Video: Close-up of the terrifying power of a super rocket that fired 100 arrows at once in the 15th century

What is Hwacha? This article will reveal to you what the Hwacha machine has that makes the Japanese army so afraid.

The hwacha (literally translated as “fire chariot”) was a weapon developed in Korea and used by the military on the battlefield. It is best known for its deployment during the Imjin War, which took place in the last decade of the 16th century AD and is also known as the Japanese Invasion of Korea. The use of the hwacha by Korean defenders was one of the reasons why Japan failed in its campaign to conquer the Korean Peninsula.

The hwacha is described as possibly the best known early multi-barreled rocket launcher. It essentially consisted of a two-wheeled cart on which a board with a series of holes was mounted. Each hole was filled with a singijeon (meaning 'magic machine arrow'). This was an arrow propelled by a tube of gunpowder attached to its shaft. In other words, the singijeon was an early type of rocket. The earliest hwacha were capable of firing up to 100 arrows at a time. The design of the weapon was later improved to allow up to 200 arrows at a time.

Hwacha is made of wood. The hwacha launcher consists of dozens of tubes placed in rows. Inside each tube is a 1.1m long arrow with a paper tube filled with propellant near the tip connected by a slow-burning fuse. With just one ignition, all the arrows on the launcher will be fired within 2-3 seconds. This launcher is placed on two wheels to increase mobility.

The heavy arrows fired from the hwacha are powerful enough to penetrate all types of armor and shields at a distance of 100 - 150m. If fired from a high position and using light arrows, the hwacha's range can increase to 300 - 500m.

In the battle with Japanese pirates in 1419, the Hwacha rocket system helped the Korean navy completely destroy the pirate force. A testament to the formidable power of this weapon.

• Video: Close-up of the machine that breaks rocks and concrete in a blink of an eye