An artillery brigade of the 71st Group Army in the Eastern Theater of China recently launched a live-fire drill with PHL-03 long-range rocket launchers in a coastal area of eastern China. During the exercise, the rocket systems accurately destroyed a missile launch vehicle and a fighter jet 150 kilometers away.
The artillery brigade commander said that the exercise comprehensively tested the army’s system-supported reconnaissance and surveillance, cross-sea strike and other combat capabilities, and exercised and improved the overall combat capability of long-range rocket systems.
CCTV’s “Nonday National Defense and Military” column took more than 6 minutes and divided into three programs to report the whole course of the live-fire drill on June 24. The exercise is mainly divided into three parts.
The first subject requires officers and soldiers of the long-range rocket artillery battalion to go to a hidden area to camouflage weapons and equipment, and to establish a communication network and security defense system to resist enemy satellite reconnaissance. The second subject is to quickly maneuver to a technical position and perform tasks such as weather detection and ammunition loading before launch. The third subject is the most important and exciting part of this exercise, and that is the live ammunition launching session.
The target of the first wave of strikes was a missile launch vehicle target. After the strike, the launch vehicle immediately withdrew from the position. Subsequently, according to the report from the observation station, an enemy aircraft was found ahead. The long-range rocket launcher team responded immediately, with the combat data reaching the end with one click, and using a single gun with multiple rounds of ammunition to perform saturation strikes on the target. Multiple rockets use the guidance equipment that comes with the warhead to automatically correct the shooting direction during the flight to accurately destroy the target. The target of this attack has many buildings, and a fighter target can be clearly seen, which should simulate a military airport.
According to analysis, the targets of the simulated strikes are a Patriot missile base and a fighter airfield in Taiwan.
According to public information, the PHL-03 300mm multiple rocket launcher is China’s new generation multiple rocket launcher, which can carry 12 rockets and has a maximum range of 150 kilometers. When all 12 rockets are fired, the strike coverage could reach 7.5 hectares, equivalent to 10 football fields. With the blessing of many new technologies, “the PHL-03 long-range rocket launcher has reached the world’s advanced level in terms of range, hit accuracy, and lethality”.