian soldiers learning to use ATGL-H anti-tank guns. Image credit: Armed Forces of Ukraine
ATGL-H uses RHEAT-9MA2 73mm high-explosive anti-tank projectiles to penetrate armor steel to a depth of seven and even more times the diameter of the charge. This technology is used in MANPADS, such as Javelin missile.
After the armor is perforated, the jet formed from a metal core causes great damage to interior components. Even if it does not penetrate the armor, its power is enough to generate a cloud of small irregular fragments of armor material – internal armor debris – to hit the inside of the vehicle.
According to the manufacturer’s data, these projectiles can have an armor-piercing capacity of 300mm and hit targets at a range of 1,300 meters.
Ukrainian soldiers learning to use ATGL-H anti-tank guns. Image credit: Armed Forces of Ukraine
The ATGL-H recoilless guns were developed on the basis of the Soviet-era weapon SPG-9 Kopyo, initially introduced in 1962. The modified Bulgarian version is manufactured by the Bulgarian enterprise Arsenal JSCo.
The optical sight gives enables the precise targeting of ATGL-H during direct fire conditions and when firing from covered positions. This device allows the user to observe the battlefield and also to determine distances to targets. The sight set reticle is illuminated to facilitate its operation in low visibility conditions.
The arrival of the ATGL-H in Ukraine was announced just several days after the Bulgarian parliament approved the decision to send arms and ammunition to Ukraine. However, some sources say these weapons have been in use in Ukrainian Army nearly since the beginning of the war.
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