For a long time, missiles and rocket launchers have been like a pair of "brothers who fell apart." In many local wars, missiles have taken the lead in the vanguard role, while traditional fire suppression weapons, long-range rocket launchers, rarely show their faces. It gives people a feeling of being beaten into the "cold palace". Although rocket launchers have the nickname "cheap version of missiles," the status of rocket launchers is still irreplaceable when missiles are used in large numbers. This article mainly discusses the characteristics and development of rocket launchers. The
rocket launcher, as a fire suppression weapon equipped with artillery units, is particularly capable of striking the opposite target (such as the formation-level armored cluster, a formation of multiple ships, etc.) , which is more affordable than missiles. Long-range rocket launchers generally use tracked or 8*8 wheeled vehicles as carrier vehicles, equipped with multiple rocket launchers, and fire multiple rockets with a caliber between 100-400mm in a short time to suppress firepower. Heavy As a means of transportation, automobiles can quickly maneuver in a variety of complex terrains and have the ability to "on-call". However, with the development of science and technology, many countries no longer use rockets without guidance capabilities as their main equipment development. Therefore, it is difficult to see them in many modern high-tech wars. However, some of the capabilities of rockets cannot be replaced by missiles. Therefore, the domestically-made rocket launchers have been "introducing the old and bringing forth the new." The latest model PHL-16 uses its strength to tell the world that it is not for missiles, that rocket launchers are no longer needed.
The domestically-made new PHL-16 long-range rocket launcher was officially unveiled at the National Day parade in 2019. The caliber should be 300mm or 370mm. The basic combat unit is similar to PHL03, including 1 command vehicle, 4-6 launch vehicles and 4-6 vehicles. Ammunition truck. As the latest rocket launcher system of our army, the PHL16 has achieved a modular design that the PHL-03 failed to achieve. Compared with the PHL03 rocket launcher (the PHL-03 long-range rocket launcher has a caliber of 300mm, the maximum range is 150kg, and the total weight is 43t. Length 12m, vehicle width 3m, vehicle height 3m), PHL16 can use navigation systems including Beidou and GPS for precise positioning, shortening the accuracy of traditional rocket launchers from 100 meters to ten meters (gyro required for rocket launcher guidance) When the cost of the instrument is greatly reduced, the cost of the rocket launcher that chooses the precision guidance method is greatly reduced. This is also a "cost-saving and effective" method ().
In addition, the PHL16 loading method no longer requires manual operations. When ammunition loading is required, the hydraulic crane located at the rear of the cockpit can be used to provide mechanized loading for the gun vehicle (PHL-03 type loading method is still semi-manual Filling).
The history of the development of our army’s long-range rocket artillery has begun in 1948. In 1950, the successful imitation of the A-3 has already shown great power on the Korean battlefield. So far, the development of our army’s rocket artillery has been on the right track. The development work in the middle has been interrupted, but there are many excellent products. Take the Type 63 rocket launcher for example. The Type 63 107mm rocket launched by our army in 1963 was called "the three most famous conventional weapons of the guerrillas". Not to mention such a weapon, it is true of the guerrillas. It’s very suitable, with a total weight of only 23KG, and can be quickly disassembled and assembled (it can be done once it’s installed and hit a wave, and then retreat). A Type 63 rocket launcher has 12 launch tubes, which only takes tens of seconds. After completing a launch, it can effectively attack the tank at a distance of 1500m (the 107mm ammunition used by Type 63 can penetrate armor well).
Although the rocket launcher is a very good fire suppression weapon, in today's weapon guidance, it is difficult for a device without guidance capability to survive. For the rocket launcher that only relied on Mongolia in the past, it also needs to be installed. For the guidance components, take the star rocket launcher "Guard" series of China’s foreign trade, for example, it was jointly developed by China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation and the Seventh Aerospace Academy. It has been developed since the 1990s and successively launched Guard 1, Guard 2, The range of the Guardian 2D and other models has also developed from the initial 70KM to 380KM. However, due to lack of guidance, the maximum shooting accuracy error of the Guardian rocket has reached a staggering 600m, so many countries have failed in the bidding. It seems that there is no way out for rocket launchers that only require range.my country's newly developed Guardian 3A rocket launcher uses inertial guidance + GPS guidance, and the shooting error is greatly improved compared to previous Guardians, even comparable to some missiles.
Therefore, even if missiles are popular today, long-range rockets with guidance components can still be accurately guided and have a comprehensive and effective ability to strike surface targets. Even when it is necessary to strike point targets, long-range rockets can be competent. With missiles, there is no need for rocket launchers. In combination with practical considerations, rocket launchers are more cost-effective. What's wrong with
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