Cambodia uses Chinese Type-90B and PHL-03 rocket launchers in strikes on Thailand.

Thailand announced on December 8, 2025, that Cambodian forces may use Chinese-made Type-90B 122 mm and PHL-03 300 mm multiple launch rocket systems into Thai border areas, according to Reuters. Videos posted by residents and open-source investigators independently verified the rocket launches and impacts.

According to information published by Reuters on December 8, 2025, the Thai government confirmed that Cambodian forces employed Chinese-made multiple launch rocket systems, specifically the Type-90B 122 mm MLRS and the PHL-03 300 mm MLRS, to fire artillery rockets into several border areas within Thailand amid escalating tensions along the disputed frontier. Thai officials said independent verification came from multiple videos posted on social media by local residents and open-source investigators, showing rocket trails, impacts in border villages, and the movement of Cambodian military MLRS units toward forward firing positions.
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The Cambodian Army's Chinese-made Type-90B 122mm multiple rocket launchers on display during a military parade in Phnom Penh, highlighting its 40-tube configuration and high-mobility chassis. This system has been integrated into frontline artillery brigades since its delivery from China in 2022. (Picture source: YouTube video footage)

According to Reuters on December 8, 2025, the Thai government confirmed that Cambodian forces employed Chinese-made multiple launch rocket systems, specifically the Type-90B 122 mm MLRS and the PHL-03 300 mm MLRS, to fire artillery rockets into several border areas within Thailand amid escalating tensions along the disputed frontier. Thai officials said independent verification came from multiple videos posted on social media by local residents and open-source investigators, showing rocket trails, impacts in border villages, and the movement of Cambodian military MLRS units toward forward firing positions.

The Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) is a class of mobile artillery designed to deliver rapid, high-volume firepower over a wide area. Unlike traditional howitzers or mortars, which typically fire one round at a time, an MLRS vehicle is equipped with a series of rocket tubes—often 12, 24, or even 40 in number—capable of launching a coordinated salvo within seconds. This capability enables units to suppress, neutralize, or destroy enemy concentrations, air defense sites, or logistical hubs with devastating speed. MLRS systems are particularly valuable in shaping the battlefield during offensive operations, softening enemy positions ahead of a mechanized assault, or in a defensive role to saturate advancing formations. Their high mobility and quick shoot-and-scoot tactics make them difficult to counter, enabling rapid repositioning to avoid counterbattery fire.

Cambodia currently operates 74 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, while Thailand fields 69. This gives the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces a marginal numerical advantage but, more significantly, reflects a deliberate modernization strategy. Since 2022, Cambodia has integrated advanced Chinese-origin rocket systems into its artillery command, notably 8 Type-90B 122 mm truck-mounted launchers and 6 PHL-03 300 mm heavy MLRS. Both systems are produced by NORINCO and provide long-range strike capability, rapid mobility, and digital fire control systems. These launchers were introduced during military parades but have since been absorbed into active artillery brigades positioned near the border.

The Type-90B is a truck-mounted 122 mm system configured with 40 launch tubes and a computerized fire control suite. It provides rapid area suppression at ranges up to 40 km. In combat conditions, a battery of Type-90Bs can fire a saturation barrage and reposition within minutes, minimizing exposure to counter-battery radar. The heavier PHL-03 system, modeled on Russia’s BM-30 Smerch, delivers strategic-level firepower with 12 launch tubes for 300 mm rockets. Depending on the warhead, the system can achieve ranges beyond 70 km and is capable of deploying cluster munitions, thermobaric payloads, or anti-runway submunitions. Cambodian artillery personnel trained with Chinese advisors in 2022 to support integration of these systems, including logistics, maintenance, and mission planning.

Footage posted to social media shows Cambodian units firing multiple salvos consistent with the Type-90B’s exhaust signature and pattern, with impact analysis showing strike dispersion typical of 122 mm high-explosive fragmentation rounds. Crater assessment in the Thai border district of Sisaket indicates accurate grid targeting, though with limited warhead effect beyond the immediate impact radius. The tactical employment suggests a demonstration of offensive capability within engagement range, rather than strategic disruption.

In addition to its modern systems, Cambodia maintains a complex MLRS inventory of legacy platforms. These include 107 mm Type-63 systems, 122 mm BM-21 Grad variants, 132 mm BM-13 and 140 mm BM-14 launchers, as well as RM-70 Czech-made platforms. These assets vary significantly in terms of range, reload speed, and accuracy, but provide depth for massed fires. The newer Chinese systems now serve as the high-precision layer, while older platforms serve in area-denial or mass-saturation roles. This layered approach aligns with contemporary artillery doctrine among PLA-affiliated forces and enables tactical flexibility.

Thailand’s inventory of 69 MLRS systems is structured around mixed-caliber firepower with an emphasis on modernization and precision. The Royal Thai Army operates 4 SR-4 122 mm systems, 60 Type-85 130 mm launchers, and long-range heavy assets, including 1 DTI-1 (302 mm), 3 DTI-1G (306 mm), and 1 Israeli PULS system. The DTI-1 family, developed domestically in cooperation with Chinese firms, provides theater-range strike capabilities similar to the PHL-03, while the PULS introduces multi-caliber flexibility and precision guidance. Thai artillery units are increasingly integrated with advanced ISR and radar support, enabling faster response times and greater targeting accuracy.

The operational implications of the Cambodian rocket launches have triggered a shift in Thai artillery posture along the frontier. Counter-battery radars, likely including Israeli-made EL/M-2084 systems, have been deployed alongside forward fire control teams to monitor and respond to future salvos. Thai doctrine emphasizes responsive fires and joint force integration, and artillery brigades near Sisaket have begun repositioning to exploit terrain and limit exposure.

Both countries now possess comparable quantities of MLRS systems, but their strategic approaches differ. Cambodia favors volume-based saturation and mobility, leveraging Chinese MLRS designs for theater firepower. Thailand, meanwhile, is advancing toward modular, precision-guided systems with enhanced C4ISR support. The recent incident marks the first known combat deployment of Cambodia’s PHL-03 or Type-90B, offering new data points on operational readiness and system integration.

From a purely military perspective, the Cambodian launch demonstrates that its newer MLRS platforms are fielded, crewed, and ready for operational use. The use of mobile rocket artillery from prepared forward positions indicates growing proficiency in tactical coordination and in executing fire missions. In the event of future conflict escalation, the presence of theater-range rocket systems on both sides introduces a new level of intensity, where rapid deep-strike engagements could occur within minutes.

For analysts monitoring Southeast Asian artillery modernization, the December 2025 border engagement represents a milestone in the region’s shift toward high-mobility, long-range precision fires. Both Cambodia and Thailand now operate MLRS systems capable of shaping outcomes at the brigade level and above, with implications for regional deterrence postures and combined-arms force structure.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.