PHL-191 Steel Rain Airburst Munitions Debut: PLA's Shift from Destruction to Suppression in 2026 Taiwan Strait Rocket Artillery

On July 23, the South China Morning Post noted a small but significant detail in a video: the "Steel Rain" footage released by the PLA's social media accounts showed multiple munitions launched by the PHL-191 long-range rocket artillery exploding in the air over a target range, subsequently covering ground targets with high-speed metal fragments. This video appears to be a promotional clip, but it reveals more than just "powerful firepower"; it indicates a reordering of the PLA's rocket artillery tasks in the early stages of combat in the Taiwan Strait.

In the past, discussions about the PHL-191 often referred to it as the "Chinese version of HIMARS." While this description is somewhat convenient, it can also be misleading. The PHL-191, also commonly known as PHL-16 or PCL-191, uses an 8×8 wheeled chassis, with publicly available information indicating a total weight of about 45 tons and a crew of three. Its core value lies in its modular launch box: it can carry 300mm and 370mm rockets, as well as larger diameter tactical ballistic missile-type munitions. The range of different munitions varies significantly, with public estimates ranging from approximately 130 kilometers, 220 kilometers, 280 kilometers to 500 kilometers.

Airburst Munitions Do Not Target Underground Bunkers

The image above shows the Chinese PHL-03 multiple rocket launcher, which belongs to the previous generation of long-range rocket artillery systems and is not the PHL-191 featured in this video. It is included here to help readers understand the general direction of the evolution of the Chinese Army's long-range firepower from "multiple launch" to "modular, precise, and multi-type."

The reason the "Steel Rain" is worth discussing is that the target logic of airburst fragment munitions differs from that of penetrating munitions or single high-explosive munitions. They are not suitable for striking aircraft, munitions, or command facilities in Taiwan's mountain caves, but are more appropriate for suppressing exposed or semi-exposed targets, such as radar positions, communication vehicles, field air defense systems, airport repair teams, coastal missile launch preparation positions, and lightly equipped personnel and vehicles on the landing front. In simple terms, it is not a hammer to break open iron doors, but a broom to prevent those outside from organizing.

The Real Issue with PHL-191 is the Ammunition Combination

The significance of the PHL-191 compared to the PHL-03 lies not only in its longer range but also in its ability to switch munitions based on the mission. Public information shows that its two modular launch boxes can be configured to carry 8 pieces of 370mm rockets or 10 pieces of 300mm rockets; the export AR-3 system has also demonstrated the possibility of carrying larger diameter tactical missiles and anti-ship munitions. This structure allows the same rocket artillery unit to switch between "long-range precision strikes," "area suppression," "anti-ship deterrence," and "tactical interdiction."

• For fixed targets, 500-kilometer class munitions can threaten airports, command nodes, and rear assembly areas.
• For field targets, airburst fragment munitions are more suitable for disrupting air defense, communication, and maneuver support systems.
• For coastal targets in the Taiwan Strait, the range of 370mm class munitions is already sufficient to cover a significant tactical depth.

The author believes that the past excessive focus on whether the PHL-191 can "hit where" has underestimated how it can "hit in what way." Range is merely a circle on the map; the type of munitions determines what happens within that circle.

The Implication for the Taiwan Strait is to First Disable the System

The South China Morning Post cited analysts who believe that this type of airburst rocket may primarily be used to disrupt Taiwan's detection, communication, and response chains in the Taiwan Strait scenario, before larger-scale aerial and amphibious operations are considered. This assessment is valid. Many high-value assets in Taiwan are indeed protected by mountain fortifications, but the island's wartime operations rely on numerous temporary deployment nodes: radar systems require maintenance, air defense missiles need to be loaded, airport runways need to be repaired after being hit, and coastal defense missiles also require mobility, camouflage, and communication.

Airburst munitions target these "exposed links." They may not destroy core equipment in one strike, but they can cause personnel casualties, force position relocations, slow down repair efforts, and make Taiwan's air defense system repeatedly weigh the decision of whether to power on or continue to maneuver. While this may not seem as exciting as sinking a warship, in high-intensity combat on the first day, a 10-minute delay can sometimes be more critical than a direct hit.

Shortcomings Are Also Obvious

However, the "Steel Rain" video should not be understood as some kind of universal key. For long-range rocket artillery to be used effectively, reconnaissance, positioning, ballistic correction, and damage assessment must be closed-loop. Taiwan's targets are highly mobile, and there will be no shortage of camouflage and decoys. The PHL-191 itself also relies on road mobility, rear supply, and loading vehicles; once it enters sustained firing, the rapid consumption of munitions will quickly expose supply chain pressures.

This is also an old problem akin to Li Minghui's: the appearance of equipment can only indicate "it can fire this type of munition," not "how many it can fire continuously." What is truly worth monitoring is not how beautifully the next "Steel Rain" video is shot, but whether the Eastern Theater Command's Rocket Force and Army long-range fire units have publicly demonstrated more intensive reloading, cross-regional ammunition forward delivery, and combat loss replenishment training.

Main reference: The South China Morning Post reported on July 23 that the PLA released a video of the PHL-191 "Steel Rain" airburst munitions; public information on PHL-16/PHL-191 shows that it uses a modular launch box and has multi-munitions configuration capabilities.