[Foreign Media: China's PHL-191 Long-Range Rocket Launcher Fires Airburst Munitions]
According to a report from Belgium’s Army Recognition website on July 19, 2026: On July 19, China released video footage showing the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Ground Force artillery units conducting live-fire training with the PHL-191 long-range modular multiple rocket launcher system. The material was published by the Chinese Military Network and subsequently reposted by the official website of the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China, titled "Live-Fire Training of the PHL-191 Rocket Launcher." The footage shows a salvo followed by concentrated explosions within a designated target area. The most critical segment appears to depict munitions detonating either just above the surface or very close to it, scattering fragments across a wide area—rather than relying solely on impact effects at the point of strike. China has not disclosed the rocket designation, fuze type, warhead configuration, range, or measured accuracy; however, the visual effect clearly indicates an increasing focus by the PLA Ground Force on long-range battlefield suppression.
The PHL-191 is a wheeled modular rocket artillery system capable of adapting different launch modules based on mission profiles and selected munitions. Its naming varies across open-source references: the U.S. Army ODIN database classifies it under the PHL-16/PCL-191 series and confirms the existence of a 370 mm variant; meanwhile, the 2025 U.S. Defense Assessment report lists the modular PHL-16/PCH-191/AR-3 series as part of the PLA Ground Force’s modernized firepower inventory.
After frame-by-frame comparison between the launch vehicle in the July 19 footage and the PHL-191 systems displayed during Chinese military parades, it is highly likely that this vehicle is equipped with a 370 mm rocket configuration. The visible launcher layout appears to consist of two quad-mounted modules, consistent with the previously associated eight-tube arrangement for 370 mm rockets—not the dual five-barrel modules linked to smaller-caliber 300 mm rockets, nor the single-mounted modules used for large tactical missiles.
This eight-tube configuration was first showcased during the 2019 National Day Parade and later presented in two variants of the 191-series modular system during the September 2025 Victory Day Parade. This visual identification remains an analytical inference rather than an official confirmation, as the viewing angles, launcher tube covers, and limited duration of the released footage prevent precise measurement of the launch tubes or rocket bodies.
If this assessment proves accurate, the footage may represent a rare public demonstration of the PHL-191 employing 370 mm airburst fragmentation munitions in operational-oriented live-fire training. This modular architecture enables a battery to flexibly switch between guided rockets targeting area or point targets, and larger tactical missiles designed for deeper depth, better protected, or higher-value objectives. The July 19 release did not formally confirm which member of this munition family was fired; thus, the observed target effects and clearly identifiable launcher configuration are more reliable indicators than any unannounced range, accuracy, or warhead performance data.
The operational significance of this video lies in its evident combination of concentrated delivery and repeatable airburst effects. Multiple explosion points appear at roughly identical altitudes and positions above the target area—consistent with fragmentation warheads designed to deliver lethal or destructive effects against exposed personnel, lightly protected vehicles, radar equipment, and other dispersed assets. Optimized airburst can reduce the impact of terrain obstructions and avoid partial loss of explosive effectiveness due to crater formation—but it is not inherently advantageous for all targets. Robust shelters, deeply buried command facilities, and heavy armored vehicles typically require different warhead types or direct-hit effects. The footage also fails to reveal whether the detonation points were triggered by programmable time fuzes, proximity sensors, or other mechanisms, nor does it indicate the system’s circular error probable (CEP).
At the launch vehicle level, the PHL-191 combines the road mobility and rapid “shoot-and-scoot” characteristics associated with the M142 HIMARS system, along with a dual-module launcher configuration closer to that of the M270A2 in terms of ready-to-fire ammunition capacity. Public assessments suggest this Chinese platform can employ both 300 mm and 370 mm guided rockets, with reported ranges of approximately 150 km and 280–350 km respectively, while the 750 mm tactical missile configuration is widely assessed to extend the range to about 480–500 km.
This footage reflects a stronger emphasis on the task of “suppression” itself. Fragmentation airburst munitions can disrupt enemy maneuvering, eliminate dispersed formations, damage exposed components of air defense positions, and restrict troop movement within assembly areas or tactical corridors. Regarding air defense positions, successful suppression does not necessarily require destroying every launch vehicle—damage to radar antennas, communication vehicles, generators, or exposed personnel alone could cause temporary mission degradation, thereby creating a window for follow-up aviation, missile, or other fires. Similar effects can be applied prior to mechanized assaults to force the defender into concealment, delay relocation, and complicate reinforcement operations. This aligns with “deep shaping operations,” where reconnaissance and long-range firepower influence near-combat engagement before maneuver forces enter decisive contact.
This “rain of steel” footage should best be interpreted as an effect demonstration rather than a comprehensive disclosure of specifications. It showcases the PLA Ground Force’s public emphasis on concentrated long-range firepower and the capability to employ airburst fragmentation munitions for suppressing dispersed battlefield targets. Meanwhile, the PHL-191’s modular design may allow it to rapidly reconfigure for heavy tactical missile missions targeting hardened positions. The actual combat significance of this system hinges on the speed and resilience of the network responsible for detecting targets, matching the correct munitions, and sustaining resupply for the firing battery under counterfire conditions. Even without definitive data on range, fuze type, or precision, this footage conveys a clear military signal: China is refining its long-range rocket artillery—not merely for deep-strike missions, but also to shape how adversary forces move, deploy, and survive before the main battle begins.
Disclaimer: The above equipment data is sourced from reporting on Army Recognition website.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1871183850221579/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author.