Hwacha

The hwacha or hwach'a (Korean: 화차; Hanja: 火車; lit. 'fire cart') was a fifteenth-century Korean weapons platform capable of performing both the multiple rocket launcher or a volley gun roles. The overall design resembled a wooden cart with a launch pad attached; depending on the specific version and type, it could fire up to 200 singijeon (rocket-powered) arrows, or several dozen iron-headed arrows or bolts out of gun barrels. The term was also used to refer to other war wagon- or cart-based artillery in later periods, such as that developed by Byeon Yijung in the 1590s. These weapons were most notably deployed in the defense against the two Japanese invasions of the Korean Peninsula in 1592–98. Some East Asian historians believe the hwacha and the turtle ship had a decisive effect during the war. Hwachas appear in Korean museums, national parks, and popular culture today.