Doug sent me this article that he found on Strategy Page. The round sounds pretty brutal, and the range is pretty amazing as well. That sucks that they are turning up in Afghanistan now. I imagine that enough of these munitions launched at the same time, could be a pretty effective tactic to initiate an ambush. And 1500 meter range makes it an interesting stand-off/indirect weapon as well. Bouncing death, made in China–damn. –Head Jundi
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Bouncing Death From China
August 20, 2008: Chinese made Airburst anti-personnel RPG rockets have been discovered in Afghanistan, after first being encountered in Iraq, where they were used by Iranian supported Shia rebels. The Chinese made RPG rocket is optimized for anti-personnel effect. To accomplish that, the shell bounces up about six feet, after first hitting the ground. Then the 5.7 pound warhead explodes, releasing hundreds of metal fragments. Casualties can be caused nearly fifty feet away. Because the warhead explodes in the air, and is full of metal fragments, it is more than three times as likely to kill or injure than the usual RPG warhead (which is designed to penetrate armor). The “Airburst Anti-Personnel” rocket also has a longer range (over 1,500 meters, more than twice that for the anti-armor rocket).
Iran buys these rockets from China, or maybe even makes its own copies. Iran denies supplying weapons to the Taliban or al Qaeda (which are violently opposed to the Shia brand of Islam practiced throughout Iran and southern Iraq.) But in the past, Iran has aided al Qaeda, and Iranian gunrunners will sell weapons to anyone who can pay.
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Type 69 40mm Airburst Anti-Personnel High-Explosive (HE) Grenade
This variant was developed specifically for anti-personnel purpose. This round works in a similar way to the bouncing anti-personnel fragmentation mines. On impact, the grenade bounces off the ground 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. The airburst is much more effective than typical blast warheads especially toward entrenched troops.
Sino Defence Link