The PHL-03 is a truck-mounted self-propelled 12-tube 300 mm long-range

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 ...

of the People's Republic of China. The system is beginning to be replaced by the more modular and newer

PHL-16 The PHL-16, also known as PCL-191, is a truck-mounted self-propelled multiple rocket launcher (MRL) system developed by the People's Republic of China. Development It is based on the AR-3 MRL developed by Norinco. The AR-3 was marketed in 2010 ...

Design

The design is based on the Soviet-made

BM-30 Smerch The BM-30 ''Smerch'' (, 'whirlwind'), 9K58 Smerch or 9A52-2 Smerch-M is a heavy Self-propelled artillery, self-propelled 300 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union to fire a full load of 12 solid-fuelled projectiles. The ...

rocket artillery system. The main role for this multiple rocket launcher is to engage strategic targets such as large concentrations of troops, airfields, command centres, air defense batteries and support facilities. It is also used to engage in

counter-battery fire Counter-battery fire (sometimes called counter-fire) is a battlefield tactic employed to defeat the enemy's indirect fire elements ( multiple rocket launchers, artillery and mortars), including their target acquisition, as well as their command ...

missions. The PHL-03 has the same configuration as the original Soviet counterpart with 12 launch tubes for 300 mm artillery rockets, along with a computerised

fire-control system A fire-control system (FCS) is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director and radar, which is designed to assist a ranged weapon system to target, track, and hit a target. It performs the same task as a hum ...

(FCS) incorporating

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide geol ...

GLONASS GLONASS (, ; ) is a Russian satellite navigation system operating as part of a radionavigation-satellite service. It provides an alternative to Global Positioning System (GPS) and is the second navigational system in operation with global cove ...

BeiDou The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS; ) is a satellite-based radio navigation system owned and operated by the China National Space Administration. It provides geolocation and time information to a BDS receiver anywhere on or near the ...

Rockets

The PHL-03 uses the 300 mm rockets of the BRE family, namely the BRC4, BRE2 and the guided Fire Dragon 140A which have a range of . A standard weight for each rocket is with a warhead. Maximum firing range is depending on warhead type with around . Standard warheads are high-explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG),

fuel-air explosive A thermobaric weapon, also called an aerosol bomb, or a vacuum bomb, is a type of explosive munition that works by dispersing an aerosol cloud of gas, liquid or powdered explosive. The fuel is usually a single compound, rather than a mixture o ...

, and

cluster may refer to: Science and technology Astronomy * Cluster (spacecraft), constellation of four European Space Agency spacecraft * Cluster II (spacecraft), a European Space Agency mission to study the magnetosphere * Asteroid cluster, a small ...

warheads with anti-armor and anti-personnel submunitions. Cluster warheads can also carry self-targeting anti-tank munitions. A full

salvo A salvo is the simultaneous discharge of artillery or firearms including the firing of guns either to hit a target or to perform a salute. As a tactic in warfare, the intent is to cripple an enemy in many blows at once and prevent them from f ...

of this system could potentially cover an area of up to . In October 2020, it was reported that a new type of rocket was being deployed on the PHL-03 with a range 30 km longer than normal, suggesting a range of .

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 ...

– 175 systems ; *

Royal Moroccan Army The Royal Moroccan Army ( ''Al-Quwwat al-Bariyah al-Malakiyah al-Maghribiyah'', ''tasrdast tagldant'') is the branch of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Royal Moroccan Army is about 215,000 t ...

– 36 systems ; *

Ethiopian Ground Forces The Ethiopian Army () is the land service branch of the Ethiopian National Defense Force. It is the senior of the two uniformed military branches. The force engages in land warfare and combined arms operations, including armored and mechanize ...

– 4 *

Tigray Defense Forces The Tigray Defence Forces (TDF; ), colloquially called the ''Tigray Army'' (), is a paramilitary group located in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. It was founded by former generals of the Ethiopian Military in 2020 to combat federal forces enf ...

; *

Royal Cambodian Armed Forces The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF; , ) is Cambodia's national military force. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief is King Norodom Sihamoni. Since 2018, General Vong Pisen has been the Commander-in-Chief of the RCAF as head of the Army, Na ...

: 6 in service in 2025

References

{{PRCAFVs Military vehicles introduced in the 2000s Multiple rocket launchers Norinco Self-propelled artillery of the People's Republic of China Wheeled self-propelled rocket launchers

Design

Rockets

Operators

See also

References