On August 6th, China News Service dropped a new PR video on YouTube praising an artillery brigade. Cute production values, lots of smoke trails, and the usual “heroic silhouettes against sunset” aesthetic. But the interesting part isn’t the same old PR video, good quality but still PR, it’s why this particular unit got the spotlight.
PLA lineage:
The Katyusha era: This unit was formed in September 1945 in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region (晋察冀军区) as the 8th Brigade, then expanded into the 12th Division, 11th Column of the Northeast Field Army during the Chinese Civil War. It converted from an infantry division into the 21st Artillery Division, its three infantry regiments expanded into five artillery regiments, making it the first PLA unit issued BM-13 Katyusha rocket launchers. It entered Korea in 1952, returned to China in October 1953, was reorganized in February 1955 under the PLA’s Soviet-style restructuring (1955 was a huge year in PLA history). It followed the classic Soviet artillery model: heavy guns, howitzers, anti-tank artillery, and — the part that made it famous — Katyusha rocket launchers.
The Katyusha regiment assigned to the 11th was the first rocket artillery ever issued to a PLA field unit, and that alone made the division stand out. It had plenty of artillery, but the rockets were its prestige piece, the elite badge of the era.
1985 From division to Group Army asset:
During the 1985 PLA downsizing, the 11th Artillery Division was reorganized and absorbed into the 40th Group Army, becoming the key artillery formation of the Shenyang Military Region.
When the PLA finally fielded its first modern heavy MLRS, the PHL-03 300mm system, the 40th Group Army’s artillery brigade was the first unit to receive it. Tradition matters in the PLA, and the old Katyusha lineage still carried weight.
2015–2017 reforms — goodbye 40th, hello 79th
The big structural overhaul wiped out the old seven Military Regions and replaced them with today’s five Theater Commands. The PLA’s 18 group armies were renumbered into 13 new formations (71–83).
The 40th Group Army didn’t survive the transition. Its personnel and equipment were folded into the 79th Group Army, part of the Northern Theater Command, facing what I’ll call “The Best Korea™.”
The artillery brigade that inherited the 40th’s lineage and its habit of being “first in line” for new toys. It is now the 79th Artillery Brigade, 79th Group Army, Northern Theater Command.
PHL-191 — the newest chapter in the lineage:
Following tradition, the 79th Artillery Brigade is now confirmed as the PLA’s first operator of the PHL-191, the modular long-range MLRS that replaces the PHL-03.
This is the logical continuation of the Katyusha → PHL-03 → PHL-191 lineage.
Same unit family, same mission, same prestige slot.
Why this matters? Because of range, geography, and doctrine:
The PHL-191’s 370mm rockets (the domestic version of the export Fire Dragon 280 / BRE-6) have a range of 300 km.
Compare that to the older PHL-03:
- Early rockets: 130 km
- Later rockets: 150 km
That range difference is a key consideration regarding Taiwan:
A PHL-03 had to be parked at the narrowest point of the Taiwan Strait (Pingtan) just to reach Taiwan’s western coastline. From most of Fujian’s coast, it simply couldn’t reach inland targets.
A PHL-191 absolutely can and it does so with:
- Cheaper rockets than equivalent-range missiles
- Inertial guidance plus BeiDou satellite correction
- Modular pods that can swap calibers and warheads
- Mass-production potential the PLA loves
So, the PLA finally has a long-range, high-volume, low-cost fires system that fits perfectly into its “Special Military Operation”
The fun historical tidbit
The unit firing those rockets today is the same lineage that fired the first Katyusha in PLA history.
Different era, different doctrine, different hardware but the same tradition:
“Give the new rockets to the old rocket guys.”
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