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{{Short description|Non/less-lethal weapon used for incapacitation and crowd control purposes}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2021}}

{{Infobox weapon
| name = Chilli grenade
| origin = [[India]]
| type = [[Less lethal weapon]]
| is_ranged = Yes
| is_explosive = Yes
| designer = [[Defence Research and Development Organisation]]
}}

A '''chilli grenade''' is a type of [[non-lethal weapon]] developed by [[India]]n military scientists.

== Design ==
Being similar to [[tear gas]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hussain |first=Wasbir |date=23 March 2010 |title=India's Military Weaponizes World's Hottest Chili |url=http://news.discovery.com/tech/hottest-chili-weapon.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325200432/http://news.discovery.com/tech/hottest-chili-weapon.html |archive-date=25 March 2010 |website=Discovery News}}</ref> chilli grenades use one of the world's spiciest [[chili pepper|chilli pepper]] cultivars, [[bhut jolokia]], in weaponised form.<ref>{{cite news |date=21 December 2008 |title=Now, 'Chilli smoke' grenades to dig out terrorists |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/now-chilli-smoke-grenades-to-dig-out-terrorists/story-OWTJAfGGlesNgotabmWNzO.html |access-date=16 September 2024 |publisher=Hindustan Times |agency=Press Trust of India}}</ref>

Chilli grenades emit a powerful skin and eye irritant as well as pungent smell that causes the afflicted to leave their cover or become physically incapacitated by the grenade's load.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8119591.stm|title=India plans hot chilli grenades|date=25 June 2009|work=BBC|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117153050/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8119591.stm|archive-date=17 November 2018}}</ref>

The thumb-sized bhut jolokia (or ghost chilli) had previously been recognised by ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' as the [[Hottest chili pepper|hottest pepper in the world]] with more than 1,000,000 [[Scoville scale|Scoville units]], but has since been superseded by three other pepper cultivars, the [[Trinidad moruga scorpion]] (1,463,700 SHU),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/hottest-chili|title=Hottest chilli pepper|website=Guinness World Records|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-12-31}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8584988.stm|title=India scientists hail 'multi-purpose' chillis|last=Bhaumik|first=Subir|date=24 March 2010|work=BBC|access-date=2018-12-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107143213/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8584988.stm|archive-date=7 November 2016}}</ref> [[Carolina Reaper]] (1,641,183 SHU)<ref>{{Cite news |title=Hottest chilli pepper |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/hottest-chili/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128091737/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/hottest-chili/ |archive-date=2023-01-28 |access-date=2025-11-25 |work=Guinness World Records |language=en-GB}}</ref> and in 2023 by [[Pepper X]] (2,693,000 SHU).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pepper X dethrones Carolina Reaper as world's hottest chilli pepper |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2023/10/pepper-x-dethrones-carolina-reaper-as-worlds-hottest-chilli-pepper-759706 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250720004021/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2023/10/pepper-x-dethrones-carolina-reaper-as-worlds-hottest-chilli-pepper-759706 |archive-date=2025-07-20 |access-date=2025-11-25 |website=Guinness World Records |language=en}}</ref>

== Adoption ==
While being developed for the [[Indian Armed Forces]],<ref>{{cite web |date=2010-03-23 |title=Indian military to weaponize world's hottest chili - Yahoo! News |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100323/ap_on_re_as/as_india_chili_grenades |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324222353/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100323/ap_on_re_as/as_india_chili_grenades |archive-date=2010-03-24 |accessdate=2011-11-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Rahul |date=15 August 2016 |title=Army backs pepper shots, chilli grenades over pellet guns in Kashmir |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ht-exclusive-army-backs-pepper-over-pellets-in-kashmir/story-Vvc2Y3zkcuISfxxKk7pWrJ.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630052855/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ht-exclusive-army-backs-pepper-over-pellets-in-kashmir/story-Vvc2Y3zkcuISfxxKk7pWrJ.html |archive-date=30 June 2018 |access-date=2018-12-31 |website=Hindustan Times}}</ref> in 2016, civilian variants were used for [[crowd control in Jammu and Kashmir]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 September 2016 |title=Chilli-filled grenades to replace pellet guns in J&K |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/Chilli-filled-grenades-to-replace-pellet-guns-in-JampK/article14621960.ece |access-date=2018-12-31 |work=The Hindu |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Users ==

* {{Flag|India}}

== See also ==

* [[Riot control]]
* [[Pepper spray]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Non-lethal weapons]]
[[Category:Grenades]]

{{law-enforcement-stub}}

Chilli grenade - Revision history

Shenna87P79423: starting the info more to come - done