The Zastava M93 BGA is a fully automatic grenade launcher built on the robust and reliable Soviet-made AGS-17 platform. It was designed to destroy personnel and light armored vehicles at distances up to 1,700 m and 1,000 m, respectively, making it an effective means of providing direct support to infantry formations.
History
During the late 1970s, the development of domestic automatic grenade launchers began in Kragujevac, modeled after the Russian 30 mm AGS-17 Plamya. The team responsible for the project consisted of experienced engineers and technicians who worked diligently to create a design that met the requirements of the Yugoslav army. However, despite progress, the project faced a setback when the Infantry Directorate expressed little interest in the system.
Despite this setback, the team did not give up. In 1993, work on the launcher resumed under the initiative of factory management. The project was led by Radmilo Lepojevic and a team of engineers that included Zivko Bulatovic, Milic Maksovic, Milinko Colovic, and Dragomir Milovanovic. The team worked diligently to improve the design and overcome their challenges.
Finally, in 1994, a zero series of 15 launchers were produced. The final verification tests were conducted and carried out by Captain 1st Class Milojko Brzakovic. By the decision of the then director of the factory, Vukašin Filipovic, MSc, on March 31, 1994, Lt. Col. Dragislav Rosic, who worked with Lt. Col. Marinko Petrovic, was appointed as the manager of the production conquest. Rajko Paunovic, logistics by Vlada Dordevic, and control by lieutenant colonels Jugoslav Dordevic and Tomislav Ristic led technology.
On July 4, 1994, the first 15 launchers were delivered to the Yugoslav Army.
Design
The weapon is reliable in diverse weather and terrain conditions, thanks to its recoil operation, and can be adjusted to suit the field’s needs with a variable fire rate of 50 to 400 shells per minute. The lower rate of fire is mainly used for precise targeting of individual targets, while the higher rate of fire targets large areas or dispersed targets. The weapon has a vertical field of fire between -5° to +70° and a horizontal field of fire at an angle of 30°. The barrel is chrome-plated and grooved to the right, improving the weapon’s service life and accuracy.
The Zastava M93 is loaded from a 29-bullet magazine and comes with the NSBG-1 aiming device that enables direct, semi-direct, or indirect shooting. The weapon uses 30mm TG-M93 shells which can be equipped with fragmentary, cumulative, or VH-M93 training projectiles. The weapon can be mounted on a three-legged stand, which allows for a quick change in position, or it can be mounted on specialized vehicles or vessels depending on tactical needs.
Technical specifications
| Country of origin: | Serbia |
| Manufacturer: | Zastava Arms |
| Caliber: | 30 mm |
| Feed system: | drum, belt |
| Weight: | 35 kg |
| Weight of the empty belt: | 1.4 kg |
| Weight of the empty drum: | 1.6 kg |
| Muzzle velocity: | 185 m/s |
| Effective range: | 1,700 m |