Artillery: <b>December 2, 1999</b>

December 2, 1999

The Pentagon has notified Congress of plans to sell South Korea 29 MLRS launch vehicles, 281 extended-range rocket pods, 120 reduced-range practice rocket pods, and 111 M39 Army Tactical Missile System Block-1 missile pods. South Korea only recently received the last of its 1996 order for 29 launch vehicles, 271 rocket pods, 168 practice rocket pods, and 111 ATACMS. The US Army has two battalions of MLRS vehicles in South Korea, with a total of 54 launchers. The South Koreans also have 156 Kooryong multiple-rocket artillery launchers; these were built by Daewoo and each has 36 high explosive 130mm rockets.--Stephen V Cole

Israeli Military Industries has demonstrated a new guidance system for artillery rockets. Israel plans to use 220mm and 160mm rockets to replace most of its long-range artillery. The new Trajectory Correction System has been shown to improve the Circular Error Probable for artillery rockets from 350m to 40m. The system tracks the rockets after launch and compares their actual trajectory with the one that should bring them onto the target. In one recent test, rockets were aimed 3.5km to one side of the target and 500m short of the range. The guidance unit tracked the rockets and changed their trajectory to bring them directly onto the target. --Stephen V Cole

The Pentagon has asked Congressional approval to sell Thailand 18 used F-16A-Block-15 fighters along with spare parts. It already has 36 F-16A-Block-10s. Thailand had wanted to buy eight F-18Cs, but canceled this due to the Asian financial crisis. Thailand has yet to decide if it will take all 18 of the fighters on offer.--Stephen V Cole