Munitions

Hand grenade

Also known as
  • hand-thrown grenade
  • grenade payload
  • grenade drop payload

Hand grenade is a compact, hand-thrown explosive munition family that includes fragmentation, smoke, incendiary, stun, riot-control, and blast-overpressure designs. U.S. Army grenade manuals describe the family as a close-range soldier munition, while recent Russia-Ukraine and 2023 Israel-Hamas War reporting documents hand grenades being repurposed as commercial-quadcopter drop payloads.

Hand grenade, Hand-thrown explosive grenade family, Munitions
Image source: File:Hand grenade.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Multiple countries
Type
Hand-thrown explosive grenade family
Service note
Modern examples documented in 2022-present drone-drop and infantry use

Specifications

Role
Compact short-range explosive, smoke, incendiary, stun, or riot-control payload family
Delivery
Thrown by hand or adapted for small-UAS release hardware
Fuze delay
Common U.S. M67/M111-type delay is 4.0 to 5.5 seconds after safety-lever release
Representative effects
Fragmentation, smoke/obscuration, incendiary, blast overpressure, riot-control, stun, or training effect
Representative fragmentation body
M67 uses a 2.5-inch steel sphere with about 5.5 ounces of Composition B
Drone carriage
Mavic-type drop drones and Autel EVO-family quadcopters have been documented carrying hand-grenade payloads
Hand Grenade Effect Families

The hand-grenade family is better understood by effect than by a single specification. Army material separates lethal fragmentation, incendiary, smoke, riot-control, stun, and blast-overpressure examples with different tactical uses.

Effect familyRepresentative examplesTypical use
FragmentationM67 and F1-style defensive grenadesClose-combat anti-personnel effects through high-velocity fragments.
Smoke and obscurantM18 colored smoke grenadesScreening, signaling, and landing-zone marking.
IncendiaryAN-M14 TH3Damaging equipment, vehicles, weapons systems, shelters, or munitions.
Blast overpressureM111 Offensive Hand GrenadeEnclosed or restricted terrain where lethal fragments are not desired.
Riot-control, stun, and practiceCS, stun, and training grenadesCrowd control, disorientation, and training with reduced or specialized effects.

Sources: FM 3-23.30 Grenades and Pyrotechnic Signals; Army Lethal Hand Grenades; Army Smoke Grenades; Army approves M111, first new lethal hand grenade since 1968.

Variants

This family page covers hand-thrown grenade classes and links to more specific catalog records where they already exist.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Fragmentation hand grenade, Fragmentation hand grenade, Infantry WeaponsFragmentation hand grenadeAnti-personnel fragmentation grenade

Army material describes the M67 as a fragmentation grenade for close combat, and CTC identifies F1-style fragmentation hand grenades among larger Mavic drop-drone payloads.

Sources: Army Lethal Hand Grenades, Moving Targets: Implications of the Russo-Ukrainian War for Drone Terrorism

Smoke hand grenade, Hand-thrown smoke grenade, Infantry WeaponsSmoke hand grenadeScreening and signaling grenade

Army smoke-grenade material describes M18-style hand grenades used for signaling, landing-zone marking, and screening.

Sources: Army Smoke Grenades

M111 Offensive Hand GrenadeBlast-overpressure offensive grenade

The Army cleared the M111 for Full Material Release in 2026 as the Mk3A2 replacement and describes it as a blast-overpressure option for enclosed or restricted terrain.

Sources: Army approves M111, first new lethal hand grenade since 1968

AN-M14 TH3 Incendiary Hand GrenadeIncendiary grenade

Army lethal-grenade material lists the AN-M14 TH3 as a thermate-filled incendiary grenade for damaging equipment, vehicles, weapons systems, shelters, or munitions.

Sources: Army Lethal Hand Grenades

Carrier Drones

Recent conflicts show hand grenades used both as soldier-thrown munitions and as improvised payloads for small commercial quadcopters.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
DJI Mavic series, Commercial quadcopter UAV, Aircraft & UAVsDJI Mavic seriesCommercial quadcopter UAV

CTC describes Mavic-type drop drones in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War carrying hand grenades and larger grenade payloads, with both sides later fielding more specialized drone munitions.

Sources: Moving Targets: Implications of the Russo-Ukrainian War for Drone Terrorism

Autel weaponized quadcopter, Weaponized commercial quadcopter drone, Aircraft & UAVsAutel weaponized quadcopterCommercial quadcopter UAV

+972 Magazine reported that Israeli soldiers in Gaza used Autel EVO drones fitted with an iron-ball attachment that let a hand grenade be affixed and dropped with a button press.

Sources: Israel enforcing Gaza evacuations with grenade-firing drones

Timeline

Hand grenade Key Events

  1. Mavic drop-drone use expands in Ukraine

    CTC describes Mavic-type quadcopters in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War becoming drop drones, initially carrying modified 30 mm grenades or hand grenades before both sides expanded custom munition production.

    Sources: Moving Targets: Implications of the Russo-Ukrainian War for Drone Terrorism

  2. Hamas grenade drops reported after 7 October attack

    Defense One reported that Hamas used small commercial drones to drop grenades on tanks, ambulances, border posts, and communication towers during the 7 October attack.

    Sources: Defense One Gaza drone war

  3. Autel grenade-drop use documented in Gaza

    +972 Magazine and Local Call reported that Israeli soldiers in Gaza used Autel EVO drones with an iron-ball attachment to affix and drop hand grenades.

    Sources: Israel enforcing Gaza evacuations with grenade-firing drones

  4. M111 approved for full material release

    The Army cleared the M111 Offensive Hand Grenade for Full Material Release, describing it as the first new lethal hand grenade to reach that milestone since the Mk3A2 in 1968.

    Sources: Army approves M111, first new lethal hand grenade since 1968

Media

Hand grenade Videos

Hand grenade Images

Hand grenade, Hand-thrown explosive grenade family, Munitions - view 1
Source: File:M67 grenade.jpg
Hand grenade, Hand-thrown explosive grenade family, Munitions - view 2
Source: File:M111 Offensive Hand Grenade with pin removed.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
Drone-dropped fragmentation grenade, Improvised grenade-drop tactic using a commercial UAV, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsDrone-dropped fragmentation grenadeImprovised grenade-drop tactic using a commercial UAVDrone-dropped fragmentation grenade is a field-adapted strike method that uses commercial quadcopters or similar small UAVs to release hand grenades or comparable fragmentation charges. Reporting from Ukraine and Gaza ties the method to improvised battlefield use by multiple sides, while a 2025 U.S. Army test with a Skydio X10D, an Audible dropper, and an M67 grenade shows the same concept moving into formal experimentation.
Smoke hand grenade, Hand-thrown smoke grenade, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsSmoke hand grenadeHand-thrown smoke grenadeThe smoke hand grenade record centers on the U.S. M18 colored smoke grenade and related M83 TA smoke hand grenade, hand-thrown pyrotechnic munitions used for signaling, landing-zone or target marking, and short-duration screening. Army data lists green, yellow, red, and violet M18 variants, 50-to-90-second smoke duration, and a 30-meter throw range; DoD aid reporting also documents M18 smoke hand grenades among Presidential Drawdown Authority assistance for Ukraine.
Rifle grenades, Rifle-launched grenade family, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsRifle grenadesRifle-launched grenade familyRifle grenades are a broad family of grenades projected from service rifles by rod, cup, spigot, muzzle-device, bullet-trap, or shoot-through launch methods. World War I examples extended infantry grenade reach with explosive, smoke, signal, message, and emerging anti-tank payloads, while postwar HEAT designs such as the British No. 94 Energa and U.S. M31 used shaped charges for short-range anti-armor fire. The cataloged conflict record spans rifle-launched use, recovered ammunition, and modern reuse of rifle-grenade munitions as drone payloads in Myanmar and Ukraine.
Molotov cocktails, Hand-thrown improvised incendiary weapon, MunitionsMunitionsMolotov cocktailsHand-thrown improvised incendiary weaponMolotov cocktails are hand-thrown improvised incendiary weapons built around a breakable container and ignition source, but wartime examples range from ad hoc bottles to semi-standardized military incendiary grenades. The cataloged conflict record now spans U.S. Marine use during Fallujah house-clearing in the 2003 Iraq War, IS-aligned militant use against Philippine troops in Marawi, and Ukrainian volunteer production and distribution during the 2022 full-scale Russian invasion.

Sources

FM 3-23.30 Grenades and Pyrotechnic SignalsPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports general hand grenade background, close-combat use, and the manual's descriptions of fragmentation, smoke, riot-control, stun, and other grenade classes. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Army Lethal Hand GrenadesPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports M67, AN-M14 TH3, and M111 lethal hand grenade background, including representative body, fill, fuze, and effect-family context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Army Smoke GrenadesPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports M18 smoke hand grenade background, smoke colors, duration, throw range, and signaling, landing-zone marking, and screening uses. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Moving Targets: Implications of the Russo-Ukrainian War for Drone TerrorismPublisher: Combating Terrorism Center at West Point | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct-use: Mavic-type drop drones used by Ukrainian and Russian forces carried hand grenades and larger grenade payloads during the conflict. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Defense One Gaza drone warPublisher: Defense One | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct-use: Hamas used small commercial drones to drop grenades during the 7 October 2023 attack. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Israel enforcing Gaza evacuations with grenade-firing dronesPublisher: +972 Magazine | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct-use and the Gaza grenade-drop relationship by documenting Israeli soldiers using Autel EVO drones fitted with an attachment that let a hand grenade be affixed and dropped with a button press. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Army approves M111, first new lethal hand grenade since 1968Publisher: DVIDS / Picatinny Arsenal | Note: Supports M111 Offensive Hand Grenade background, Full Material Release date, Mk3A2 replacement context, blast-overpressure role, and relationship to the M67 fragmentation grenade. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Know Your Tasks: Hand GrenadePublisher: DVIDS / U.S. Army Reserve Command | Note: Supports official U.S. Army Reserve hand-grenade training-video context and the YouTube embed metadata date. | Accessed: 2026-06-29File:Hand grenade.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the primary hand-grenade photograph. | Accessed: 2026-06-29File:M67 grenade.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a representative M67 hand grenade photograph used as a gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-29File:M111 Offensive Hand Grenade with pin removed.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing page for a representative M111 Offensive Hand Grenade photograph used as a gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-29