At the end of the 20th century, the Chinese infantry had anti-tank weapons at their disposal that could successfully withstand tanks of the first post-war generation, which were not equipped with reactive armor. Chinese hand-held and rocket-propelled grenades were quite capable, in favorable conditions, to penetrate the armor of the Soviet T-55 and T-62 or the American M48 and M60. In the conditions that developed from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, the low effectiveness of Chinese infantry weapons against modern tanks with multi-layer spaced armor was not critical. In the Soviet divisions stationed on the Soviet-Chinese and Sino-Mongolian border, the bulk of the tanks were built in the 1950s-1960s, and modern T-64, T-72 and T-80 were mainly in the European part of the country and in groups Soviet troops stationed in the GDR and Czechoslovakia. The same can be said about other countries with which China could enter into armed conflict on land. The Indian armored forces in the 1960s-1980s were equipped with British Centurion tanks and Soviet T-55s; in Vietnam, Soviet T-34-85, T-54, T-55 and captured American M48A3s were in service.
At the beginning of the 21st century, a light anti-tank weapon appeared in the PLA, capable of overcoming the armor of vehicles such as the T-72, T-80 or M1 Abrams. First of all, the PLA command was interested in modern disposable anti-tank grenade launchers, suitable for equipping individual soldiers with them. Since the second half of the 1980s, there was an acute issue of replacing hand-held cumulative grenades, which by that time were an outright anachronism. After the adoption of the Type 3 hand-held anti-tank grenade and the failure with the Type 70 grenade launcher, specialists from the Chinese arms company Norinco began developing a disposable 80-mm grenade launcher. Tests of weapons began in the late 1980s, and in 1993 the first batch of grenade launchers entered the troops.
A fiberglass container is used to transport and launch a rocket-propelled grenade. It is closed on both sides with rubber covers that prevent foreign objects from getting inside, and also fix the grenade. In the upper part of the grenade launcher there is a carrying handle, on the left side there is a primitive optical sight, a belt is attached on the right side, and a firing mechanism is assembled at the bottom. The pistol grip is swivel, in the firing position it cocks the firing mechanism and releases the trigger. A rocket-propelled grenade with a cumulative warhead is equipped with a piezoelectric fuse, after exiting the launch container, it is stabilized on a trajectory by eight folding blades.
The mass of the equipped grenade launcher is 3, 7 kg, length - 900 mm. It is stated that an 80-mm grenade weighing 1.84 kg is normally capable of penetrating homogeneous armor with a thickness of more than 400 mm. The initial speed of the grenade is 147 m / s. Effective firing range - no more than 250 m. Maximum sighting range - 400 m.
The PF-89 grenade launcher was originally created to combat armored targets, but can also be used to destroy shelters, destroy emplacements and enemy personnel. In terms of its capabilities, this weapon is comparable to the later modifications of the American disposable M72 LAW grenade launcher or the Soviet RPG-26 grenade launcher.
After the start of mass deliveries of PF-89, the Chinese military leadership found it possible to abandon the Type 69 grenade launchers (the Chinese copy of the RPG-7) in the "rapid response" units.
The number of disposable grenade launchers distributed among the soldiers of an infantry platoon must be at least ten. The advantage of this approach is an increase in the firepower of the platoon as a whole, since a larger number of soldiers are equipped with standard automatic weapons, and in the event of a collision with enemy armored vehicles, it can be simultaneously fired from a larger number of anti-tank grenade launchers. In addition to the PLA, the PF-89 grenade launchers are in service with the Cambodian army. This weapon has proven itself well during the civil war in Libya.
In connection with the active equipping of armored vehicles with dynamic protection elements and the need to increase the capabilities in terms of fighting manpower and the destruction of field fortifications, modifications of a grenade launcher with a tandem and cumulative fragmentation grenade appeared in the 21st century.
The PF-89A grenade launcher is equipped with a cumulative fragmentation grenade with 200 mm normal penetration. But at the same time, the fragmentation and high-explosive effect is significantly increased, which makes it possible to use the grenade launcher as an assault weapon. According to Chinese sources, an adaptive fuse is used for the PF-89A grenade, which allows you to go deep into soft obstacles (sandbags or earthen parapet) or break through fragile obstacles (thin walls or window panes) without detonating the charge. This makes it possible to effectively defeat enemy personnel located in light shelters.
A tandem cumulative grenade was created for the PF-89В grenade launcher, designed to combat tanks with dynamic protection ("reactive armor"). It is stated that the armor penetration of the PF-89В after overcoming dynamic protection when hit at a right angle is more than 600 mm. However, taking into account the caliber and dimensions of the Chinese tandem grenade and the comparative characteristics of modern Russian anti-tank grenades, the declared armor penetration of the Chinese PF-89В grenade launcher seems to be overestimated.
Another type of disposable grenade launcher used by the PLA is the DZJ-08. It entered service with the Chinese infantry in 2008. The main purpose of the DZJ-08 is the destruction of field fortifications, but in addition to this, the grenade launcher can be successfully used to combat vehicles protected by armor up to 100 mm thick. The DZJ-08 grenade launcher has a mass of 7, 6 kg, length - 971 mm. The muzzle velocity of a grenade weighing 1.67 kg is 172 m / s. Sighting range - up to 300 m.
When an 80-mm anti-bunker cumulative high-explosive grenade explodes, the spread of lethal fragments does not exceed 7 m, which makes it easier to use it by assault units. The DZJ-08 grenade launcher ensures guaranteed penetration of a concrete wall up to 500 mm thick. For safe firing in a confined space, the grenade launcher uses a counter-mass that compensates for the recoil and reduces the effect of the jet stream. For a safe launch, a room with dimensions of 2, 5x2, 5x2, 5 m is required, which makes the grenade launcher convenient for battles in urban environments. The cocking of the grenade fuse occurs 10 m after departure from the barrel, but the minimum safe firing distance is at least 25 m.
When fired from the DZJ-08, an interesting visual effect is observed - the photo shows that the red-hot powder gases are shining through the fiberglass barrel.
The relative weakness of 80-mm cumulative grenades was the reason for the creation in the PRC of the 120-mm PF-98 grenade launcher. Serial production of this weapon began in 1999, and currently the PF-98 in the first line has supplanted Type 69 grenade launchers and 80-mm Type 78 recoilless guns. At the beginning of the 21st century, 120-mm PF-98 grenade launchers in the anti-tank platoons of the battalion link were the 105-mm Type 75 recoilless guns installed on Beijing BJ2020S jeeps were finally replaced.
The PF-98 grenade launcher is intended for use in battalion and company levels. The body weight of the grenade launcher is about 10 kg. Weight in firing position - 29 kg. Weapon length - 1191 mm. The fiberglass barrel has a resource of at least 200 rounds. Combat rate of fire - up to 6 rds / min. Calculation - 3 people, if necessary, one soldier can service the gun, but the rate of fire in this case is reduced to 2 rds / min.
The grenade launchers, used as a battalion anti-tank weapon, are equipped with a laser rangefinder and a ballistic computer, the information from which is displayed on a small-sized display. For aiming at the target, an optical 4x sight with a night channel is used, which ensures the detection of a tank in the dark at a distance of 500 m.
Company flight grenade launchers are equipped with night optics with a range of 300 m, but lack a ballistic computer and a laser rangefinder. The guns used as a battalion anti-tank weapon are mounted on a tripod mount, and company grenade launchers are fired from the shoulder. For better stability, the front support is usually used.
Shooting is carried out with cumulative tandem and universal cumulative fragmentation shots. According to information published in Chinese sources, a tandem cumulative grenade weighing 7.5 kg leaves the barrel at a speed of 310 m / s, and has an effective firing range of up to 800 m (effective range no more than 400 m). After overcoming dynamic protection, it is capable of normal penetration of 800 mm homogeneous armor. The cumulative fragmentation grenade, weighing 6, 3 kg, has a firing range at area targets of up to 2000 m. The universal grenade is equipped with steel balls, which ensures the defeat of manpower within a radius of 25 from the point of explosion. When faced with armor at right angles, the HEAT grenade is capable of penetrating 400 mm of homogeneous armor. In 2018, mass deliveries of lightweight 120-mm PF-98A grenade launchers began. According to information provided by the PLA, the new grenade launcher is 1250 mm long, weighs about 7 kg and uses ammunition from an earlier model.
Talking about the Chinese infantry anti-tank weapons, it would be wrong not to mention the automatic grenade launchers, in the ammunition of which there are shots with cumulative grenades.
The first Chinese automatic grenade launcher was the 35mm QLZ-87. In the 1970s-1980s, the Chinese were able to familiarize themselves with the American 40-mm Mk 19 grenade launchers and the Soviet 30-mm AGS-17. In the late 1980s, Chinese specialists, who had their own view of weapons of this kind, preferred to create a model, albeit inferior to easel automatic grenade launchers in practical rate of fire, but having less weight and dimensions, which in turn allowed the grenade launcher to be serviced by one soldier. Chinese designers abandoned the tape feed mechanism in favor of store-bought food. Ammunition is fed from below from drum magazines with a capacity of 6 or 15 rounds. 6-round drums, as a rule, are used when shooting from a bipod, 15-round when shooting from a machine or equipment.
Military trials of the 35mm QLZ-87 automatic grenade launcher (also known as the Type 87 and W87) began in the late 1980s. The refinement of the weapon continued for approximately another 10 years. The first QLZ-87 grenade launchers entered service with the Chinese garrison in Hong Kong, as well as in a number of units stationed on the shores of the Taiwan Strait.
The grenade launcher, equipped with a bipod, weighs 12 kg, on a tripod - 20 kg. Sighting range - 600 m, maximum - 1750 m. Rate of fire - 500 rds / min. Combat rate of fire - 80 rds / min. The weapon is equipped with a small magnification optical sight, with an illuminated reticle. The sight is moved to the left of the barrel to ensure comfortable shooting with high elevation angles. The ammunition load includes unitary shots with a fragmentation or cumulative grenade. The total mass of the shot is about 250 grams, the muzzle velocity of the grenade is 190-200 m / s. A frag grenade provides destruction of a growth target within a radius of 5 m. A cumulative grenade is normally capable of penetrating 80 mm of armor. Such armor penetration, combined with the high rate of fire of the automatic grenade launcher, makes it possible to confidently fight lightly armored vehicles.
On the basis of the QLZ-87, the 35-mm QLZ-87B (QLB-06) grenade launcher was created, which uses the same ammunition. The widespread use of light alloys in the design of weapons made it possible to reduce the mass to 9, 2 kg. The grenade launcher is equipped with a folding two-legged bipod, attachment to the machine is not provided.
Sights include a front sight and a rear sight, it is also possible to install optical or night sights. Power is supplied from detachable drum magazines with a capacity of 4 or 6 shots, the fire mode is only single shots.
In 2011, the PLA's special units received the QLU-11 35-mm "sniper" grenade launcher (the 40-mm export version is known as the LG5). The developers of this weapon state that when firing a series of three shots, the dispersion of fragmentation grenades at a distance of 600 meters is no more than 1 meter. This means that at a distance of 600 meters with accurate aiming, you can lay three grenades in a row in a typical window of a residential building.
The "sniper" QLU-11 grenade launcher is equipped with a standard electro-optical sight with a laser rangefinder and a ballistic computer, as well as 35-mm high-precision shots with fragmentation and cumulative grenades. Shooting is carried out with single shots, both from folding bipods and from a tripod machine. The mass of the weapon on the bipod is 12, 9 kg, on the machine - 23 kg. Ammunition is fed from detachable drum magazines with a capacity of 3 to 15 rounds.
"Hand-held" 35-mm Chinese-made grenade launchers have a relatively low weight. But at the same time, they cannot compete in terms of fire density with Soviet and American-made automatic grenade launchers. In this regard, on the basis of the QLZ-87 grenade launcher at the beginning of the 21st century, its easel version QLZ-04, adapted for tape feed, was created. The grenade launcher in the field is installed on a tripod machine, however, the designers provided for the possibility of placing it on military equipment and vehicles, patrol and landing boats, as well as helicopters.
The mass of the grenade launcher on the machine without a cartridge box is 24 kg. The weapon is powered by ammunition from a non-scattering metal tape. The standard capacity of the tape, placed in a removable box, is 30 shots. Rate of fire: 350-400 rounds / min. The fire is carried out in short bursts or single shots. The 35 mm QLZ-04 grenade launcher does not differ from the QLZ-87 in terms of range of fire and armor penetration.
Concluding the review on modern Chinese infantry anti-tank weapons, which are used by individual fighters, as well as as part of a squad, platoon and company, it can be stated that the People's Liberation Army of China is currently sufficiently saturated with modern anti-tank weapons capable of fighting the most protected armored machines. In the final part of the cycle, dedicated to the anti-tank weapons of the Chinese infantry, we will talk about the portable and transportable anti-tank missile systems available in the PLA.
