Munitions

North Korean F-7 rocket-propelled-grenade projectile

Also known as
  • F-7
  • F-7 HE fragmentation RPG round
  • F-7 HE FRAG RPG round

The North Korean F-7 is a 40 mm HE-fragmentation RPG round for RPG-7-pattern launchers. Small Arms Survey identifies it by its gray warhead, sustainer motor, and Korean markings, while conflict reporting has tied it to Boko Haram-linked materiel and to Hamas use in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, including reuse of its motor section in improvised anti-tank rockets.

North Korean F-7 rocket-propelled-grenade projectile, 40 mm HE-fragmentation RPG round, Munitions
Image source: VOA Israel-Hamas F-7 report

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
North Korea
Type
40 mm HE-fragmentation RPG round
Service note
Contemporary North Korean RPG ammunition documented from 2023 onward.
Unit cost
Not publicly documented

Specifications

Caliber
40 mm
Warhead
HE-fragmentation
Launcher family
RPG-7-pattern launchers
Identification
Gray warhead and sustainer motor with a red band and Korean markings
Pattern
RPG-7 pattern round
Identification Notes

The guide's most useful clues are physical rather than narrative: a gray warhead, a sustainer motor, a red band, and Korean markings.

FeatureDocumented detail
PatternRPG-7 pattern round
Warhead40 mm HE-fragmentation
MarkingsGray warhead and sustainer motor with a red band and Korean markings
Conflict trailListed in Boko Haram materiel reporting, tied by AP to Hamas use on October 7, and later corroborated in VOA and South Korean intelligence reporting on recovered F-7 components and motor reuse in Gaza

Sources: Small Arms Survey North Korean recognition guide; The Management of Lethal Materiel in Conflict Settings; AP Hamas used North Korean F-7; VOA Israel-Hamas F-7 report; VOA F-7 motor reuse report; Yonhap NIS F-7 confirmation; VOA English NIS F-7 confirmation.

Launch Platforms

Small Arms Survey places the F-7 in the RPG-7-pattern family, so the launcher relationship is best read as a compatibility match rather than a separate system.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
RPG-7, Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsRPG-7RPG-7 family launcher

The recognition guide classifies the F-7 as an RPG-7-pattern round, placing it in the RPG-7 launcher family.

Sources: Small Arms Survey North Korean recognition guide

Timeline

North Korean F-7 rocket-propelled-grenade projectile Key Events

  1. Small Arms Survey documents the F-7

    The North Korean recognition guide identifies the F-7 as a 40 mm HE-fragmentation RPG round and notes its gray warhead, sustainer motor, and Korean markings.

    Sources: Small Arms Survey North Korean recognition guide

  2. Hamas uses F-7 rounds in the Oct. 7 attack

    AP and VOA reporting tied seized weapons and Hamas imagery to North Korean F-7 rounds used during the attack on Israel.

    Sources: AP Hamas used North Korean F-7, VOA Israel-Hamas F-7 report

  3. VOA reports rocket-motor reuse in Gaza

    VOA reported that Hamas repurposed F-7 rocket motors into improvised anti-tank rockets, showing the round's motor section as a donor component rather than only a complete munition.

    Sources: VOA F-7 motor reuse report

  4. South Korean intelligence confirms the F-7 assessment

    Yonhap and VOA reported that South Korea's National Intelligence Service agreed with VOA's assessment that Hamas used North Korean F-7 RPG components, while withholding transfer-volume details.

    Sources: Yonhap NIS F-7 confirmation, VOA English NIS F-7 confirmation

Media

North Korean F-7 rocket-propelled-grenade projectile Videos

North Korean F-7 rocket-propelled-grenade projectile Images

North Korean F-7 rocket-propelled-grenade projectile, 40 mm HE-fragmentation RPG round, Munitions - view 1
Source: VOA Israel-Hamas F-7 report
North Korean F-7 rocket-propelled-grenade projectile, 40 mm HE-fragmentation RPG round, Munitions - view 2
Source: VOA Israel-Hamas F-7 report
North Korean F-7 rocket-propelled-grenade projectile, 40 mm HE-fragmentation RPG round, Munitions - view 3
Source: VOA Israel-Hamas F-7 report
Related Weapon Systems
RPG-7, Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsRPG-7Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcherThe RPG-7 is a Soviet-origin reusable shoulder-fired rocket launcher built around a simple 40 mm launch tube and a wide family of over-caliber anti-armor, fragmentation, and thermobaric rounds. Its low cost, portability, and large global stock make it a common infantry anti-armor and assault weapon, including documented Ukrainian service, Hamas use in Gaza, ISWAP use in the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, and insurgent use in Afghanistan.
OGi-7MA RPG round, 40 mm high-explosive fragmentation RPG round, MunitionsMunitionsOGi-7MA RPG round40 mm high-explosive fragmentation RPG roundThe OGi-7MA is a Bulgarian 40 mm high-explosive fragmentation round for RPG-7V-family launchers and Arsenal's ATGL-L recoilless guns. Arsenal describes it as an improved, pre-fragmented anti-personnel round with more than 1,250 fragments and AF76 or AF72 point-detonating fuzes, while conflict reporting places it with Boko Haram factions in the Lake Chad basin, Islamic State forces in north-east Syria, and Ukrainian forces around Bakhmut.
RTB-7MA RPG round, 40 mm thermobaric RPG round for RPG-7-family launchers, MunitionsMunitionsRTB-7MA RPG round40 mm thermobaric RPG round for RPG-7-family launchersThe RTB-7MA is a Bulgarian 40/106 mm thermobaric round for RPG-7-family launchers, built around a GTB-7MA warhead, CP-73 booster, SM-71 sustainer motor, and AF-76 point-detonating fuze. Product data frames it as an anti-personnel and anti-materiel round for shelters, fortifications, buildings, light armored vehicles, and automobiles, while open-source reporting places it with Boko Haram- and ISWAP-linked materiel in Nigeria and Ukrainian forces around Bakhmut.
PG-7VL rocket-propelled grenade, RPG-7-compatible HEAT rocket-propelled grenade round, MunitionsMunitionsPG-7VL rocket-propelled grenadeRPG-7-compatible HEAT rocket-propelled grenade roundThe PG-7VL is a Soviet-origin RPG-7-compatible high-explosive anti-tank round, also associated with the Luch designation and PG-7L grenade. Russian and Bulgarian product sources describe a 93 mm warhead, roughly 2.6 kg round weight, 300 m sighting or effective range, and about 500 mm armor penetration; conflict documentation places PG-7VL projectiles in Islamic State and PKK weapons stocks rather than tying them to a named firing incident.

Sources

The Management of Lethal Materiel in Conflict SettingsPublisher: International Peace Information Service / S4 Initiative | Note: 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency: used by or recovered from Boko Haram factions; Table 3 lists the North Korean F-7 HE FRAG RPG round among materiel in service with, or recovered from, Boko Haram factions. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Small Arms Survey North Korean recognition guidePublisher: Small Arms Survey | Note: Identifies the North Korean F-7 RPG round, its 40 mm caliber, HE-fragmentation warhead, RPG-7 pattern, and distinctive markings. | Accessed: 2026-06-20AP Hamas used North Korean F-7Publisher: Associated Press | Note: 2023 Israel-Hamas War: used by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack; AP analysis tied seized weapons and Hamas imagery to North Korean F-7 rounds. | Accessed: 2026-06-20VOA Israel-Hamas F-7 reportPublisher: Voice of America | Note: 2023 Israel-Hamas War: used by Hamas in reporting on the Oct. 7 attack; VOA-hosted photos documented seized F-7 rounds and supported image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-06-20VOA F-7 motor reuse reportPublisher: Voice of America | Note: 2023 Israel-Hamas War: used by Hamas when VOA reported that Hamas repurposed F-7 rocket motors; VOA-hosted images document the recovered weapons and support image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Yonhap NIS F-7 confirmationPublisher: Yonhap News Agency | Note: 2023 Israel-Hamas War: South Korea's National Intelligence Service said its assessment matched VOA reporting that Hamas used North Korean F-7 RPG components and released a photo of a disassembled F-7 part. | Accessed: 2026-07-01VOA English NIS F-7 confirmationPublisher: Voice of America | Note: 2023 Israel-Hamas War: reports South Korean intelligence confirmation of VOA Korean Service photos showing North Korean F-7 RPGs with Korean markings used by Hamas, and summarizes Israeli reporting on recovered F-7 motors reused in improvised anti-tank RPGs. | Accessed: 2026-07-01