In order to hone professionalism in manning weapons, soldiers of the 1st Rocket Battalion (1 Mar 1st Battalion)of the Indonesian Marines carried out gun drill exercises with the NORINCO 90B Multiple Launcher Rocket System (MLRS) which took place at the 1st Yonroket Apple Field, Kesatrian Marines Baroto Sardadi Marunda, North Jakarta, Defense Studies reports.
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Norinco Type 90B Indonesian Navy Marine Corps (Picture source: Airspace Review/Indonesian Marine Corps)
Training took place under the leadership of Marine Lt. Martin Safari as Trainer and Training Battery Officer (Parai).
Type 90B is the second generation of Type 90 series MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) of 122mm caliber. The weapon system is designed and manufactured by the Chinese Defense company NORINCO. The first version of Type 90 MLRS was unveiled in the mid-1990s, followed by Type 90B in 2004.
The 122 mm Type 90B multiple launch rocket system is a mobile fire support system for the destruction of a variety of targets by means of multiple barrages of up to 40 rockets fired in salvo. The Type 90B is able to be in combat position, fire and leave its firing position in less than 7 minutes. The Type 90B is fully operational with the Peruvian army: in 2013, Peru ordered 27 Type 90B MLRS to China that were delivered in 2015. The Indonesian Marine Corps also operates this artillery system.
The PLA developed the Type 81 122mm 40-tube multiple launch rocket system based on the Soviet BM-21 ‘Grad’ in the early 1980s. In the mid-1990s NORINCO revealed a new 122mm rocket system design known as Type 90. The biggest difference on the Type 90 is the reload pack carrying 40 spare rockets, which can reload the rocket launcher within 3 minutes after the first launch, providing additional firepower with quick turnarounds. The launcher is mounted on the improved North-Benz 2629 6X6 truck, which possesses better performance compared to the Yan’an SX2150 truck used by the Type 81.
The Type 90 is also supported by a large formation of ground equipment including a battery command truck, rocket reloading trucks, reconnaissance APC, meteorological radar, and maintenance vehicles. Greater firing accuracy is ensured by the use of a computerised fire-control system integrated with GPS on the improved Type 90B. The weapon system could deliver intensive firepower over a distance of 40km within a very short period. The weapon was designed to engage large area targets such as armour formation, airport, weapon storages, etc. NORINCO has developed a range of warheads for different purposes.
The Type 90 fires 122mm fin-stabilized free rockets to a minimum range of 10~12km and a maximum range of 20~40km depending on the rocket type. The combination of spin- and fin-stabilization ensures closely grouped fire. The rocket can deliver High-Explosive (HE), High-Explosive Fragmentation (HE-FRAG), High-Explosive Incendiary (HEI), anti-tank/anti-personnel submunitions, and mind-laying warheads of 18.3~22kg at a standard range, or 26-28kg at reduced range. These rockets could also be launched from the older Type 81 rocket system.
Variants
- Type 90: standard version
- Type 90A: able to fire unguided rockets, new computerized fire control, command post can lay and control Type 90A launchers units by remote control.
