Rocket launcher A rocket launcher is any device that launches a rocket - propelled projectile , although the term is often used in reference to mechanisms that are portable and capable of being operated by an individual . History . The earliest rocket launchers documented in imperial China fired fire arrow s with launchers constructed of wood , basketry , and bamboo tubes . The rocket launchers divided the fire arrows with frames meant to keep the arrows separated , and were capable of firing multiple arrow rockets at once . Textual evidence and illustrations of various early rocket launchers are found in the 11th century Southern Song Dynasty text " Wujing Zongyao " . The " Wujing Zongyao " describes the " long serpent " rocket launcher , a rocket launcher constructed of wood and carried with a wheelbarrow , and the " hundred tiger " rocket launcher , a rocket launcher made of wood and capable of firing 320 rocket arrows . The text also describes a portable rocket arrow carrier consisting of a sling and a bamboo tube . Rockets were introduced to western warfare during the Napoleonic Wars ; the Congreve rocket was a British weapon devised by Sir William Congreve in 1804 after experiencing Indian rockets at the Siege of Seringapatam ( 1799 ) . Congreve rockets were launched from an iron trough about 18 inches ( 45 centimetres ) in length , called a " chamber " . These chambers could be fixed to the ground for horizontal launching , secured to a folding copper tripod for high angle fire or mounted on frames on carts or the decks of warships . Shoulder - fired . The rocket launchers category includes shoulder - fired missile weapons , any weapon that fires a rocket - propelled projectile at a target yet is small enough to be carried by a single person and fired while held on one ' s shoulder . Depending on the country or region , people might use the terms " bazooka " or " RPG " as generalized terms to refer to such weapons , both of which are in fact specific types of rocket launchers . The bazooka is an American anti - tank weapon which was in service in 1942 – 1957 , while the RPG is a Soviet anti - tank weapon . Other forms of shoulder - launched rocket weapons include anti - tank guided missile , a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily - armored vehicles , as well as Man - portable air - defense systems ( MANPADS ) , which provides shoulder - launched surface - to - air missiles . A smaller variation is the gyrojet , a small arms rocket launcher with ammunition slightly larger than that of a . 45 - caliber pistol . Recoilless rifle s are sometimes confused with rocket launchers . However , the recoilless rifle merely fires a large projectile , not a projectile that continues to propel itself after leaving the barrel of the weapon . Rocket pod . A rocket pod is a launcher that contains several unguided rocket s held in individual tubes , designed to be used by attack aircraft or attack helicopter s for close air support . In many cases , rocket pods are streamlined to reduce aerodynamic drag . The first pods were developed immediately after World War II , as an improvement over the previous arrangement of firing rockets from rails , racks or tubes fixed under the wings of aircraft . Early examples of pod - launched rockets were the US Folding - Fin Aerial Rocket and the French SNEB . Large scale . Larger - scale devices which serve to launch rockets include the multiple rocket launcher , a type of unguided rocket artillery system ; the transporter erector launcher , a vehicle with an integrated prime mover that can carry , elevate to firing position and launch one or more missiles and various launchers for guided missile s , including ones for surface - to - air missile s , anti - ship missile s , and antisubmarine warfare guided missiles ( see ASROC , Sea Lance , etc . ) The largest scale rocket launcher device currently in existence is a missile launch facility .