Pakistan Army inducted A-100 Rocket in Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) of its Corps of Artillery. Media wing of the armed forces, Inter Services Public Relations said “A- 100 Rocket has been indigenously developed by Pakistani scientists and engineers. With over 100 kilometers range the Rocket is a highly effective and potent for interdiction that can effectively disrupt enemy’s mobilization and assembly.”
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa was the chief guest at the induction ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, he paid tribute to scientists and engineers for indigenously developing A- 100 rocket which shall augment the existing conventional firepower capabilities of Pakistan Army. The COAS emphasised Pakistan Army’s resolve to strengthen conventional forces to meet the challenges of full-spectrum threat. He said that Pakistan’s defence industry had maintained steady progress in recent times and had contributed to the defence of the motherland.
The A100 was proposed for export customers. Its improved version has been exported to Pakistan and Tanzania. Pakistan procured a battalion of A100E systems (36 launchers). It was purchased in response to India’s acquisition of the Russian 9A52-2T Smerch (variant of the original Smerch). Both the Smerch and the A100E are 300 mm MLRS systems. Pakistan also considers local production of the A100E. The A100 launcher vehicle exported to Pakistan was based on a Taian TAS4500 special wheeled chassis with 8×8 configuration.
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 forces. It is a derivative of Weishi Rockets WS-1 with simple cascade terminal inertial guidance.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.
