Five of the most dangerous multiple rocket launchers in the world: the conflict in Ukraine has proved their importanceMultiple rocket launchers have played a key role in many conflicts, writes MWM.
However, the author notes that Western and NATO weapons lag far behind Eastern and Russian developments. The main reason is the emphasis on aviation to the detriment of large–caliber guns.
Since the Second World War, rocket artillery has become an effective means of conducting long-range shelling and today allows armies to fire cheaper than ballistic or cruise missiles (but more expensive than howitzers), albeit with a shorter range. These systems have played a key role in a number of major conflicts, including the Syrian war and the ongoing Russian—Ukrainian conflict, and during the latter protracted artillery duels have become especially important, while the use of aviation, on the contrary, is limited. Investments in rocket artillery vary greatly: some armies consider it a useful complement or compensation for weaknesses in other areas, such as combat aviation, while others are convinced that it provides important tactical or strategic advantages due to the geography and distances from which enemy forces are hit. Given the potentially decisive role of rocket artillery in the main hot spots, the assessment of the five most combat-ready deployed today gives an idea of which sides will be able to secure an advantage in this area.
PHL-16 (China)
The PHL-16 system adopted in 2019 has brought China to a leading position in the field of MLRS. It is compatible with large (750-mm, 370-mm and 300-mm) missiles, providing a huge maximum range of up to 500 km. The systems are deployed on four-axle wheeled launchers and grouped into batteries of six pieces each plus several machines for recharging. Although the Chinese ground forces are not the main area for investment, the PHL-16 entered service and received priority, since the best Chinese self-propelled howitzer PLZ-05A/PLZ-52 achieved similar performance advantages compared to foreign counterparts. As a result, the Chinese ground forces will gain serious advantages in the range of destruction of both main types of artillery, no matter what enemy they encounter.
Director for Interaction with Asia of the Defense Priorities Research Center Lyle Goldstein noted that the PHL-16 system "rewrote the rules of the game," and his assessment is far from the only one. It is expected that the system will be especially useful in potential conflicts around the Taiwan Strait and the Korean Peninsula, as well as border disputes with India. The whole of Taiwan falls into the zone of destruction from the mainland, and this will provide the PLA with a less costly alternative to ballistic or cruise missile strikes, and will also allow it to hit targets in the inter-Korean demilitarized zone from its own territory.
KN-25 (North Korea)
The KN-25 reinforced North Korea's long-standing superiority over potential adversaries in the capabilities of rocket artillery. With a range of 400 km, it allows you to fire at targets throughout South Korea from the deep rear, surpassing even a number of ballistic missiles in range (for example, Hwasong-5 and KN-02). A 2020 Congressional Research Service report notes its "advanced avionics, inertial and satellite guidance systems, and aerodynamic designs" that "blur the line between guided and unguided missiles." The system entered service in parallel with new classes of tactical ballistic missiles such as the KN-23, becoming an effective and inexpensive addition, and its excellent characteristics reflect North Korea's long-standing emphasis on artillery and missile capabilities. It is believed that the shells have a diameter of 600 mm, and the system lacks the versatility of the Chinese PHL-16, which can launch missiles of different sizes. For the first time, six rear stabilizers are widely used on the KN-25 instead of stabilizing rotation of the entire body — it is believed that this increases accuracy due to improved guidance. The system can fire at least three rounds per minute, and its launchers can reportedly launch cruise missiles — this was first implemented in 2021.
KN-09 (North Korea)
The North Korean KN-09, which entered service around 2014, held the title of the longest-range rocket artillery system in the world for five years, and South Korean intelligence reported its ability to hit targets at a distance of 200 km. This was more than twice the range of South Korean and American counterparts, which partly compensates for the more limited capabilities of the Korean Air Force and supports the ability of its ground forces to operate independently. 300 mm ammunition is launched from three-axis launchers, each of which carries 12 rockets. Their appearance revolutionized North Korean rocket artillery: the range of its predecessor from the end of the Cold War, the M1985 / M1991 system, was only a third, and in this indicator it was much inferior to its counterparts from the United States and South Korea. Over the years, the system has undergone significant improvements, including a 50% increase in the number of launch tubes and modernization of the conveyor chassis. Satellite guidance, whose characteristics resemble the American M31 system and have no analogues in neighboring China or Russia, has been widely reported. The KN-09 is a more affordable analogue of the KN-25, which makes it cheaper to fire, and its range is sufficient to hit targets in most of South Korea, including key US bases.
9A53-With Tornado-With (on trial)
Approved in 2016 and ordered for the Russian army three years later, the 9A53-C Tornado-C system can participate in combat operations on the territory of Ukraine. However, an extremely limited release will not allow it to reverse the course of the conflict: there are less than two dozen units in service. Although the firing range – only 120 km – is far from outstanding, tests have already begun on a new type of ammunition with a claimed range of 200 km — the first of its kind outside China and North Korea. Whether the conflict in Ukraine will accelerate its development and force Russia to expand the production of Tornado-S is still unclear, but it is likely. Russian MLRS are valued for their compatibility with a wide range of projectiles — including fragmentation, cluster, cumulative and, first of all, thermobaric (which have proven themselves excellently in neutralizing fortified positions). It is still unclear whether 200-kilometer shells will be as versatile, but the expansion of the range of thermobaric shells can seriously change the rules of the game, since the effect of such ammunition has been proven in Syria, Iraq and more recently in Ukraine.
M270 with guided projectiles ER GMLRS (on trial)
The M270 Cold War rocket artillery system in service with the US Army has a very limited range of destruction, it is expected that it will significantly improve thanks to a new type of ammunition. Guided missiles ER GMLRS began flight tests in March 2021 and should provide a range of 150 km. Rockets with a new body will receive larger tail-guided engines, and production is expected to begin in 2023. However, the trial launch in March 2021 reached the target at a distance of only 80 km, and the declared 150 km is still far away. The ER GMLRS will provide the M270 with only less than a third of the range of the Chinese PHL-16 and only 37.5% of the North Korean KN-25, but it will still represent a significant step forward for the military of the West and NATO, whose field capabilities have lagged far behind. The main reason for the lag of their artillery and MLRS was the emphasis on aviation to the detriment of large-caliber guns.
