Rare Chinese LG5 Grenade Launcher Spotted in Yemen Proxy Fight

Footage circulating out of Yemen shows forces aligned with the Presidential Leadership Council using a Chinese-made automatic grenade launcher against Houthi positions, a detail that points toward Saudi Arabia as the likely source of the hardware.

Snapshot

American Partisan, citing a post from the account War Noir, reports that PLC-aligned fighters were photographed firing a Norinco LG5 automatic grenade launcher at Ansar Allah (Houthi) positions. The LG5 is the 40mm export variant of China's QLU-11 weapon system, and War Noir's post flags it as "very rare" in this theater while suggesting Saudi Arabia probably supplied it.

Key points

• The weapon: The Norinco LG5 is identified as the 40mm export version of the Chinese QLU-11 automatic grenade launcher.
• Who's using it: Forces tied to Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council were seen employing the launcher against Houthi positions.
• Supply chain inference: War Noir's post states the LG5 was "very likely supplied by Saudi Arabia," though the article presents this as an inference rather than confirmed fact.
• Rarity factor: The source post specifically calls out the LG5's appearance as unusual, underscoring that this is not a commonly photographed weapon system in the Yemen conflict.
• Attribution: NC Scout, writing for American Partisan, built the piece around War Noir's original social media post and imagery rather than independent reporting.

Quick take

This is a short, image-driven item rather than a deep dive, but it's a useful data point for anyone tracking how Chinese-origin small arms and crew-served weapons are showing up in Gulf-backed proxy conflicts. The QLU-11/LG5 platform itself is worth knowing: a 40mm automatic grenade launcher built for sustained suppressive fire, and its appearance in PLC hands suggests Saudi arms pipelines are broader than just Western-sourced gear.

Read the full story: americanpartisan.org