Grappling hook

In grappling or wrestling the term hook refers to an arm or leg position designed to help control an opponent.

A soldier loading the hook.

A grappling hook is a hook attached to a rope, designed to be thrown or projected a distance, where its hooks will engage with the target. Grappling hooks were originally used in naval warfare to catch the rigging of an enemy ship so that it could be drawn in and boarded. Later, grappling hooks were also used in rescue work or to assist in scaling walls.

The most common design consists of a central shaft with a hole at the base of the shaft, called an "eye" to attach the rope, and three equally spaced hooks at the end of the shaft, so arranged that at least one is likely to catch on some protuberance of the target. Some modern designs feature folding hooks to resist unwanted attachment. Most grappling hooks are thrown by hand, but some used in rescue work are propelled by compressed air or a rocket.

Grappling hooks are currently used by combat engineers breaching tactical obstacles. The grappling hook is launched over the open ground in front of the obstacle and dragged backwards in an attempt to detonate trip-wire-fused land mines, and can be hooked onto wire obstacles and pulled to set off any booby traps on the wire. Two tools are available for this purpose; the rifle-launched grapnel, a single-use grappling hook placed on the end of an M4/M16 rifle, or the crossbow launched version.^[1] A grapnel can clear up to 99 percent of the trip-wires in a single pass.^[2]

In fiction

DC Comics characters Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Rorschach and Batgirl have in various media employed the grappling gun as a method of locomotion, swinging around skyscrapers above the ground, escaping dangerous situations and reaching a higher vantage point. It has also been used to directly take down foes.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character Michelangelo, has used grappling hooks as his main weapons in later seasons of the 1987 cartoon series, since his trademark weapons, the nunchaku, were banned in most countries. In the more recent series, Mikey has been seen using a grappling hook as a a secondary weapon, when dressed as The Turtle Titan. His brothers and master have also been seen using them. The grappling hooks can be used for transportation or offensive capabilities.

See also

• Firearm (tool)
• Grapple tool
• Harpoon

References

1. ^ SAA Crossbow Launched Grapnel Hook
2. ^ Field Manual 3-34.2 Combined Arms Breaching Operations. 31 August 2000. Para. C-57 and Table C-2