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 mainly by infantry squads to engage and defeat light armor and bunkers.^[1]

The design permits accurate delivery of a rocket-propelled 80mm high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) 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 along with the more advanced Type 08 recoilless gun.^[2]

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 ability.^[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 used 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 uses 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]

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, uses tandem-charge 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 complex 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]

•  Cambodia: Used by the Cambodian Army.^[7]
•  China: People's Liberation Army

• PF-98 – (People's Republic of China)
• DZJ-08 – (People's Republic of China)
• M72 LAW – (Norway)
• AT4 – (Sweden)
• RPG-26 – (Soviet Union)
• Kestrel – (Taiwan)