As tensions intensify across the Taiwan Strait, Beijing has ramped up its firepower capacity to prepare for a possible war in the region. One of the weapon systems key to these efforts is the PHL-16, a truck-mounted self-propelled multiple rocket launcher (MRL) that incorporates modular design and long-range precision-strike capabilities. The system is often described as the mainland Chinese version of Lockheed Martin’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) that Taiwan has bought and deployed. Taipei has ordered 29 of the US Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), receiving 11 in November. They were tested for the first time in May and deployed during the annual Han Kuang drill in July. Development and design The PHL-16 – also known as PCL-191 and regarded as China’s most advanced MRL system – was developed by Chinese ground-based weapons manufacturer Norinco. China’s new-generation long-range MRL system was first publicly unveiled during the 2019 military parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The design was based on Norinco’s previous model, the AR-3, which was developed in 2010. The PHL-16 is around 12 metres (39 feet) long, 3 metres wide and 3 metres high, has eight barrels for ammunition and is operated by three crew members. MRL systems such as the PHL-16 are seen as important for ground forces because they can deliver a large amount of firepower over a wide area in a short time, making them effective for suppressing enemy positions, destroying concentrations of vehicles or infantry, and breaching fortified areas. The PHL-16 system is based on a WS2400 8x8 special heavy-duty truck that enables mobility and tactical flexibility, allowing for rapid deployment and redeployment, and improving its survivability against counter-battery fire. Its modular design allows it to fire rockets of different calibres with various firing ranges, making it flexible in engaging various targets from a single platform. The PLA is known to be the sole operator of the PHL-16 system. The exact number of PHL-16 units produced and operated by the PLA is deemed classified, but more than 120 are known to be deployed across various theatre commands, according to data compiled by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank. The PHL-16 incorporates several advanced technologies that allow it to strike precisely over long distances – a key feature for modern ground warfare. Most notably, unlike its predecessors – such as the PHL-03 that is loaded with a fixed type of ammunition – the PHL-16’s modular launch system is designed to adapt to various mission requirements by using its automated system to promptly switch between rocket and missile configurations, enabling crews to rapidly adjust to changing battlefield conditions. The PHL-16 can launch a variety of ammunition, including 300mm rockets with a range up to 130km (81 miles) and 370mm rockets with a range up to 300km, as well as more advanced, larger calibre rockets such as the 750mm Fire Dragon 480 tactical ballistic missile, which has a range up to 500km, according to PLA reports. Depending on the situation, the system can be configured to carry either eight 370mm guided rockets or two 750mm Fire Dragon 480 tactical ballistic missiles. This versatility enables commanders to adjust the configuration based on operational demands, whether the task requires precision strikes or tactical missiles. The 370mm guided rockets are notable for their precision and ability to deploy airburst munitions, which detonate above the target, maximising their destructive radius against infantry, lightly armoured vehicles and air-defence systems. When configured for tactical missile operations, two 750mm Fire Dragon 480 tactical ballistic missiles can be used to engage high-value strategic objectives, including enemy command centres, critical infrastructure and fortified military installations. Equipped with advanced guidance systems, these missiles can deliver both precision and significant destructive capability, making them highly effective for neutralising key targets over long distances, which provides the PHL-16 with a strategic advantage comparable to short-range ballistic missile systems, while also offering greater flexibility in terms of payload choices and deployment options. The PHL-16’s chassis, the WS2400, is equipped with a diesel engine that can increase the system’s maximum speed to 80km/h (50mph). It is highly mobile and capable off road, ensuring the PHL-16 can reposition swiftly after firing and reducing the risk of enemy counterstrikes. While Beijing does not release the details of specific bases and troops that operate a particular weapon, the PLA Ground Force units that are reportedly operating the PHL-16 include the 71st, 72nd and 73rd Group Army under the Eastern Theatre Command. These troops are the three ground force units under the Eastern Theatre Command that are responsible for potential conflict across the Taiwan Strait, where their operations using the PHL-16 could serve a significant role in long-range precision strike missions against Taiwan. Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory and has never ruled out the use of force to bring it under mainland Chinese control. The United States, like most nations, does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state but is opposed to any forcible change to the status quo and is committed to providing defensive arms to the island. Since being delivered to the PLA Ground Force, the PHL-16 has been deployed in locations near the Taiwan Strait and operated in various military exercises simulating potential conflict scenarios. In May 2024, the Eastern Theatre Command conducted a two-day joint exercise in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding Taiwan. The PLA included the PHL-16 on a poster of six key weapon systems it deployed in the Joint Sword-2024A drills. In August 2022, the PLA reportedly fired the PHL-16 from Pingtan Island in Fujian province – only 100km from Taiwan’s main island – during a military exercise, prompted by then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island. The PHL-16 is also reportedly in operation with the 74th Group Army, based in Huizhou, Guangdong province, under the Southern Theatre Command, which operates in the disputed South China Sea. Like the PHL-16, Himars incorporates a modular design, where a single launcher can be quickly reconfigured to fire different types of munitions, including 227mm M270 MLRS rockets with a range up to 50km and 610mm Army Tactical Missile System surface-to-surface missile (SSM). While the operational range of the current missiles launched from Himars does not match the PHL-16’s range up to 500km, the US is also reportedly developing a new series of GPS-guided missiles, dubbed the precision strike missiles, with a range up to 500km. For Beijing, the PHL-16 is crucial for both offensive and defensive military operations, thanks to its long-range precision of up to 500km, which offers a significant stand-off distance that minimises risk to the launcher while posing a threat to an adversary’s air defences and strategic infrastructure from a safe distance. This capability makes it a vital element of Beijing’s anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy, especially in disputed areas such as the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait along the first island chain. Beijing and Taipei’s operation of modular MRLs suggests that these weapons systems are envisioned as key in any potential war in the Taiwan Strait.