Infantry Weapons

Type 69 RPG Launcher

The Type 69 RPG is a Chinese NORINCO-built derivative of the Soviet RPG-7, using a reusable 40 mm launch tube and 85 mm rocket warheads. In the Boko Haram Insurgency archive, it appears as captured light anti-armor firepower: a Small Arms Survey assessment of the June 2016 Bosso attack identified RPG-type launchers including Type 69 among the weapons taken by Boko Haram after fighters used RPG-7-pattern launchers in the assault.

Boko Haram InsurgencyBoko Haram and ISWAP

Conflict side: Boko Haram and ISWAP
Built by: NORINCO
Built in: China

Type 69 RPG Launcher, Reusable shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenade launcher, Infantry Weapons

Image source: Type 69 RPG at Philippine Army 122nd Anniversary Caravan, cropped

Profile

Type: Reusable shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenade launcher
Conflict side: Boko Haram and ISWAP
Origin: China
Service note: Cold War design with continuing use in irregular and state arsenals

portable anti-tank rpg

Service History

In service: Introduced in the 1970s; exported and retained in multiple arsenals
Used by: Boko Haram factions, People's Liberation Army, Foreign operators of Chinese RPG-7-pattern launchers
Wars: Boko Haram Insurgency

Production History

Designer: NORINCO
Designed: Approved in 1970 after Chinese reverse engineering of the RPG-7 pattern
Built by: NORINCO
Built in: China
Produced: 1970s-1980s for the basic Type 69, followed by improved Type 69-I production
Variants: Type 69, Type 69-I, Type 69-II and Type 69-III HEAT rocket families

Specifications

Crew: One operator; a second crew member can carry and reload rockets
Caliber: 40 mm launch tube with 85 mm rocket warheads
Length: 910 mm launcher
Weight: 5.6 kg launcher
Effective range: About 200 m against point targets; roughly 600 m maximum reach depending on rocket and conditions
Sights: Integral iron sights with optional optical, infrared, or night-vision sights
Ammunition: Single-shot reusable launcher firing Type 69-series HEAT, HE/HEAT, anti-personnel, smoke, incendiary, and tandem-warhead rockets

Conflict Usage

Boko Haram Insurgency: Side: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Captured infantry anti-armor and raid fire supportanti-tank strike
Boko Haram fighters used RPG-7-pattern rocket launchers during the June 2016 attack on the Bosso military camp in Niger; Small Arms Survey video analysis listed stolen RPG-type launchers including Type 69 among the materiel taken.

Type 69 RPG Launcher Images

Type 69 RPG Launcher, Reusable shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenade launcher, Infantry Weapons - view 1 — Source: Type 69 RPG at Philippine Army 122nd Anniversary Caravan, cropped

Type 69 RPG Launcher, Reusable shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenade launcher, Infantry Weapons - view 2 — Source: Geronimo paratroopers train with Bangladesh Army

Type 69 RPG Launcher, Reusable shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenade launcher, Infantry Weapons - view 3 — Source: Defense.gov News Photo 040903-M-1947M-030

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Sources

Type 69 RPG Chinese 85mm Rocket Propelled GrenadePublisher: U.S. Army ODIN Worldwide Equipment Guide | Note: Supports Type 69 RPG background, Chinese origin, NORINCO manufacturer context, and general launcher specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 NORINCO Type 69 Rocket-Propelled Grenade LauncherPublisher: Military Factory | Note: Supports background, NORINCO production, launcher dimensions, caliber, weight, sights, effective range, and variant context. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 At the Crossroads of Sahelian ConflictsPublisher: Small Arms Survey | Note: Boko Haram Insurgency: used by Boko Haram in the June 2016 Bosso attack, where the report describes RPG-7-pattern launchers in the assault and lists stolen RPG-type launchers including Type 69. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Type 69 RPG at Philippine Army 122nd Anniversary Caravan, croppedPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY-SA 4.0 licensing for the cropped Type 69 RPG display photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Geronimo paratroopers train with Bangladesh ArmyPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a public-domain U.S. Army photograph depicting a Bangladesh Army Type 69 RPG. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Defense.gov News Photo 040903-M-1947M-030Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a public-domain U.S. Marine Corps photograph categorized by Wikimedia Commons as Type 69 RPG in Iraqi service. | Accessed: 2026-06-21