Peru reevaluating future of Type 90B MRLS partnership with China's next purchase still pending.

The government of Peru has approved the purchase of a second batch of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) and associated ammunition for the Peruvian army, with a budget allocation of $229.5 million. This initiative aims to replace the outdated BM-21 Grad launchers, in use since the 1970s. Although the first batch of 27 Type 90B MLRS was acquired from the Chinese manufacturer Norinco in 2013, the decision to procure the same model again is uncertain due to significant operational failures.
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Peruvian Type90B MLRS presented at SITDEF 2019(Picture source Army Recognition )

The Peruvian army's requirement called for the incorporation of a total of 40 MLRS launch units, but this purchase has so far been pending. Since 2013, unofficial reports circulated for a few years about the likely purchase of the AR3 MLRS system with greater range and larger caliber, a purchase that was never made.

The Type90 of poor quality delivered

Since its inception, the specialized press has reported problems with the rockets supplied by Norinco for the Type 90B of the Peruvian army. Likewise, the engines of the trucks that serve as a platform for the Type 90B are known to leak oil, even when very new. However, the disadvantages presented by this Chinese weapon system in Peru do not stop there. The Type 90B MLRS of the army was used during the military operation called Patriota, in mid-2022, one of the largest anti-terrorist deployments of the Peruvian armed forces in recent years. Reports indicate that some tubes of the Type 90B launch module exploded in the middle of the firing sequence, thereby endangering the lives of the crew. Unofficial data suggest that the bore of these tubes is not chrome-plated, which reduces their lifespan.

 A broken tube of Type90B and a damaged one in 2022 (Picture source  Peruvian army)

In the above photo, one can see the broken tube, and several others affected, from a Type 90B of the Peruvian army. Without further information, assigning blame to the manufacturer or the user is impossible. However, this accident has motivated voices within the Peruvian government to change the model of MLRS.

The purchase price is always a factor, which can have a more or less significant weight, but safety and performance are also factors and must be sufficiently important when drafting technical specifications, as well as during the qualification of military products proposed by the Peruvian Armed Forces. There are many MLRS products on the international market, and the Peruvian army has as many options as there are products available.

Defense News April 2024