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Liu Zhen

The People’s Liberation Army’s long-range rocket launchers can hit moving targets at sea during island seizure operations, according to mainland Chinese state media.
In a report on Thursday, state broadcaster CCTV gave the first official confirmation that the PLA’s PHL-03 land-based rocket launchers could be a threat to moving surface vessels more than 100km (62 miles) away, indicating potential use against ships.
Previously, the launchers were thought to only pose a threat to land targets.
“Striking maritime targets not only significantly expands the operational reach of long-range firepower but also establishes a new tactical deterrent ability,” the report said.




As a cost-effective and potent addition to missiles, the PLA’s long-range rockets are widely seen as a key firepower element in any potential military operation in the Taiwan Strait.
CCTV aired the report soon after Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te proposed a record defence budget for the island, including funds for the new “Taiwan Shield”, or “T-Dome”, air defence system.
The “T-Dome” would be a multilayered air and missile defence system and has been proposed as a way to prevent PLA aircraft, drones and missiles – as well as rockets – from striking the island.
The CCTV footage showed truck-mounted PHL-03 rocket launchers firing 300mm (3.9-inch) rockets from the coast and hitting floating targets at sea.
The targets were 10 metres (33 feet) in diameter and positioned 150km offshore, simulating moving enemy transport ships and uncrewed boats, the report said, indicating the rockets could also be used for anti-ship purposes.
“The accuracy in striking these floating targets is precise to within just a few metres,” it said.
The report said that to be able to locate and track maritime targets, the PLA had improved its real-time intelligence and data-link systems via surveillance platforms such as drones and satellites.
It had also improved communications to address potential environmental disruptions to rocket trajectories at sea such as crosswinds, high humidity and waves.
The confirmation also comes amid a diplomatic row between Beijing and Tokyo over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s suggestion that her country could become involved militarily in a conflict in the Taiwan Strait.
Japan’s Ministry of Defence has also announced “steady progress” in its preparations to deploy medium-range, surface-to-air missiles on Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost island only 110km away from Taiwan.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary and has warned that it would “resolutely strike back” if Japan used force to intervene.
Most countries, including Japan and the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-ruled island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.
Tensions across the strait have worsened in recent years since the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party came to power on the island. Beijing has labelled Lai as a “separatist” and ramped up military pressure against the island.
On Wednesday, Lai earmarked a historic US$40 billion (around NT$1.25 trillion) for a supplementary defence budget. Part of the funding would go to the development of the Taiwan Shield, although just how much is not known.
Lai proposed the system in October, inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome and the US’ proposed Golden Dome.


The Taiwanese system will link disparate sensors and shooters into a network with high-level detection and effective interception of incoming aerial threats, supported by AI-enabled decision tools and reinforced command-and-control technology.
In addition to the moving targets, the CCTV report showed dozens of PHL-03 launchers, aiming at fixed targets at sea, simulating enemy headquarters, radar stations and communication nodes. The goal was to practise “paralysing the enemy’s nerve centre in a single strike”.
The PHL-03 has been in service since 2004 and is the workhorse of the PLA’s artillery forces, with hundreds of systems deployed.
The upgraded PHL-16, also known as the PCL-191, was introduced in 2019 and has a flexible modular design that enables it to use various types of ammunition, including tactical ballistic missiles and anti-ship missiles. This flexibility extends its range to up to 500km and makes it more precise.
The report also showed the PHL-16 in operation during the Strait Thunder 2025A exercise around Taiwan in April.
It said that in an island assault operation, the PHL-03 could wipe out beachhead defenders with blanketing fire or destroy the enemy’s attacking or landing forces from a stand-off distance. Meanwhile, the PHL-16 could carry out precise “decapitation strikes” against the enemy’s high-value assets, including the command-and-control networks.


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State TV footage shows PHL-03 launchers hitting moving maritime targets during drill


State TV footage shows PHL-03 launchers hitting moving maritime targets during drill.


Could the PLA use long-range rockets against ships in an attack on Taiwan?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}State TV footage shows PHL-03 launchers hitting moving maritime targets during drill

State TV footage shows PHL-03 launchers hitting moving maritime targets during drill