The hwacha or hwach'a was a multiple rocket launcher and an organ gun of similar design which were developed in fifteenth century Korea. The former variant fired one or two hundred rocket-powered arrows while the latter fired several dozen iron-headed arrows or bolts out of gun barrels. The term was used to refer to other war wagons or other cart-based artillery in later periods, such as that developed by Byeon Yijung in the 1590s.
A hwacha model at the Seoul War Memorial.
Plans for Hwacha assembly and disassembly. Left mid and below are front and rear of Singijeon rocket launcher modules, things at right are front and rear of the munjong organ gun modules (Gukjo-orye-seorye, 1474)
Chongtong-gi(총통기) Hwacha Each of the 50 guns was loaded with four bullets, firing a total of 200 bullets.(Seoul War Memorial)
Hwacha launch pad, ignitors placed in the narrow section of each arrow to be fired
A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a volley gun. Rockets are self-propelled in flight and have different capabilities than conventional artillery shells, such as longer effective range, lower recoil, typically considerably higher payload than a similarly sized gun artillery platform, or even carrying multiple warheads.
M142 HIMARS launching a GMLRS rocket at the White Sands Missile Range in 2005
An illustration of a handheld multiple rocket launcher constructed of basketry, as depicted in the 11th century book Wujing Zongyao of the Song dynasty
Korean Joseon hwacha multiple rocket launcher (designed in 1409) in a museum
A painting showing the British forces confronted with Mysorean rockets