PF-89

Type 89 Individual Anti-tank Rcoket
Type 89 Individual Anti-tank Rcoket
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 (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 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 replaced by more advanced Type 08 recoilless gun.^[1]

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 grenade launcher 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.