Designed to replace the earlier Type 70, the Type 89 (PHZ-89) was the PLA's second tracked multiple rocket launcher to enter service, providing the ground forces with a vehicle capable of keeping up with mechanized forces. The Type 89 was based on the same all-welded steel chassis as that of the Type 83 (PLZ-83) self-propelled howitzer and has the driver seated at the front left, the engine to the right, and an armored crew compartment at the rear. These are provided with bulletproof observation windows and a rear door for entry and exist. Hydraulic shock absorbers are included for greater stability when firing. The Type 89 is armed with a 40-round 122-mm launcher similar to that of the Grad, mounted on a turntable in the rear. It can fire numerous types of spin-stabilized rockets with high-explosive or minelaying warheads up to a range of 20.6 km or up to 30 km with extended range rockets. However, its most notable feature is the inclusion of a large reload pack which is mounted forward of the launcher and which can add a complete 40 rocket charge in just two minutes. The Type 89 entered PLA service in the late 1980s and only recently being complemented by the PHL-11 which is likely to eventually replace it. It has been exported to Armena, Sudan, and Bangladesh as well.

The Type 89 (PHZ-89) was developed in the 1980s using the chassis of the earlier Type 83 self-propelled howitzer and the 40-round launcher from the truck-mounted Type 81 (PHL-81), itself based on the Soviet BM-21 Grad. The first prototype was completed in 1987 and entered service three years later. There are no variants aside from the original model although it is possible that foreign versions use a 130-mm launcher instead.