Type A100 / A200 / A300

The Type A100, also known as: Storm 1, is a 10-tube 300mm multiple rocket launcher mounted on a self-propelled wheeled chassis. The A100 300mm 10-tube MRLS failed in competition with PHL03 for PLA service, but it was marketed earlier. In many aspects, the system is very similar to the Russian Smerch 9K58 300mm rocket system. System consists of rocket launchers, command and control vehicles, transport / loading vehicle components. A100-300 mm multiple-launch rocket system consists of one command vehicle, 4~6 launch vehicles and 4~6 ammunition transfer vehicles to form a basic combat unit. Rocket launchers using TA80-road vehicles for the chassis; equipped with rockets fitted with simple control system to ensure the accuracy of attack, warhead is a binary (anti-armor and anti-personnel) cluster-type warhead.

The A200 Precision Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System GMLRS is a tactical weapon system designed to attack and suppress enemy’s group targets and point targets in deep battlefield. It adopts GNSS/INS integrated system for the whole course. It employs warhead-body separation, maneuvering flight and other high-tech. It boasts a range of 50-200km. The launching vehicle that compatible with A100 can perform autonomous positioning and orientating as well as high speed maneuvering. The system adopts the rocket loading cubicle integrated hoisting type which could speed up the re-loading process.

The A300 Precision Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System is designed to strike and destroy enemy’s concentrated groups of targets or point targets within a range of 120-290km; the rocket uses combined IMU/GPS guidance mechanism throughout its flight. The Launching Vehicle is capable of self-measuring, self-orienting, and even firing rockets from unprepared positions and maneuvering at high speed. It can strike 8 different targets in an area of 20km×20km square in a salvo.

China National Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CPMIEC) is a very large specialized Chinese trading company, with exports to foreign customers including missiles and defense technology. The A100 300mm rocket firing tests were conducted for the first time in 2000. The evolution and development of the system is the responsiblity of CALT (responsible for the development of the Long March series of carrier rockets and ballistic missiles DF). The A100 system reflects the CALT first intend to enter the tactical weapons market. Other reports say the A100 was developed in the 20th century, possibly as early as the late 1990s.

A100 multiple-use remote rocket launcher system is a simple guided rocket system with rapid response capabilities, it has high axxuracy, lethal characteristics, mainly used against enemy ground targets, such as military bases, missiles, armoured cluster locations, airports and other important objectives. In order to better arouse interest in the PLA, the A100 has a simple guidance system installation. They believe that the simple system can effectively improve the implementation of "deep strike" on the accuracy and combat capability. In addition, the system also incorporates intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) and a variety of intelligent munitions capability. PLA believed that A100 in the "over the horizon" to combat the enemy in depth from the massive armored formations.

Using an advanced dual purpose submunition warhead, the rocket is 7.3 meters long, with a diameter of 0.3 meters, a takeoff weight of 840 kilograms, warhead weight of 235 kilograms. The lethality has reached the world advanced level, with the dispersal of the rocket's advanced anti-armor, anti-personnel dual purpose submunition warhead. No fewere than 500 submunitions, are capable of penetrating an armor thickness of not less than 50 mm, with an effective kill radius of not less than 7 meters, dispersed over 100 ± 40 metres in radius. with each launcher firing 10 rockets; and each warhead at a range of 235-kilometers having >500 submunitions, a rocket salvo of 10 rockets at a time projects as many as 5,000 submunitions over the target area.

A100 rockets internal structure is warhead and fuze, propulsion systems, terminal guidance system. Rocket engines and rocket tail end of guidance and control is located. The rocket engine is a single solid fuel rocket engine combustion chamber. It uses advanced fuel consisting of rocket propellant HTPB texture. And the stabilizing fins in the form of collapsible emission management. Once the rocket left the launch tube once, stabilizing fins will open automatically.

A100 rockets also equipped with a flat-board computer system. It can help to improve the horizontal and vertical launch angle of deviation. In the first three seconds distance flown, the onboard computer can quickly detect the level of programming track and the actual position of the gap between the rocket. And adjust their posture by controlling the rocket, the rocket to correct the direction of flight. Meanwhile onboard computer also set by adjusting the warhead detonated time to correct the vertical deviation.

A100 rockets, artillery shells with simple flight control system, break the bottleneck in a long-range rocket weapons with poor accuracy, with the lateral deviation and deviation correction range, respectively. Spread on the rockets in the 85-kilometer error is less than one-three hundredth, multiple launch rocket system is almost the highest in the field, with even the firing accuracy of tube artillery.

The A100 carrier rocket artillery system is based TAS5380 of 8x8 wheeled truck chassis development. It is composed of Chinese special vehicle manufacturer Taian manufactured. Bodywork totals 21 tons. Comprises of 22 ton payload. Its full load maximum speed can reach 60 km / h. Maximum travel at 650 km. Its maximum gradeability at 57%. And can be wading depth can reach 1.1 meters. Vehicle equipped with four large hydraulic stabilizers. These devices can be effectively reduced when the rocket launchers recoil generated. The 10 launch tubes are mounted on this chassis. They are arranged in the form of 4 above and six below. The reload truck can carry two sets of 10 rockets, with crane truck lifting car ammunition.

The vehicle is also equipped with a GPS global position satellite navigation systems. Can provide timely wartime positioning data. A computer-controlled targeting system and atmospheric parameters collection system. Meanwhile, the rocket can automatically calculate the expected trajectory of the rocket. And pre-launch capability to provide fast retrieval. 10 launch tubes can in 90 seconds will be fully rockets fired. And the rocket system can also be specified for a single or a single point target or a volley. A total of 60 seconds is needed to complete these tasks.

The entire A100 system includes a rocket launcher, shipping / handling car, firing command vehicle. A command system can control the emission of about 6-9 cars rocket launchers. Attachment of 6-9 vehicles transport and shipping and handling car. Command vehicle is mounted on a 6X6 truck chassis system. It is equipped with radio communications and data transmission systems. Shooting and integrated control and analog ballistic computer system. And a set of GPS global satellite positioning navigation system. By his atmospheric data collected, and then through the computer calculates the trajectory Zhu source solution and begin transmitting data to the transmitting system units.

Ground equipment, including a rocket launcher, transport and loading and unloading trucks, fire command vehicle. Rocket system battery with a fire command vehicle ,6-9 rocket launchers, 6-9 shipping and handling vehicles. The command vehicle, is mounted on a 6x6 truck chassis. It is equipped with radio communications and data transmission systems; shot and trajectory control computer and simulation systems and global positioning systems. It collects meteorological data to calculate the trajectory and transmission of data to firing units.

The long rumored sale of the A-100 300mm MRL system to Pakistan was confirmed during the 2010 Azm-e-Nau-3 exercise. According to UPI Asia Online on 25 September 2008 reported that Pakistan purchased from the China A-100 long-range rockets. Pakistani military industry sources, Pakistan last year with China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation signed purchase. This was the first time that China sold to other countries A-100 long-range rockets. Sources said that Pakistan bought the first A-100 long-range rockets to equip a battalion for the first functional testing. Later, Pakistan seemed likely to continue to increase the purchase of the weapon.

South Asian military analysts believe that Pakistan move may be in response to India purchased from Russia 9K58 Smerch rocket systems. Russia 9K58 Smerch and the China A-100 long-range rockets are 300mm multiple rocket launch system. In 2001, India and Russia signed a $ 450 million worth of 9K58 Smerch rocket system purchase contract. In 2008, the first arrival of 9K58 Smerch rocket system participated in the National Day military parade in India. From the Chinese military industry sources said 9K58 Smerch launch rocket systems, the maximum range is 90 km, while China's A-100 launch farthest distance of 120 kilometers. Improved during the recent launching devices, A-100 attack accuracy is greatly improved.