The WS2300 is a general purpose 16 tonne 6x6 special heavy duty truck made by
Wanshan Special Vehicle Factory and used by the
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...
of the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
Description
A much smaller 6x6 version of the
WS2400
The WS2400 is a 8x8 special heavy-duty truck developed and built by Wanshan Special Vehicle and used by the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China as a transporter erector launcher (TEL) platform and is a reverse engineered ve ...
, the WS2300 is a comparatively light weight
transporter erector launcher
A transporter erector launcher (TEL) is a missile vehicle with an integrated tractor unit that can carry, elevate to firing position and launch one or more missiles.
History
Such vehicles exist for both surface-to-air missiles and surface-to-su ...
whose operation commence in 1999. The WS2300 is therefore, one of the most ubiquitous Chinese TELs in operation within the
People's Liberation Army Rocket Force
The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF; ), formerly the Second Artillery Corps (), is the strategic and tactical missile force of the People's Republic of China. The PLARF is the 4th branch of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and ...
.
The WS2300, due to its much smaller profile, could only carry a payload totaling 16 tons. Its heavy-duty nature as a high mobility vehicle and a TEL allows the WS2300 to mount two
P-12 short-range ballistic missiles. The WS2300 also comes in a command post and workshop variant depending on the logistical needs.
Like most Chinese TELs, the WS2300 is powered by German technology such as the Deutz turbocharged diesel engine which allows the WS2300 to develop a 325 hp. It is able to carry up to five passengers plus the driver due to its 4-door cab.
Variants
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WS2400
The WS2400 is a 8x8 special heavy-duty truck developed and built by Wanshan Special Vehicle and used by the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China as a transporter erector launcher (TEL) platform and is a reverse engineered ve ...
*
WS2500
The WS2500 is a 20-ton 10x8 or 10x10 special heavy duty truck used by the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the principal mobility platforms in mounting China's medium-range ballistic missiles and other con ...
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WS2600
The WS2600 is a 22.5 ton 10x8 and 10x10 transporter erector launcher used by the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force of the People's Republic of China. It is, along with the smaller WS2500, one of the principal mobility platforms in mounting C ...
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WS21200
The WS21200 is a large transporter erector launcher built and developed in the People's Republic of China. Like the WS51200, the WS21200 is not actually used by the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, instead, the primary customer is Pakistan ...
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WS51200
The WS51200 is an extremely large and heavy transporter erector launcher built by Wanshan Special Vehicle in China. The WS51200 is one of the largest in the WS family of transport trucks and TELs. The size of the WS51200 allows it to carry inter ...
References
Military trucks of China
Military vehicles of the People's Republic of China
Military vehicles introduced in the 1990s
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