Type 69 Rocket-Propelled Grenades

Last updated: 23 February 2007

Type 69 High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) Grenade

This is the basic variant 40mm rocket-propelled anti-armour grenade originally introduced along with the Type 69 rocket launcher in the early 1970s. This grenade is no longer in PLA service.

Type 69-I Hollow Charge High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) Grenade

This is the standard HEAT anti-armour grenade developed for the Type 69-I launcher introduced in the 1980s. The grenade has a hollow charge warhead for improved armour piercing capability.

Type 69-II High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) Grenade

This is an improved HEAT anti-armour grenade with longer and more powerful warhead for use against modern armoured combat vehicles with heavier armour protections.

Type 69-III High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) Grenade

Based on the Type 69-II but with increased range and self-destruct capability.

Type 84 High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) Grenade

This was developed in the 1980s with lighter warhead and longer range. The grenade was claimed to be relatively unaffected by side winds. Its armour piercing capability remains same as previous variants. The grenade can be used with both the Type 69 and Type 69-I launchers.

Type 69 40mm Airburst Anti-Personnel High-Explosive (HE) Grenade

This variant was developed specifically for anti-personnel purpose. This round works in a similar way to the bouncing anti-personnel fragmentation mines. On impact, the grenade bounces off the ground to a chest to 2m height then airbursts over the target area, scattering about 800 anti-personnel steel balls over a lethal radius of 15m. The airburst is much more effective than typical blast warheads especially toward entrenched troops.

High-Explosive / High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HE/HEAT) Grenade

This multi-purpose grenade can be used as a long-range HE/FRAG weapon against troops in the open. The warhead contains about 1,500 prefabricated fragments, which scatter over a 20m radius on detonation. The warhead also retains the anti-armour HEAT capability.

Anti-Personnel High-Explosive Incendiary (HEI) Grenade

This variant was specially designed for jungle and mountain warfare. The HE warhead contains 900 steel balls and 2,000 to 3,000 incendiary pellets that scatter over a 15m radius on detonation.

Tandem-Warhead Anti-Tank Grenade

This has possibly entered service in the 1990s. The round is specially designed to penetrate the explosive reaction armour (ERA). Although it is not powerful to penetrate the armour of most modern main battle tanks, it is still effective against lighter targets such as infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and armoured personnel carriers (APCs).

Illumination Grenades

The round is has a small parachute to suspend itself in mid air while it burns. The effective range is 600m with the braking ring and 1,500m without it.

Specifications