KWIC news London September 8: China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CPMIEC) has, for the first time, put onto the international weapon market the WS-1B multiple launch rocket systems with a range of 180 kilometers. Using the warheads weighing 150 kilograms, these systems include either four barrels or eight. They originated from the WS-1 multiple launch rocket system, whose longest range is only 80 kilometers.

Due to an agreement signed between China and the United States in 1994 on the control of the export of the ballistic missile technology, China has stopped the export of its ballistic missiles with a range of over 300 kilometers, mainly including the M9 and M11 models, to the developing countries in order to better its relationship with the United States. In the 1980s, China exported to Saudi Arabia the DF3 intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBM) whose range was as long as 1800 kilometers. Furthermore, in the early 1990s, China also sold Pakistan a small number of M11 ground-to-ground missiles with a range of about 300 kilometers. Those deals caused a deep concern to the United States. Sources told the KWIC reporter that once equipped with a guide system, the WS1B could become a ground-to-ground missile.

In the meantime, as the smallest width of the Taiwan Strait is only about 150 kilometers, the continuous increases in the ranges of the ground-to-ground rockets may cause a threat to some regions on the Taiwan island, thus achieving the goal of threatening those who advocate the independence of Taiwan. In case a war breaks out, the combined use of missiles and rocket guns will lower the war cost but increase the combat strength. The WS-1B rocket gun is now the one that has the longer range in the world. Compared with it, the US-made MLRS that became well known in the Gulf War in 1991 has only a range of 30 kilometers ( Edited by Donald Goel KWIC) .

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