PF-89

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Type 89 Individual Anti-tank Rocket
Rocket-propelled Grenade (9884856836).jpg
A dissected PF-89 rocket launcher (top) at the China People's Revolution Military Museum in Beijing.
TypeAnti-tank, anti-bunker
Place of originChina
Service history
In service1993–present
Used bySee Users
Production history
DesignerChina North Industries Group Corporation
Designed1980s
ManufacturerNorinco
Produced1989
Specifications
MassTotal: 3.7 kg (8.2 lb)
Length900 mm (2 ft 11 in)
Crew1 (single-use, disposable)
Cartridge80×900 mm rocket-assist grenade
Cartridge weight1.84 kg (4.1 lb)
Caliber80 mm (3.1 in)
ActionSingle-shot
Rate of fire5-7 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity147 m/s (480 ft/s)
Effective firing range100 m (330 ft) to 250 m (820 ft)
Maximum firing range400 m (1,300 ft)
Sightsoptical 1x/2.5x (day sight)

The PF-89 or Type 89 is a portable, disposable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled rocket launcher. Developed by Norinco for People's Liberation Army, PF-89 was designed to replace the obsolete Type 69 RPG, providing a man-portable, single-use assault weapon system that could be used primarily by infantry squads in order to engage and defeat light armor and bunkers.[1]

The design permits accurate delivery of a rocket-propelled 80mm High Explosive Anti-Tank warhead, with negligible recoil. PF-89 entered mass production in 1993, and generally replaced Type 69 RPG in PLA throughout the 1990s.[1] Since 2010, the system is being used alongside with the more advanced Type 08 recoilless gun.[2]

Description[]

The PF-89 is a lightweight, self-contained, anti-armor weapon comparable to the Swedish AT4 (U.S. Designation M136). Unlike AT4, PF-89 is a rocket-propelled weapon instead of a recoilless gun which by design is more similar to M72 LAW and RPG-26. The weapon consists of a free-flight, fin-stabilized, rocket-propelled cartridge packed in a one-piece, one-off, fiberglass-wrapped tube.[3]

It is man-portable and is fired from the right shoulder only. The launcher is watertight for ease of transportation and storage. The PF-89 has a simple 2.5x, 12° field of view optical sight for aiming, with no night combat capability.[4]

The firer must be able to see and identify the target and estimate the range to it. The round of ammunition is self-contained in a disposable launch tube. The system weighs only eight pounds and can be utilized effectively with minimal training.[1]

However, the problem of back blast became prominent after the Army adopted the PF-89. Collateral damage is especially concerning for PLA that utilizes motorized infantry fighting tactics. China developed the Type 08 multipurpose recoilless gun with countermass balance mechanism to replace the PF-89, especially the multipurpose PF89A variant.[2]

Variants[]

The PF-89 has six variants with each variant corresponding to a specific type of ammunition. The earliest variant, simply called PF-89, uses high-explosive double shaped charges (with 8701 explosives) to achieve 628mm of RHA penetration at 90° angle in the static test. In kinetic test, the RHA penetration is more than 400mm at 0° angle or 180mm at 68° angle.[4][5]

The second variant, PF-89A, employs specialized multipurpose incendiary rounds. The multipurpose round can penetrate 300 mm of reinforced concrete, and release steel fragments and zirconium-based incendiary composition to kill targets, light up wood, fabric upon impact.[1][4]

The third variant, PF-89B or PF-89-1, utilizes tandem-charged high-explosive anti-tank warheads to improve penetration against reactive armour.[3][5]

The WPF-89-1 is the thermobaric version of the PF-89. WPF-89-1 is reusable, but did not see much use due to the complicated reload process, thus China developed improved single-use WPF-89-2 in 2003.[6]

A training replica version is also available for operation practice.[3]

PF-89 Variants
Designation PF-89 PF-89A PF-89B WPF-89-1[3] WPF-89-2
Ammo type High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) Multipurpose incendiary HEAT tandem-charge Thermobaric HEAT/thermobaric tandem-charge
Cartridge diameter 80mm 80mm 80mm 80mm 80mm
Cartridge weight 1.84kg 2.35kg 2.5kg >4kg >4kg
Launcher weight 1.85kg 1.85kg 1.85kg 1.85kg 1.85kg
Full mass 3.7kg 4.2kg 4.7kg 6.5kg 6.5kg
Length 900mm 900mm 900mm 900mm 900mm
Length w/o cover 880mm 880mm 880mm 880mm 880mm
Zeroing 200 metres (660 ft) 180 metres (590 ft) N/A N/A N/A
Sight range 400 metres (1,300 ft) 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) N/A 850 metres (2,790 ft) 850 metres (2,790 ft)
Penetration 628mm/90°
>400mm/0°
180mm/65° 		20mm/65° Higher than PF-89 N/A N/A
Velocity 147 m/s (480 ft/s) 147 m/s (480 ft/s) 140 m/s (460 ft/s) 120 m/s (390 ft/s) 120 m/s (390 ft/s)

Users[]

Non-State Actors[]

  •  Libya: WPF 89-2s used by Fajr Libya[8]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d "PF-89 Single use anti-tank rocket launcher". Military Today.
  2. ^ a b "DZJ-08". Military Today.
  3. ^ a b c d "成熟适用的PF89式80毫米系列单兵火箭筒". NetEase News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 29 June 2011.
  4. ^ a b c "成熟适用的PF89式80毫米系列单兵火箭筒 (2)". NetEase News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 30 June 2011.
  5. ^ a b "PF-89". Gun's World (in Chinese). 10 September 2004.
  6. ^ "WPF-89-1". Military Today.
  7. ^ https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/171425/SIPRIPP38.pdf
  8. ^ "Saisie d'armes à El Oued: l'empreinte de Fadjr libya". menadefense.net. 11 March 2016.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""