A new tracked Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) has been inducted into
the Peoples liberation Army (PLA) 71st Group Army together with an air defense missile, command vehicle and ammunition supply vehicle.
"These new weapons and equipment feature strong maneuverability, quick response and high strike accuracy, able to carry out various operational tasks including fire assault, fire support and fire blockade, in different terrains such as plain, plateau and desert,”the PLA's official news website, Chinamil, said March 26.
While the equipment was not identified by make and model, various reports suggest that the new MLRS could be the PZL-11, a tracked version of the truck-mounted SR4 122mm MLRS.
The PZL-11's tracked chassis has commonality with the PGZ-09 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun while its overall design has cues from the M-270 tracked howitzer system of the U.S. Army.
Not much is is known regarding the MLRS development timeframe. However, images of a Chinese tracked MLRS have been appearing since 2020 in social media by accounts following Chinese military developments.
From a PLA video of the new MLRS, it can be discerned that the new systems is fitted with two pods of 20 launchers for 122mm rockets arranged in four rows of five tubes each mounted on a power operated turntable.
After the rockets are fired, a dedicated reloading vehicle with a crane unloads the empty rocket cases and places new ones on the mount. The re-loading vehicle is shown in the Chinamil video.
While nothing has been revealed regarding the ammunition in the new MLRS, earlier reports about the PZL-11 suggest that it can fire unguided solid propellant 122 mm rockets including mine laying, fuel-air explosive, HE High Explosive, steel ball HE, and steel ball HE incendiary with a range from 15 km to 30 km.