The PHL-16, also known as PCL-191, is a truck-mounted self-propelled

multiple rocket launcher A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple rocket launcher, launchers which are fixed to a single weapons platform, platform, and shoots its rocket (weapon ...

(MRL) system developed by the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Development

It is based on the AR-3 MRL developed by

Norinco China North Industries Group Corporation Limited, doing business internationally as Norinco Group (an abbreviation of "North Industries Corporation"), and known within China as China Ordnance Industries Group Corporation Limited (), is a Chinese ...

. The AR-3 was marketed in 2010. The PHL-16 was unveiled during the

Chinese National Day Parade The National Day Parade (), officially the National Day of the People's Republic of China Parade (), is a civil-military parade event held at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China, on the National Day of the ...

in 2019; unlike other rocket systems in the parade, the vehicles were unlabelled.

Design

The launcher vehicles are operated in a firepower battery. The system also capable of autonomous operation. A typical battery includes six launcher vehicles, several reloading vehicles, command post vehicle, meteorological survey vehicle and other service support vehicles.

Rockets

Unlike the earlier PHL-03, which is loaded with a fixed type of ammunition, the new PHL-16 has two modularized launch cells, which can carry different types of ammunition. Each launch cell can carry either five 300 mm rockets or four 370 mm rockets. The export version of the new multiple rocket launcher, the AR-3, can even switch to the 750 mm Fire Dragon 480 tactical ballistic missile and 380 mm TL-7B anti-ship missile. This capability is possibly transferred to the PLA variants. The configuration displayed during the 2019 National Day Parade was with 8 370 mm rockets.

Chassis

The vehicle chassis is based on the 45 ton

WS2400 The WS2400 is a 8x8 special heavy-duty truck developed and built by Wanshan Special Vehicle and used by the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China as a transporter erector launcher (TEL) platform and is a reverse engineered ve ...

8×8 special wheeled vehicle chassis.

Operational history

In February 2023, PHL-16 was observed in deployment by 73rd Group Army of the Eastern Theatre Command, which is responsible for the

Taiwan Strait The Taiwan Strait is a strait separating the island of Taiwan and the Asian continent. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is wide. Names Former names of the Tai ...

area.

Variants

;AR-3: Baseline; first marketed in 2010. ;PHL-16: Development for the People's Liberation Army

Operators

; *

People's Liberation Army Ground Force The People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF), also referred to as the PLA Army, is the army, land-based service branch of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), and also its largest and oldest branch. The PLAGF can trace its lineage from 192 ...

– 120+ units as of 2025.

International Institute for Strategic Studies The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is an international research institute or think tank focusing on defence and security issues. Since 1997, its headquarters have been at Arundel House in London. It has offices on four co ...

: The Military Balance 2025, p.242

References

{{Chinese Missiles Military vehicles introduced in the 2010s Modular rocket launchers Multiple rocket launchers Norinco Self-propelled artillery of the People's Republic of China Wheeled self-propelled rocket launchers