69式火箭筒

一个标准的解放軍步兵班会有两个69式火箭筒操纵手, each carrying one RPG launcher and three grenade rounds. There are also two assistant operators, each carrying three grenade rounds. A squad has a total of two launchers and 12 grenade rounds. In the 轻步兵 troops deployed in the mountain and jungle regions in Southern China, the 69式火箭筒 are equipped by the fire support 解放軍toon in the infantry company.

[编辑] Design Features

The 69式 is a shoulder-launched, muzzle-loaded 反坦克 and anti-personnel grenade launcher which launches a variety of fin-stabilised, over-sized grenades from its 40mm tube. The launcher has an optical daylight sight and (optional) infrared night vision to provide increased fire accuracy. In general, the 69式 is a low-cost, easy-to-use weapon with a significant firepower. It is sometimes referred to as “infantry artillery” or “pocket artillery”.

The 69式-I has major improvements, including a shorter launch tube and modifications for the launcher to fold into two when not needed for mobility purposes.

[编辑] RPG Rounds

Although the design of the grenade launcher hasn’t changed significantly since it was introduced nearly thirty years ago, many new types of grenade rounds have been developed over the years to provide enhanced capabilities, including: ^[2]

69式 High Explosive 反坦克 (HEAT) - Basic grenade introduced in the 解放軍 during the 1970s with the 69式. Currently phased out of 解放軍 service.

69式-I Hollow Charge High-Explosive 反坦克 (HEAT) - Standard HEAT grenade developed for the 解放軍 in the 1980s. Hollow warhead was created with improving armor piercing capabilities.

69式-II High-Explosive 反坦克 (HEAT) - Same as the 69式-I HEAT grenade, except that it's improved to defeat modern armored vehicles that are equipped with 反坦克 missile 解放軍ting.

69式-III High-Explosive 反坦克 (HEAT) - Same as 69式-II, improved for increased range and further improved armor piercing abilities.

Type 84 High-Explosive 反坦克 (HEAT) - Made in the 1980s as a lighter warhead with the ability to be fired from long range with claims that the rocket is not affected by side winds. Usable with both 69式 and 69-I rocket launchers.

69式 40mm Airburst Anti-Personnel High-Explosive (HE) - Created for anti-personnel purposes. This is mostly meant to combat against entrenched forces since the rocket, after gaining impact on the ground, bounces 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.

High-Explosive / High-Explosive 反坦克 (HE/HEAT) - Used for anti-armor and anti-personnel combat. Even though it has 1,500 prefabricated fragments, which scatter over a 20m radius on detonation, the rocket retains its anti-HEAT capabilities.

Anti-Personnel High-Explosive Incendiary (HEI) - Created for use in certain environments such as jungles and mountains, it has 900 steel balls and 2,000 to 3,000 incendiary pellets that scatter over a 15m radius on detonation.

Tandem-Warhead 反坦克 Grenade - Estimated to be used in the 1990s, it is meant to penetrate vehicles with the Explosive Reaction Armor or ERA. Even though it can't defeat most modern vehicles, lighter vehicles such as APCs and AFVs can be destroyed with this rocket.

Illumination Grenade - Equipped with a small parachute to suspend it in mid air while being used, its effective range is 600m with the braking ring and 1,500m without it.