Your Tax $$$ At Work
3/27/00

Janes 'reports' below.

As usual, no mention of the maker of the GPS satellites.
Good ol' U.S.A.

This means my tax $$$ is being used
to subsidize weapon sales by one of the
most useless land mine dealers in history.

China Develops Type 90A 122mm multiple system

The 122 mm (40-round) Type 90 (6 x 6) Multiple Rocket System (MRS), designated the Type 90A, developed and tested by NORINCO (China North Industries Corporation) is now being offered for export.

The four main improvements of the latest Type 90A MRS can be summarised as follows:-

(1) The ability to launch all types of unguided 122 mm rockets out to a maximum range of 40 km including high-explosive and high-explosive incendiary. Additional details of these rockets are given below

(2) Installation of a new computerised fire-control system which includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and north finding device for greater accuracy. The panoramic sight is retained on the left side of the launcher for manual laying if required

(3) High level of automation for the operator

(4) Command post vehicle can lay and control a number of Type 90A systems by remote control for maximum firepower

Like the well-established Type 90, the new Type 90A is based on a Tiema SC 2030 (6 x 6) truck chassis (which is very similar to a German Mercedes-Benz chassis) with the 122 mm (40-round) rocket launcher being mounted at the very rear.

A pod of 40 122 mm rockets, ready for powered rapid reloading, is located between the forward control cab and the actual launcher.

Four different warheads are available, High Explosive (HE), Steel High Explosive Incendiary (SHEI), Steel High Explosive (SHE) and cargo (42.2 mm bomblets or 114 mm mines). All of the rockets have a solid-propellant rocket motor and wraparound fins that unfold at the rear.

The launcher has powered elevation from 0 to +55ø with powered traverse of 10ø left and right. The full load of 40 rockets can be fired in 18 to 20 seconds. A complete reload can be carried out in three minutes.

The system takes less than two minutes to come into action and when deployed is supported by two hydraulic firing jacks mounted one either side at the rear.

A useful feature of the Type 90 and Type 90A is the provision of a hydraulically operated collapsible awning which, when in position, covers the complete rocket launcher and reload apparatus.

This makes the system difficult to distinguish from a normal 6 x 6 cargo truck.

 

Launcher specifications
Calibre 122 mm
Number of tubes 40
Number of rockets 40 + 40
Chassis Configuration 6 x 6
Combat weight 20,000 kg
Length 9.25 m
Width 2.50 m
Height 3.10 m
Maximum road speed 85 km/h
Maximum range 600 km
Fording 0.90 m
Engine 300 hp air-cooled diesel

 

Rocket specifications
(30 km range family)
Model HE-30 SHEI-30 SHE-30 C-30
Calibre 122 mm 122 mm 122 mm 122 mm
Length 2,757 mm 2,757 mm 2,757 mm 2,927 mm
Weight 61 kg 61 kg 61 kg 60.5 kg
Warhead weight 18.3 kg 18.3 kg 18.3 kg 19 kg
Maximum range 32.7 km 32.7 km 32.7 km 32 km
Minimum range 12.7 km 12.7 km 12.7 km 14 km
Diameter of bomblet nil nil nil 42.2 mm
Number of bomblets nil 3400 steel balls 4044 steel balls 39
Maximum flight speed 1050 m/s 1050 m/s 1050 m/s 1050 m/s
Flight time to maximum range 110 s 110 s 110 s 110 s


Externally the new NORINCO type 90A 122mm MRS is
virtually identical to this NORINCO Type 90 MRS shown here
with launcher elevated and awning retracted to cab rear.

WS-1B MLRS Rears It's Ugly Head

China | Landmines | GPS

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