A - 100 MRL The A - 100 is a 300 mm , 10 - tube multiple rocket launcher developed by Beijing - based China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology ( CALT , also known as 1st Space Academy ) for the Chinese PLA ground force s . Overview . China reportedly received a small number of the Russian Smerch 9K58 300 mm , 12 - tube multiple launch rocket system and its ammunition in 1997 . The Smerch 9K58 system is capable of firing a ‘ smart ’ submunition that has a dual - colour infrared sensors for terminal guidance , which enables the rocket to achieve accuracies previously difficult to achieve with unguided rockets of that range . The submunition is fitted with kinetic energy fragment warheads which are said to be able to penetrate 70mm of armour at an angle of 30° to the normal . China National Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation ( CPMIEC ) , a trading company that markets Chinese missile and defence technologies to foreign customers , revealed the A - 100 multiple launch rocket system in 2000 . The system was developed by CALT , which is famous for its ChangZheng ( Long March ) family of space launch vehicles and DongFeng family of ballistic missiles . The A - 100 system is CALT ’ s first attempt to break into the tactical weapons market . The development of the A - 100 possibly began in the late 1990s and the MRL system was observed in service with the PLA 1st Artillery Division in Guangzhou MR in 2002 , possibly for trial and evaluations . Although the system resembles the Russian Smerch 9K58 300 mm rocket system , it is not a copy of the Smerch as previously speculated . The A - 100 rocket is fitted with a simple guidance system for greater accuracy . Rocket specifications . The A - 100 fires 300 mm solid propellant rockets , with a firing range of 40 ~ 100 km . The A - 100 rocket is 7 . 3m in length , weighs 840 kg , carries a 235 kg warhead , and is stabilised by spin , thrust , and stabilising fins . It is fitted with a warhead containing 500 HE - FRAG ( High Explosive Fragmentation ) anti - armour / personnel submunitions . The submunition can penetrate 50mm of armour , and has a blast radius of 7m . The submunitions have a spreading radius of 100 + / - 40 metres . The rocket consists of the warhead and fuse , a thrust stabilising system , a rocket motor and the tail section . The rocket motor is a single chamber , solid rocket motor with an advanced hydroxy - terminated polybutadine ( HTPB ) composition rocket propellant . The stabilising fins are folded inside the launch tube and open once the rocket leaves the tube . The rocket is equipped with an onboard computer to help correct the horizontal and vertical deviations . During the first three seconds of the rocket ’ s flight , the onboard computer detects the horizontal difference between the programmed trajectory and actual status of the rocket , and controls the rocket ’ s stabilising thrust system to correct the rocket ’ s flying direction . The onboard computer corrects the vertical deviation by adjusting the warhead detonation time so that the submunitions are spread with a high accuracy . Launch vehicle . The launch vehicle is based on a TAS5380 8X8 wheeled truck chassis developed by Tai ' an Special Vehicle Manufactory . The vehicle weights 21t and has a maximum load of 22t . The vehicle has a maximum road speed of 60 km / h and a maximum range of 650 km . The vehicles has a gradient of 57 % and a fording depth of 1 . 1m . The vehicle is equipped with four hydraulically operated stabilisers which are lowered in preparation for the rocket launch . 10 launcher tubes mounted on the chassis are arranged as two blocks of four ( top ) and six ( bottom ) tubes .