The is a
rifle grenade
A rifle grenade is a grenade that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than would be possible if the grenade were thrown by hand.
The practice of projecting grenades with rifle-mounted launchers was first widely used du ...
used by the
JGSDF
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
. It can be launched from the
Howa Type 89
The , referred to as the , is a Japanese assault rifle used by the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Japan Coast Guard's Special Security Team units, and the Special Assault Team. It has never been exported outside Japan due to its strict Japanes ...
or
Howa Type 64
The , is a Japanese battle rifle used exclusively by the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Japanese Coast Guard. It is a gas-operated, selective fire weapon which is chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO round and uses a detachable 20-round box ...
rifles without other attachments.
History
The JGSDF did not adopt the US-made
M203 grenade launcher
The M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the high-low propulsion system to keep recoil force ...
for general use after a thorough examination.
Development of the Type 06 rifle grenade began in 1998 by the JGSDF Ground Research and Development Command after evaluations were done in 2001 and in 2005.
The Type 06 was finished and adopted by the JGSDF in 2006, being manufactured by Daikin Industries under its Defense Systems Division.
The Type 06 had been fired first in exercises done by the JGSDF's 3rd Mechanized Infantry Regiment. It has been subsequently shown in various war game exercises.
Description
The grenade does not need a launching attachment, because it was designed for riflemen and not for grenadiers. However, a simplified aiming sight can be attached.
It contains a
HEAT
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is al ...
warhead for defeating tank armor. It is also equipped with a built-in time fuse for safety upon failure of the contact fuse.
See also
*
Rifle grenade
A rifle grenade is a grenade that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than would be possible if the grenade were thrown by hand.
The practice of projecting grenades with rifle-mounted launchers was first widely used du ...
References
{{commons category, Type 06 rifle grenade
Anti-tank grenades
Post–Cold War weapons of Japan
Rifle grenades
Grenades of Japan
Daikin