Ukraine approves new NATO-standard grenade launcher for military use

The Defense Ministry’s press service reported the information.

According to the statement, compared to the Soviet counterpart (the AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher, 30mm), this grenade launcher features improved overall ergonomics and structural reliability, better firing accuracy, and a greater effective range.

The grenade launcher can be mounted on combat vehicles or light off-road transport, and with a special tripod, it can be used as a group infantry weapon.

“The new grenade launcher model uses 40x53mm ammunition, which is the standard unitary round for automatic grenade launcher systems used by NATO armies,” the ministry clarified.

They noted that Ukraine aims to move away from Soviet-era weaponry and transition to NATO-standard arms.

“Mastering the production of modern weapons and scaling it up is a key task for domestic defense enterprises. We must accelerate the transition from outdated Soviet-made equipment and provide the Defense Forces with superior domestic weaponry, compatible with NATO-standard ammunition. Technical compatibility with the armed forces of partner countries is a fundamental requirement for the development of our military,” said Deputy Defense Minister Valerii Churkin.

• Last week, it was also announced that the Ministry of Defense approved the Ukrainian drone Predatory Bird for use in the army.