Artillery

Type 63 107 mm multiple rocket launcher

Also known as
  • PH-63
  • Type 63 MRL
  • Type 63/81 107 mm launcher
  • H12
  • Fadjr-1
  • RO 107
  • T-107
  • Type 75

The Type 63 is a Chinese 12-tube 107 mm multiple rocket launcher designed for simple short-range area fire from a light split-trail carriage, truck mount, or derivative launcher. Developed by State Factory 847 and introduced with the PLA in 1963, the system became widely exported and copied; source-backed conflict records now show Taliban Type 63-family launcher use in Afghanistan, Boko Haram capture of a launcher in Niger, Russian Type-63 systems in Ukraine, and Houthi-aligned stocks in Yemen.

Type 63 107 mm multiple rocket launcher, Towed 107 mm multiple rocket launcher, Artillery
Image source: Commons H12 Type 63 Multiple Rocket Launcher Image

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
China
Type
Towed 107 mm multiple rocket launcher
Service note
Introduced in 1963; widely exported and copied; documented in Taliban rocket tactics, Boko Haram captured materiel, Russian use in Ukraine, and Houthi-aligned inventory in Yemen
Designer
Factory 847
Designed
Late 1950s to 1961 development; finalized and accepted in 1963
Unit cost
Not publicly reported
Produced
1963-present for the Type 63 family and international derivatives
Number built
Produced in large quantities; exact total not publicly reported

Specifications

Caliber
107 mm
Launcher
12 tubes arranged in three rows of four on a light two-wheel carriage
Crew
5
Maximum range
About 8.5 km with standard ammunition
Rate of fire
Full 12-rocket salvo in about 7-9 seconds
Ammunition
Electrically initiated unguided spin-stabilized rockets, including high-explosive fragmentation types
Loaded weight
About 613 kg
Travel dimensions
About 2.6 m long, 1.4 m wide, and 1.1-1.2 m high in travel configuration
Traverse and elevation
Manual traverse and elevation; about 15-17 degrees traverse each side depending on variant
Fire control
Indirect or optical sighting with manual laying
Mobility options
Towed split-trail carriage, truck-mounted variants, and single-tube or improvised launch arrangements are documented across the wider family
Typical tactical use
Short-range area fire against positions, bases, or troop concentrations, with irregular forces also using small or improvised launch setups
Ammunition And Launch Methods

The launcher family is built around electrically initiated 107 mm unguided rockets, but the same ammunition lineage appears with towed launchers, truck mounts, single-tube launchers, and improvised launch stands.

Standard launcher

A 12-tube array in three rows of four on a light two-wheel carriage, laid manually for short-range area fire.

Rocket family

Spin-stabilized 107 mm rockets with electrical initiation, usually documented around an 8-8.5 km standard range.

Field adaptations

Sources document truck-mounted variants, single-tube launchers, and field-expedient firing arrangements used by regular and irregular forces.

Variants

The Type 63 family includes the Chinese baseline launcher, lightened and truck-mounted Chinese variants, single-tube launch arrangements, and foreign copies or derivatives that fire the same 107 mm rocket lineage.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Type 63Baseline Chinese 12-tube towed launcher

Weaponsystems.net and Army Guide describe the baseline launcher as a 12-tube, three-row weapon accepted or introduced with the PLA in 1963.

Sources: Type 63, Type 63/81 Multiple Rocket Launcher

Type 63-ILightened airborne and mountain launcher

FAS lists Type 63-I as a packed model for airborne and mountain units within the 107 mm launcher family.

Sources: Type 63 107mm Rocket Launcher

Type 814x4 truck-mounted 12-tube launcher

Army Guide and FAS describe Type 81 as a self-propelled 107 mm Type 63-family launcher mounted on a 4x4 truck.

Sources: Type 63/81 Multiple Rocket Launcher, Type 63 107mm Rocket Launcher

Type 85Single-tube portable launcher

FAS describes Type 85 as a man-portable single-tube 107 mm launcher connected to the Type 63 rocket family.

Sources: Type 63 107mm Rocket Launcher

RL812Egyptian derivative

Weaponsystems.net lists RL812 among Type 63-family variants or production derivatives.

Sources: Type 63

Fadjr-1 / Fajr-1 / HasebIranian 107 mm derivative

Army Guide describes the Iranian Fajr-1 107 mm launcher system as similar to the NORINCO Type 63, while CSIS places Fajr-1 and Haseb in the Type 63 rocket lineage.

Sources: 107-mm Iran Fajr-1 Rocket Weapon System, Hezbollah's Rocket Arsenal

RO 107South African derivative

Weaponsystems.net lists RO 107 in the Type 63 family, and DefenceWeb notes that South Africa manufactured a launcher copy under the RO 107 designation after using captured Type 63 launchers.

Sources: Type 63, Armscor Seeking Multiple Rocket Launchers

T-107 / T-107/122Turkish 107 mm launcher branch

Weaponsystems.net lists T-107 among Type 63-family derivatives, while Roketsan documents a modern T-107/122 multi-barrel launcher and 107 mm artillery rockets.

Sources: Type 63, T-107/122 Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher System, Roketsan Artillery Rockets

Type 75North Korean derivative

Weaponsystems.net and FAS describe North Korean Type 75 or related self-propelled 107 mm systems as Type 63-family copies or derivatives.

Sources: Type 63, Type 63 107mm Rocket Launcher

H12Vietnamese designation

Weaponsystems.net lists H12 among Type 63-family designations, and the primary image source identifies the displayed launcher as H12/Type 63.

Sources: Type 63, Commons H12 Type 63 Multiple Rocket Launcher Image

Ammunition Fired

The Type 63 launcher family is built around electrically initiated, unguided 107 mm rockets rather than a tube-artillery cartridge.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
Type 63 107 mm rocket, Unguided 107 mm artillery rocket, MunitionsType 63 107 mm rocket107 mm unguided rocket

FAS identifies the Type 63 HE-fragmentation rocket as a spin-stabilized, electrically initiated round normally fired from trailer- or truck-mounted multiple launchers; Army Guide lists Type 63-2 ammunition for the Type 63/81 family.

Sources: Type 63 107mm Rocket Launcher, Type 63/81 Multiple Rocket Launcher

Compatible 107 mm Derivatives

Some foreign 107 mm rockets and launch systems sit in the Type 63 lineage, but compatibility is best stated conservatively unless a source documents a particular firing combination.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
Haseb/Fajr-1 107 mm rocket, Unguided 107 mm artillery rocket, ArtilleryHaseb/Fajr-1 107 mm rocketIranian 107 mm rocket derivative

Army Guide describes Iranian Fajr-1 107 mm rockets as assumed compatible with foreign 107 mm systems including Chinese systems, and CSIS places Fajr-1/Haseb in the Type 63 rocket lineage.

Sources: 107-mm Iran Fajr-1 Rocket Weapon System, Hezbollah's Rocket Arsenal

Timeline

Type 63 107 mm multiple rocket launcher Key Events

  1. State Factory 847 develops light launcher

    Chinese sources summarized by GlobalSecurity attribute 1961 development of the lightweight 107 mm towed rocket launcher to State Factory 847, after late-1950s trial work on 8 km field rocket launchers.

    Sources: Type 63 107mm Rocket Launcher Program

  2. PLA service begins

    Army Guide and WeaponSystems.net identify 1963 as the Type 63's PLA service-entry year, with the baseline launcher built as a 12-tube short-range area-fire weapon.

    Sources: Type 63/81 Multiple Rocket Launcher, Type 63

  3. Type 63-2 rocket introduced

    Army Guide describes the Type 63-2 ammunition as an improved 107 mm rocket introduced in 1975 for the Type 63/81 family.

    Sources: Type 63/81 Multiple Rocket Launcher

  4. Regular PLA use winds down

    Army Guide states that the launcher was fielded in large numbers by PLA ground forces until the late 1990s, after which remaining Chinese service concentrated in airborne, mountain, and special operations units.

    Sources: Type 63/81 Multiple Rocket Launcher

  5. Taliban Type 63 launcher use described

    A U.S. Army/TRADOC tactics report identifies Chinese Type 63 107 mm launchers in Taliban rocket tactics, while noting vehicle, improvised-stand, and wheeled-mount launch arrangements.

    Sources: Taliban Top 5 Most Deadly Tactics Techniques and Procedures

  6. Houthi-held launchers documented

    Oryx listed 107 mm Type 63 multiple rocket launchers among Houthi-aligned systems inherited from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks.

    Sources: Houthi Drone And Missile Handbook

  7. Russian Type-63 system struck in Ukraine

    Ukrainska Pravda, citing Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, reported that Ukrainian drone crews struck a Chinese-made Type 63 multiple-launch rocket system operated by Russian troops on the southern front.

    Sources: Ukrainian Border Guards Hit Type 63 Rocket Launcher

  8. Lyman-front Type-63 system destroyed

    Ukrinform reported that Ukrainian border-guard drone crews destroyed a Russian Type-63 multiple-launch rocket system on the Lyman front.

    Sources: Ukrainian Border Guards Destroy Russian Type-63 MLRS

Media

Type 63 107 mm multiple rocket launcher Videos

Type 63 107 mm multiple rocket launcher Images

Type 63 107 mm multiple rocket launcher, Towed 107 mm multiple rocket launcher, Artillery - view 1
Source: Commons Type 63 107 mm Multiple Rocket Launcher Image
Type 63 107 mm multiple rocket launcher, Towed 107 mm multiple rocket launcher, Artillery - view 2
Source: Commons Type 1963 107 mm Rocket Launcher Image
Related Weapon Systems
Type 63 107 mm rocket, Unguided 107 mm artillery rocket, MunitionsMunitionsType 63 107 mm rocketUnguided 107 mm artillery rocketThe Type 63 107 mm rocket is a Chinese-origin, electrically initiated, spin-stabilized unguided artillery rocket built for Type 63-family light launchers and related single-tube, truck-mounted, or improvised launch arrangements. FAS describes the projectile as a one-piece rocket with its warhead attached to the motor and canted nozzles for spin stabilization, while Army Guide lists Type 63-2 and incendiary ammunition for the launcher family. Its roughly 8.5 km standard range and simple firing circuit made the family useful for light area fire, improvised insurgent attacks, and captured-materiel inventories from Iraq and Afghanistan to the Lake Chad basin.
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Sakr-6 multiple rocket launcher, Light 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, ArtilleryArtillerySakr-6 multiple rocket launcherLight 122 mm multiple rocket launcherThe Sakr-6 is a light six-tube 122 mm multiple rocket launcher associated with Egypt's Sakr/Grad-compatible rocket-artillery family. Oryx lists the type in both pre-war Yemeni Army inventories and later Houthi-held Yemen Civil War equipment, while technical sources support only family-level details for compatible Sakr and Russian-pattern Grad rockets rather than a complete Sakr-6 datasheet or a verified Sakr-6 firing incident.
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Sources

Type 63Publisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports Type 63 background, Chinese origin, 12-tube layout, manual aiming, crew, range, rate of fire, weight, and variant context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Type 63/81 Multiple Rocket LauncherPublisher: Army Guide | Note: Supports Factory 847 development background, NORINCO manufacturer context, PLA service entry, launcher layout, ammunition, crew, and range specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Type 63 107mm Rocket Launcher ProgramPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports development timeline context for State Factory 847 work on the 1963-type 107 mm lightweight towed rocket launcher. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Type 63 107mm Rocket LauncherPublisher: Federation of American Scientists | Note: Supports Type 63-family launcher and ammunition relationship context, including Type 63, Type 63-I, Type 81, Type 85, and electrically initiated 107 mm HE-fragmentation rocket descriptions. | Accessed: 2026-07-04107-mm Iran Fajr-1 Rocket Weapon SystemPublisher: Army Guide | Note: Supports Iranian Fajr-1/Haseb derivative context, including the Fajr-1 107 mm launcher system's similarity to the NORINCO Type 63 and stated compatibility assumptions with foreign 107 mm systems. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Hezbollah's Rocket ArsenalPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports Fajr-1 and Haseb 107 mm rocket lineage context as Iranian copies or derivatives connected to the Chinese Type 63 family. | Accessed: 2026-07-04T-107/122 Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher SystemPublisher: Roketsan | Note: Supports Turkish T-107/122 derivative-branch context, including modern 107 mm launcher configuration and firing-control features. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Roketsan Artillery RocketsPublisher: Roketsan | Note: Supports Turkish TR-107 107 mm artillery rocket context used with the T-107/T-107/122 launcher branch. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Armscor Seeking Multiple Rocket LaunchersPublisher: DefenceWeb | Note: Supports South African RO 107 derivative context, including South African use of captured Type 63 launchers, local rocket manufacture, and Mechem's former RO 107 launcher copy. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Taliban Top 5 Most Deadly Tactics Techniques and ProceduresPublisher: U.S. Army TRADOC, hosted by Public Intelligence | Note: Supports 2001 War in Afghanistan direct-use context: Taliban artillery, mortar, and rocket tactics included 107 mm rocket launchers, and the deck identifies Chinese Type 63 107 mm launchers or field-expedient 107 mm launch arrangements. | Accessed: 2026-07-04At the Crossroads of Sahelian ConflictsPublisher: Small Arms Survey / Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime | Note: Supports 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency direct captured-equipment context: reporting on the Camp Bosso attack lists one Type 63 107 mm multiple rocket launcher and crates of 107 mm Type 63 rockets among captured materiel. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Ukrainian Border Guards Hit Type 63 Rocket LauncherPublisher: Ukrainska Pravda | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct-use context: citing Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, the article reports a Chinese-made Type 63 multiple-launch rocket system operated by Russian troops and struck on the southern front. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Ukrainian Border Guards Destroy Russian Type-63 MLRSPublisher: Ukrinform | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct-use context: reporting says Ukrainian border-guard drone crews destroyed a Russian Type-63 multiple-launch rocket system on the Lyman front. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Houthi Drone And Missile HandbookPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War direct-use context: 107 mm Type 63 launchers fielded by Houthi-aligned forces from pre-war Yemeni Army stocks. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Commons H12 Type 63 Multiple Rocket Launcher ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a public-domain Type 63/H12 launcher photograph by Binh Giang. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Commons Type 63 107 mm Multiple Rocket Launcher ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a CC BY-SA 4.0 Type 63 107 mm multiple rocket launcher photograph by Tyg728. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Commons Type 1963 107 mm Rocket Launcher ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a CC BY-SA 4.0 Type 1963 107 mm rocket launcher photograph by Tyg728. | Accessed: 2026-07-04