Kestrel Rocket
• Type
Individual Shoulder-Launched Weapon System
• Development
The National Chun-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) started to develop the Kestrel
rocket in 2008. In the beginning of the development, in order to satisfy the operational demands of
the Marine Corps and the Army based on the mountainous and coastal terrain in Taiwan, the research
team had studied and compared various anti-armor rockets in the world, such as AT4, Apilas and
SMAW, and finally decided to develop a light, robust and portable individual weapon to engage
medium to light armored vehicles.
The weapon system had been examined and verified in eleven critical tests from 2009 to 2012 and
the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) was successfully accomplished in 2013. It has
been proven that the Kestrel rocket meets all the requirements of adverse operational conditions
and all-weather operations.
In addition to the armor-piercing warhead, the research team also started to develop the High
Explosive Squash Head (HESH) warhead in 2012. The HESH warhead was expected to provide the
operational capability against the bunkers, buildings and fortifications to the light and support forces
in urban and position warfare. The HESH warhead had been tested for four times and proven to have
the capability of destroying the brick walls and reinforced-concrete.
• Description
The Kestrel rocket is an individual shoulder-launched weapon with two different applications for
“anti-armor” and “concrete-penetration”. It provides the capabilities against armored vehicles
and fortifications to the light and support forces. It also provides sufficient attacking fire in the
buildings and bunkers of urban and position warfare. The Kestrel rocket satisfies the demand of
all-weather operations and greatly enhances an individual’s survivability in the battlefield. It is also
useful to an individual solider in the mobile or spot sniping operation.
• Specifications
The weapon has a length of 1.1 meter and a weight of 5 kg and its caliber is 67 mm. It has two types
of warheads: HEAT and HESH.
• High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT)
1.Effective range: 400 meters
2.Penetration depth of armor: 35 centimeters
• High Explosive Squash Head (HESH):
1.Effective range: over 150 meters
2.Penetration depth and diameter of bricks wall: 30 / up to 90 centimeters
3.Penetration depth and diameter of reinforced concrete: 20 / up to 60 centimeters
• Status
The Kestrel rocket has been manufactured and employed for the R.O.C. Marine Corps since 2015.