When China Tried to Copy America’s AT4 — and It Blew Up in Their Faces

When China Tried to Copy America’s AT4 — and It Blew Up in Their Faces tells the explosive true story of China’s failed attempt to reverse-engineer one of America’s simplest yet most effective anti-tank weapons. In 2008, Chinese engineers at NORINCO proudly unveiled their PF-08 AT4 clone, claiming it matched U.S. performance. But during a highly publicized test, the launcher catastrophically exploded, killing one engineer and injuring multiple soldiers.
This documentary-style breakdown exposes the technical fraud, rushed engineering, political pressure, failed propellant chemistry, flawed fiberglass tube construction, dangerous shaped-charge inconsistencies, and the deeper truth China tried to hide: they couldn’t copy even a disposable American weapon.

This video investigates the full timeline — from China stealing AT4 units through underground channels, to the failed reverse-engineering process, to the fatal 2008 explosion, to the internal cover-ups and investigation that revealed manufacturing incompetence, substandard materials, and a desperate Chinese military trying to match American technology without the industrial capability to do so.

If you are looking for military history, U.S. weapons superiority, Cold War technology, defense industry analysis, or China’s failed weapons programs, this is the ultimate breakdown. We analyze:
• How AT4 engineering actually works
• Why the shaped charge demands extreme precision
• Why Chinese propellant chemistry failed
• Why reverse-engineering U.S. weapons isn’t as easy as copying parts
• The political pressure that doomed the PF-08 copy from the start
• How the explosion exposed the truth about Chinese weapons development
• Why America’s engineering remains unmatched in disposable anti-armor systems

This is a deep-dive for YouTube and Google viewers who love defense technology, weapons analysis, China’s military failures, reverse-engineering disasters, and real-world explosions caused by poor design. Watch to understand why America’s AT4 works — and why China’s PF-08 didn’t.



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“Fatal Copy Attempt”

“AT4 Clone Explosion!”

“China’s AT4 Disaster”

“Copied… and BOOM”


#AT4 #MilitaryHistory #ChinaFail #WeaponsExploded #USMilitaryTech