You are paying extra fuel for survivability.
It is like saying Churchill should have stronger main gun becaus it cost 180 fuel.
Keep in mind that katty cost 85 fuel and dies to anything , even to short breeeze
Stuka costs 20% more, arrives incomparably faster on field and is twice as durable while having much more firepower. For 15 more fuel.
And there, we have 80% more expensive calliope.
Considering proportions of cost, firepower and durability of other rocket arty, calliope seems about right.
Getting more then 1 also means you will NOT have any armor.
And last, but not least, there is wipewerfer which costs 85 fuel as well and annihilates everything it targets just as effectively as calli.