The Y3 is a South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

n automatic grenade launcher

Grenade launcher

A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....

 manufactured by Denel Land Systems. It fires 40x53mm

40 mm grenade

The 40mm grenade is a military grenade caliber for grenade launchers in service with many armed forces. There are two main types in service: the 40×46mm, which is a low-velocity round used in hand-held grenade launchers; and the high-velocity 40×53mm, used in mounted and crew-served weapons. The...

 grenades at a rate of 280–320 rounds per minute.

It can be vehicle mounted using a special bracket or used with a tripod

Tripod

A tripod is a portable three-legged frame, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. The word comes from the Greek tripous, meaning "three feet". A tripod provides stability against downward forces, horizontal forces and moments about the...

.. The weapon (with tripod) is man portable by a team of 3

The Y3 appeared first to the public in 2003 during a Defence Systems & Equipment international exhibition (DSEi) show in the UK.

Electronic sight

Because of trajectory of 40 mm grenades, the target might be out of sight when the weapon is used for indirect fire. If the coordinates are known (calculated from observation post) this ballistic computer can determine the launcher's aim taking its position and tilt into account.

Ammunition

Rheinmetall Denel Munitions produces a range of "high velocity" 40 grenades (40 x 53 mm as opposed to standard 40 x 46 mm).

High Explosive (HE)

Designed for used against vehicles and personnel (with a casualty radius of 5 m)

High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP)

This round has some armour piercing capability (50 mm armour, 350 mm concrete) and is designed for use against vehicles and fortifications.

Practice

This round produces a flash and smoke intended for realistic simulations and training.

Target Practice Tracer

Similar to the Practice round, but producing a visible light trail similar to tracer ammunition

Tracer ammunition

Tracer ammunition are bullets that are built with a small pyrotechnic charge in their base. Ignited by the burning powder, the phosphorus tail burns very brightly, making the projectile visible to the naked eye...

.

Target Practice

This round is inert and has the same ballistic properties as the HE and HE DP rounds.

See also

• LAG 40 grenade launcher, similar weapon
• HK GMG, similar weapon
• XM174 grenade launcher
  XM174 grenade launcher
  The XM174 is a mounted automatic 40mm grenade launcher heavily based on the M1919A4 machine gun and the M79 grenade launcher but fed from an ammo can...
  
  , similar weapon
• AGS-17
  AGS-17
  The AGS-17 Plamya is a Soviet-designed automatic grenade launcher currently in production in the Russian Federation and in service worldwide.-Description:...
  
  , similar weapon, but smaller 30 mm calibre
• Milkor MGL
  Milkor MGL
  The MGL is a lightweight 40 mm semi-automatic, 6-shot grenade launcher developed and manufactured in South Africa by Milkor Ltd. The MGL was demonstrated as a concept to the South African Defence Force in 1981. The operating principle was immediately accepted and subjected to a stringent...
  
  , another South African 40 mm grenade launcher
• Mk 19 grenade launcher
  Mk 19 grenade launcher
  The Mk 19 Grenade Launcher is a 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher or grenade machine gun that entered U.S. military service during the Cold War, first seeing action during the Vietnam War and remaining in service today.-Overview:...
  
  , similar weapon