In a departure from the usual procedure at annual live-fire drills, the military-run Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) last week demonstrated the power of its multiple rocket launcher to the army in a bid to win orders.
The weapons system, named the "RT2000 Artillery Multiple Launch Rocket System," is claimed by the CSIST to be the best of its kind in the world. It was successfully test-fired in a live-ammunition drill as part of the Hankuang No. 17 exercise, which took place last Friday at a coastal site in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan.
The test-firing of the RT2000 was quite unusual in the Hankuang-series exercises since the weapons system has not entered service due to a lack of orders from the army. In the past, the military used only operational weapons systems in Hankuang exercises, which have been held each year since 1984.
It was also unusual that officials with the institute, who were involved in the development of the RT2000, were at the site of last Friday's live-fire drill to promote their product.
In the drill, which simulated counter-offensives against amphibious landing attempts by China, various types of weapons systems were tested to see what their effectiveness would be in a similar campaign.
The RT2000 rockets can reach targets 30km away. The army claimed that during the test, the rockets accurately hit the target, which was a decommissioned warship. Colonel Chang Shih-ting (張世定), an official with the CSIST who is in charge of the RT2000 development project, claimed the RT2000 is the best of its kind in the world.
"We have reason to say so. Compared with the MLRS [multiple launch rocket system] made by the US, our product is superior in many ways. The MLRS is generally considered to be the best of its kind in the world," Chang said.
"While moving toward the target, the US' MLRS has to stop every 10km to readjust its position in relation to the target. Our RT-2000 does not have this problem since it can automatically adjust its position during its course using the GPS [global positioning system] on board," Chang said.
"Our product also has better maneuverability and a better firing rate. The MLRS cannot fire while moving. But our product can. There is a 10-second interval between each firing of the MLRS, while that for the RT2000 is only two seconds," he said.
"The MLRS is moved by a tracked vehicle, while the RT2000 can be moved by a wheeled vehicle. The main disadvantage with a tracked vehicle is that the vehicle will move off of its fixed position during firing. Our wheeled vehicle-driven RT2000 does not have this problem, either," he said.
Despite Chang's praise of the RT2000, the army has yet to make a decision on whether to buy the domestically-built weapon system or the MLRS from the US.
An army general, who had previously seen a test-firing of RT2000, said it may not be as good as the technology institute claims especially in respect to its destructive power.
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