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Rare Mk14 Anti-Structure Grenades & Scalable Offensive Hand Grenade In Ukraine

One of the rarer hand grenades to surface in Ukraine is the US Mk14 Anti-Structure grenade. These were developed by the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, back in the 2000s.

The Mk 14 Mod 0 Anti-Structural Munition Hand Grenade has been primarily used by USSOCOM. It is reportedly a Thermobaric Fuel-Air-Explosive Blast (FAE-Blast), hand grenade with a longer duration HE-Blast pressure curve.

The ASM has a thin-walled aluminium body with a main charge filler of PBXN-109 and a PBXN-114 booster. The grenade body is black with three knurled bands with a yellow band at the top and two sticker labels which read: “HE Overpressure Grenade, NEW 0.88 lbs. Fuze 4.5 sec”.

Mk 14 Mod 0 Anti-Structural Munition Hand Grenade (via Social Media)

Using the principle of overpressure the ASM, much like the US Army’s new M111 grenade, reduces the risk of friendly casualties due to fragmentation during close combat. In enclosed areas the grenade creates concussion effects and can be used for for blast or demolition tasks. It has a M213-type fuze with a 3-5 second delay, though the stickers seen on the grenades state 4.5 seconds

The available evidence of Mk14 ASM presence in Ukraine is extremely slim. To date, I have only come across a handful of images of the grenades, which were reportedly taken in Ukraine. The individuals who have shared imagery of the grenades have predominantly been associated with Ukrainian special operations units.

Another extremely rare offensive hand grenade seen in Ukraine is the Nammo Scalable Offensive Hand Grenade (SOHG – HGO115M-3.5). The SOHG is a modular grenade with a plastic body packed with either Comp B filling (115g) or PBXN-11 filling (130g). It has a male-female screw interface moulded into the body that allows up to three modules (which can all be used individually) to be screwed together. This allows the system to be scaled to the target its engaging or the space its being used in – Nammo say one equals a concussion grenade, two creates enough overpressure to kill anyone in a average space and the cumulative effect of three modules provides a small scale anti-structure capability. According to Nammo the SOHG modules with a fuze weigh 230g while the modules without fuze weight 190g.

Nammo Scalable Offensive Hand Grenade (via Social Media)

Designated the MK21 Mod 0 in US service, SOCOM have been using them since 2010 and the US Marine Corps purchased some in 2024. Unlike the Mk 14 Mod 0 it is not a thermobaric grenade. The first sighting of them in Ukraine came in July 2024, when a Russian telegram channel posted a short video showing some of the weapons captured from Ukrainian units by a reconnaissance unit with Russia’s Tsentr (Center) battlegroup.

In November 2024, when a Russian telegram channel focused on Sapper and EOD activities shared photos of a base unit and an additional module. It’s unclear if these are captured examples or they are images pulled from the internet to illustrate the post.

Most recently, in May 2025, a pair of SOHGs were captured by Russian forces, each was captured with its own fuze, configured for individual use. All of the grenades seen in the imagery have the lot number VR123L001-002 and an NSN which denotes they are filled with Composition B. Given the presence of the Finnish National Codification Bureau number, ’58’, in the NSN, the grenades were likely provided by Finland.

Thanks to AbraxasSpa and Helvegen29 for thier help collecting imagery.

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Taiwan’s Hellfire Truck

On 14 August, Taiwan’s Military News Agency YouTube channel, run by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, shared a video update on new technologies including Taiwan’s new Cheetah IFV, drones and new T112 rifles. Another system showcased briefly was a commercial truck mounted with a Hellfire twin rail firing post.

The video shows what appears to be a commercial Isuzu truck being outfitted with a firing post and sensor system. The Hellfire Truck has been developed by the 209th Arsenal of Taiwan’s Armaments Bureau.

(Taiwan Ministry of National Defense)

The development comes as Taiwan seeks conventional and asymmetrical methods of countering a potential Chinese invasion. Taiwan’s Hellfires are normally launched from Cobra and Apache attack helicopters but the new truck-mount may allow them to be used if Taiwan’s attack helicopters are suppressed by Chinese air defences. It also provides a new mobile method of utilising the missiles from the ground.

Alongside the firing post the truck also has what is likely a small radar and a sensor turret with electro-optical and infrared cameras and perhaps a laser designator. This is mounted on a telescoping mast which raises out of the roof of the truck’s cargo area.

In the video we are shown the mounting of the mast base and an A-frame to hold the Hellfire rail, before Taiwanese troops are seen loading and firing a AGM-114L LongBow Hellfire. The AGM-114L has a 20lbs or 9kg tandem shaped charge high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT). It uses a fire and forget millimeter-wave (MMW) radar seeker guidance system. The footage shows the missile being fired at a shipping container floating off-shore – this potentially simulates the engagement of a PLA-Navy landing craft.

(Taiwan Ministry of National Defense)

The Taiwanese development is reminiscent of the commercial vans equipped with Hellfire-derived Brimstone missiles seen in Ukraine. We have previously covered these Brimstone-launch platforms in a number of article/videos. The Brimstone vans seen in Ukraine were developed by the UK to provide a mobile launch platform for using Brimstone as as a surface to surface missile. While Hellfire isn’t as sophisticated as Brimstone the laser guided and millimeter-wave radar-guided Hellfire variants can be used effectively against ground or naval targets. In a brief to-camera segment Colonel Su, with the 209th Arsenal, notes that “during launch, we may need to modify the firing logic to ensure accurate impact,” adding that “this is a key technical challenge we must overcome” suggesting the targeting process for the system is still being refined.

(Taiwan Ministry of National Defense)

The concealability and mobility provided by a truck-based system may allow Taiwanese forces to rapidly move to threatened coastal areas and quickly engage enemy vessels or landed enemy vehicles or positions. The system also has the benefit of being comparatively cheap to produce, with the sensor suite and missiles being the most expensive elements of the system. Colonel Su notes that “the vehicle-mounted missile system is designed for asymmetric warfare” and as such is somewhat easy to conceal within an urban area.

(Taiwan Ministry of National Defense)

It’s unclear if Taiwan was inspired by Ukraine’s Brimstone vans but given the threat Taiwan faces the ability to think outside the box and deploy asymmetric assets alongside conventional ones will be essential.

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