H40G1B6 Taepung

H40G1B6 Taepung
Type	Multiple rocket launcher
Place of origin	Menghe
Service history
In service	2008-present
Production history
Designer	Buksŏng Industries Group
Produced	2005-present
Specifications
Weight	47 tonnes
Length	12.17 m
Width	3.48 m (incl. mirrors)
Height	3.97 m (rockets stowed)
Crew	4
Engine	WY-0400 V-12 diesel 540 hp
Transmission	8×8
Ground clearance	400mm
Operational range	600 km (road)
Speed	70 km/h (road)

The H40G1B6 Taepung ("Typhoon") is a heavy multiple rocket launcher developed in Menghe. It is armed with six reusable launch tubes for 400mm rockets, and can fire both guided and unguided projectiles out to a maximum range of 180 kilometers. It was designed as a multi-purpose Army-level weapon capable of attacking important targets in the enemy's operational depth or delivering supporting fire against enemy units on the battlefield.

The Menghean Army is currently in the process of replacing the Taepung with the H41G1B6 Dolpung, which fulfills the same role but has a longer range and an easier reloading procedure. As of 2021, however, the Taepung is still the more common Army-level rocket artillery system.

Development

The Democratic People's Republic of Menghe had experimented with high-caliber rocket artillery in the early 1980s, including a 400mm system launched from cage-like frames, but none of these systems entered service. After the Decembrist Revolution in 1987, the Socialist government decided that the reduced likelihood of a border conflict had rendered a heavy multiple rocket launcher unnecessary.

The state-run Buksŏng Industries Group began development work on a new long-range multiple rocket launcher in the early 2000s, under the designation JHB-40/8. Per its designation, this system had eight 40cm rocket tubes, and it could fire unguided rockets out to a range of 100 kilometers. The Menghean Army expressed some interest in the system, but the Ministry of National Defense's common procurement board did not offer any domestic purchases, instead prioritizing the modernization of front-line units.

Domestic interest in Buksŏng's JHB-40/8 resumed in 2005, after Menghe was pushed to the brink of war with Maverica and Innominada. The Menghean Army successfully negotiated for the system's adoption in 2006, though the MoND did push for a number of updates and changes, including a reduction in the number of rocket tubes from eight to six. The production version of the JHB-40/6 entered service in 2008, under the official designation H40G1B6 (40cm rocket, system 1, 6-tube launcher). It was first delivered to the 4th Army, under the command of the newly-formed 137th Rocket Artillery Brigade.

Description

The H40G1B6 is carried on the Taekchŏn T512 8×8 chassis, which is powered by a 540-horsepower V12 diesel engine. The vehicle has good off-road mobility, allowing it greater flexibility in deployment, and can reach a road speed of 70 kilometers per hour. Both the cab and the control room are sealed and fitted with overpressure air filters, protecting the crew from chemical, biological, and radiological weapons.

The launcher itself consists of six 400mm rocket tubes, mounted in two rows of three. This six-tube assembly can be elevated from 0 to 55 degrees, and can traverse 60 degrees left or right. Aiming of the launcher is carried out automatically by a powered turntable, and trajectory is calculated automatically by the firing computer. When the vehicle is traveling, the launch tubes are fitted with protective caps on the front and rear to prevent debris from entering the tubes.

Export organizations associated with the Menghean Army claim that the Taepung can be prepared for firing in less than 10 minutes, though operational trials have suggested that the average time is closer to 15. Before firing, the vehicle must be stabilized on hydraulic jacks, which are located on the sides of the vehicle between the rear pairs of road wheels. The process of firing a full barrage takes less than 20 seconds, with rockets fired at 4-second intervals, though the launcher can also fire at longer intervals while adjusting the trajectory in between launches. Once a barrage is finished, the vehicle can be ready to leave its firing position in 5 minutes.

Ammunition

Like other Menghean corps- and army-level rocket artillery systems, the H40G1B6 Taepung can fire a wide variety of ammunition types, including standard high-explosive rockets, cluster munition rockets, minelaying rockets, and precision-guided rockets. A single launcher can be loaded with different types of rockets, though because individual rockets differ in their ballistic qualities, the crew must calculate a new trajectory and adjust the launcher's angle when switching from one ammunition type to another. Standard Menghean Army practice evades this problem by loading different launchers in a battery with different ammunition types, so that the battery collectively lays a mixed anti-personnel and anti-tank minefield.

Designation	Warhead	Warhead mass	Maximum range	Guidance
H-40GP	High explosive	250 kg	100 km	None
H-40GPW	High explosive	200 kg	180 km	Inertial
H-40Ya	Thermobaric	260 kg	140 km	None
H-40Ch	756× Chŏl-u	259 kg	140 km	None
H-40JI	504× JIG-J	221 kg	160 km	None
H-40JCh	20× AT mine	300 kg	120 km	None
H-40B	24× Buŏng-i	288 kg	140 km	None
H-40GPY	High explosive	150 kg	180 km	CSNS

Operators

• Argentstan
• Menghe
• Template:Country data Ummayah