The US Army will receive a new M111 hand grenade.
New types of grenades: combat M111 (left) and training M112 (right)
The US Army is adopting the new M111 hand grenade and its training variant. In the foreseeable future, this advanced munition is expected to replace the outdated Mk3A2 grenade, which does not meet modern efficiency and safety requirements. With the newer grenade, soldiers will be able to accomplish all anticipated missions without exposing themselves to risk, including long-term ones.
Objective problems
During combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, US infantry encountered a common problem. It turned out that the available hand grenades were unsuitable for use in built-up areas or confined spaces. While the M67 and Mk3A2 grenades were effective against the enemy, they also posed a danger to their own users.
Thus, the M67 fragmentation grenade proved to be too powerful. Unpredictable shrapnel ricochets occurred. Also, some fragments with excessive energy could penetrate walls and partitions. The Mk3A2 grenade, on the other hand, had a reduced fragmentation effect but produced a significant explosive effect, also potentially dangerous to personnel. Furthermore, fibrous materials such as asbestos were previously used in the manufacture of such grenades.
Thus, the hand grenades in service were effective against the enemy, but they posed unnecessary risks to friendly troops. This included both the potential for injury and long-term health damage. Therefore, as early as the early 2000s, the Pentagon began considering developing a new hand grenade free of these shortcomings.
The long-awaited decision
For various reasons, the start of development of the new grenade was repeatedly postponed. The military department regularly had more pressing programs and plans. Real work in this direction, which yielded the desired results, only began in the second half of the 1910s.
The new grenade was developed by the Army Combat Capabilities Command (DEVCOM) Armament Center at Picatinny Arsenal and the Capabilities Program Executive Ammunition and Energetics (CPE A&E) office. Together, they conducted the necessary research, determined the optimal design for the future grenade, and developed technical documentation.
The new project involved the development of an offensive hand grenade designed for use in open and confined spaces. It was envisioned as a modern replacement for the aging Mk3A2, one that would offer the necessary performance and be safe for the user.
Over the past several years, DEVCOM and CPE A&E have conducted the necessary design work, brought the grenade to testing, and confirmed its performance. Thus, in the early 1920s, the grenade entered military trials. At this stage, the product received the official designation M111. The training version was designated M112.
The M111 and M112 ammunition successfully passed all required tests and satisfied the customer. Over the past few months, the Pentagon has made the relevant decisions and completed the necessary paperwork. On March 10, 2026, the US Army announced that the new ammunition had been cleared for serial production and was authorized for procurement for delivery to combat units.
Grenade in service
Essentially, this is about the adoption of new grenades into service. It is noted that the US Army will receive this new munition for the first time since 1968. Furthermore, the official announcement emphasized the importance of this event, its significant implications for the infantry weapons system, and so on.
In the foreseeable future, industry will manufacture and supply a large number of new grenades to ground forces. This will give the infantry several different types of grenades with distinct capabilities and characteristics. Soldiers will be able to select grenades based on the specifics of the planned combat.
Unlike other weapons, the M111/112 grenade was developed by government agencies—the Pentagon holds full rights to the project. This gives the agency complete discretion when selecting contractors and placing orders.
Technical features
The M111 is an offensive high-explosive hand grenade. It is designed primarily for use in built-up areas or confined spaces. The proper selection of materials and components ensures the desired level of combat performance and safety for friendly troops.
The new grenade features a bottle-shaped plastic body. It has an octagonal prism-shaped main body and a pyramidal top housing the fuse chamber. The exact dimensions of the round have not yet been disclosed. However, the M111 is slightly taller than the M67 fragmentation grenade and shorter than the Mk3A2 high-explosive grenade, but has a similar diameter. It weighs 12,6 ounces (360 g).
The M111 combat grenade body is filled with PAX-3 explosive. The charge weight has not yet been determined. When detonated, the grenade creates a shock wave powerful enough to injure personnel within a radius of several meters. Detonating in a confined space should enhance this effect. The plastic body shatters into small fragments with minimal energy and poses no particular danger.
The new grenade is equipped with the M213 fuse, taken from the M67. This device is a traditional design with a safety lever and a threaded clamp. The pyrotechnic mechanism of the fuse ensures detonation with a delay of up to 4-5 seconds after the lever is released.
The M112 training grenade is similar in appearance and design to the live one. However, it is painted blue instead of olive drab and has corresponding markings. The ballast inside the body corresponds to the propellant weight of the M111 grenade. The fuse used is borrowed from the M69 training grenade.
Non-standard approach
The primary reason for developing new types of weapons is the need to improve their performance characteristics. Furthermore, it is often a matter of replacing weapons that are obsolete in terms of technology, materials, and so on. The recent American project to create a new hand grenade does not fully fall into any of these categories.
The M69 grenade is a training version of the combat M67.
The current M67 and Mk3A2 hand grenades in service with the US Army boast relatively high technical and combat characteristics. Despite their age, they are still suitable for combat. However, experience has shown that these products are not suited to the specific needs of certain missions.
In recent decades, combat in confined spaces has become a common scenario, and the Pentagon has had to take this into account. One response to these new challenges has been the development of an advanced hand grenade with a unique design and a special combination of characteristics.
The M111 and M112 grenades have now completed all stages of development and testing. The Pentagon recently authorized serial production of these grenades, and deliveries of ammunition to combat units of the ground forces are expected to begin in the near future. At the same time, development of a new weapons, and then we can expect the first cases of its combat use.
Thus, Pentagon agencies successfully solved an unusual design challenge and developed a grenade with a unique combination of combat and operational characteristics. Testing at the range was successful, but the M111 still has to demonstrate its capabilities in real-world operations.
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