PF-89
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 used primarily by infantry squads in order to engage and defeat light armor and bunkers. The design permits accurate delivery of an 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 1990s. Since 2010, the system is being used alongside with the more advanced Type 08 recoilless gun.
| Type 89 Individual Anti-tank Rocket | |
|---|---|
| Type | Anti-tank, anti-bunker |
| Place of origin | China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1993–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Production history | |
| Designer | China North Industries Group Corporation |
| Designed | 1980s |
| Manufacturer | Norinco |
| Produced | 1989 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Total: 3.7 kg (8.2 lb) |
| Length | 900 mm (2 ft 11 in) |
| Crew | 1 (single-use, disposable) |
| Cartridge | 80×900 mm rocket-assist grenade |
| Cartridge weight | 1.84 kg (4.1 lb) |
| Caliber | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Action | Single-shot |
| Rate of fire | 5-7 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 147 m/s (480 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 100 m (330 ft) to 250 m (820 ft) |
| Maximum firing range | 400 m (1,300 ft) |
| Sights | optical 1x/2.5x (day sight) |
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-stabilised, rocket-propelled cartridge packed in a one-piece, one-off, fiberglass-wrapped tube. 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 optical sight for aiming, with no night combat capability. 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.
However, the problem of back blast became prominent after Army adopted PF-89. Collateral damage is especially concerning for PLA that utilizes motorized infantry fighting tactics. China developed Type 08 multipurpose recoilless gun with countermass balance mechanism to replace the PF-89.
Variants
The PF-89 has three variants with each variant corresponding to a specific type of ammunition. The earliest variant, simply called PF-89, uses high-explosive rounds. The second variant, PF-89A, employs specialized multipurpose incendiary rounds. The multipurpose round can penetrate 300 mm of reinforced concert with the ability to light up wood, fabric upon impact. The third variant, PF-89B, utilize tandem-charge high-explosive rounds to improve penetration against reactive armour.[1][2] The WPF-89-1 is the thermometric version of the PF-89. WPF-89-1 did not see much use because the shortcoming it has, thus China developed improved WPF-89-2 in 2003.[3]
| Designation | PF-89 | PF-89A | PF-89B | WPF-89-1 | WPF-89-2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammo type | High-explosive | Multipurpose incendiary | High-explosive tandem-charge | Thermometric | Thermometric tandem-charge |
| Cartridge diameter | 80mm | 80mm | 80mm | 80mm | 80mm |
| Cartridge weight | 1.84kg | 2.35kg | 2.5kg | 2.15kg | >2.15kg |
| Launcher weight | 1.85kg | 1.85kg | 1.85kg | 1.85kg | 1.85kg |
| Full mass | 3.7kg | 4.2kg | 4.7kg | 4kg | >4kg |
| 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 | 400 metres (1,300 ft) | 800 metres (2,600 ft) |
| Penetration | 180mm/65° | 20mm/65° | 300mm/65° | 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
Cambodia: Used by the Cambodian Army.[4]
China: People's Liberation Army
Libya: WPF 89-2s used by Fajr Libya[5]
References
- "PF-89". Gun's World (in Chinese). 10 September 2004.
- "PF-89 Single use anti-tank rocket launcher". Military Today.
- "WPF-89-1". Military Today.
- https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/171425/SIPRIPP38.pdf
- "Saisie d'armes à El Oued: l'empreinte de Fadjr libya". menadefense.net. 11 March 2016.
External links
- PF-89 at SinoDefence