Come Back Alive Foundation is launching a fundraising campaign for grenade launcher sights

Come Back Alive Foundation is launching the Prytsilno project to raise funds for special sights for Mk.19 grenade launchers with the value of UAH 13 million. The Foundation's press service announced this. The Foundation plans to provide almost 150 crews of American Mk.19 automatic grenade launchers with specifically designed sights and tablets with ARMOR software to fire from closed positions.

"The Mk.19 grenade launchers, which Ukraine is receiving as part of international technical assistance, do not have sights to fire from closed positions - instead, there are only sights for direct fire," the Foundation explains.

Mk 19 grenade launcher on a pickup truck. Photo credits: ArmyInform

Therefore, the Come Back Alive Foundation instructor department designed an artillery sight based on the artillery principle, which is used in Soviet-era grenade launchers. "After finding the manufacturers, we produced several test samples and conducted practical shootings at different ranges under different weather conditions.

During the tests, the very first Mk.19 grenade hit targets in the area," the foundation says. The need of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for sights designed by the Foundation is crucial, in particular, due to the fact that this is the first and only such product manufactured in Ukraine, which can be used not only on Mk.19 grenade launchers but also on all other grenade launchers and mortars of any caliber. Prytsilno project should help crews hit the target without additional aiming and fire from safer closed firing positions.

In addition to the grenade launchers handed over by the United States, new sights can also be installed on the Ukrainian 40-mm UAG-40 automatic grenade launchers. The Come Back Alive Foundation plans to purchase a hundred of those as part of the "EYE FOR AN EYE 2" project.

Shooting from closed positions

Shooting from closed positions is a term that means firing along a hinged trajectory at a target that is out of the line of sight. This method of firing in current conditions involves the active use of unmanned aircraft in coordination with the crews of fire means for constant adjustment of fire on the target.

Operation of the Mk 19 grenade launcher in connection with the UAV.

Photo credits: ArmyInform

Tablets with installed special software have also become widespread among the Ukrainian military.

It determines the likely point of impact during a shot based on many parameters.

Together with the use of UAVs, such a system is capable of hitting targets from the first shots, which significantly increases efficiency and saves ammunition.