Russian MRLS: Grad, Uragan, Smerch, Tornado-G/S

A bit more on this. Could it be regarded as modular as per the Serbian Morava MLRS.

Trollstoy
@Trollstoy88
First photos of the latest Russian bicaliber MLRS "Vozrozhdenie".

This system is capable of firing Hurricane, Smerch, and TOS Solntsepek missiles of various calibers from one chassis.

They need a variant with lancet drone launchers.

There is a special launcer for Lancets in the making.

Nice...

So:



The 5x5 launcher is either 122mm or 140mm mine launching rockets, and the 8 tube launcher is either a 220mm Uragan rocket launcher or a 220mm TOS launcher.

(122mm Grad and 220mm Uragan would be useful together depending on the target, where as an engineer vehicle with 140mm rockets for delivering mine fields and 220mm rockets for removing mines and enemy positions might be useful together too.)

So that means that vehicle with two 122mm pallets will have 50 ready to launch rockets... so more than Grad at 40 rockets, or two 220mm rocket pods it would have 16 rockets which equals the number for Uragan, or two 6 shot pods of 300mm smerch rockets we have seen would make it the same 12 rockets as Smerch.

The latter two likely limited by the rocket weight keeping the chassis lighter and cheaper as possible.



The 18 tube launcher in this image should be TOS... can it be carried by the first vehicle in two pods? (36 rockets)



That looks interesting... from what I can see 10-12 tubes across and a depth that should allow 4-6 rows of rockets.

I would guess they are 80mm rockets based on air launched rockets... based on a light 4x4 vehicle... that is rather interesting...

That lancet launcher vehicle looks rather cool too.

Interesting revelation... this vehicle seems to be Agriculture... used for rocket mine laying roles and able to carry TOS rockets.

If it can also carry 122mm rocket pods and 300mm rocket pods it could replace all the vehicles with one vehicle.

Which would be Grad, Uragon, Smerch, TOS, and the rocket launched mine laying vehicle used previously...

Would be rather clever if true, but I would suggest a lighter smaller vehicle that can only carry one pallet that could be used by special forces or mountain units or high mobility forces (ie Typhoon based or Boomerang based).

That would mean two vehicles could replace all the others.

The reason for the current system - a 122mm MLRS on the regimental level, a 220mm system
and the divisional level and a 300mm level and the Army level + TOS as part of the Chemical
Defence Troops and the ISDM minelayer as part of the Engineer Troops - is that you add firepower.
So I would guess that the number of vehicles will stay the same, but the system will get more
flexible with the added capability of the launchers to carry different sets of missiles in case the tactical
situation necessitates it.


Container for the Uragan-1M MLRS

The shift to the wheeled TOS-2 vehicle means that it would make sense to have TOS and Grad and Uragan and Smerch and Agriculture mine rockets on a unified chassis as they all need to be mobile and cheap and fast.

With the 25 tube 122mm pallet the Grad should not be under estimated... if the target is not that far away then the 9M217 grad rocket that carries the top attack self forging fragment munition with MMW radar and IR sensor can carry two munitions per rocket. That does not sound as good as the 5 munitions the Smerch rocket can carry but a bit of simple maths means Smerch can carry 5 x 12 munitions per volley out to about 120km or so, but the Grad with this new rocket pod with two pods on the vehicle can carry 50 rockets with two munitions each so 100 munitions out to 30km range.

They are different tools but each has aspects that are appealing.

For use near the front line just showering HE and fragments on enemy positions an 80mm rocket pod from a helicopter or attack aircraft is one option but having a Tigr based vehicle with 80mm rocket tubes or even 57mm rocket tubes could be used to prep the enemy lines for an attack, or soften a target... or blunt an enemy advance.

BM-21 is using a simple truck chassis.

Russia didn't need a HIMARS because the Grad is already cheap and highly mobile and the upgrades to make it automatic have only made it better.

but the Grad with this new rocket pod with two pods on the vehicle can carry 50 rockets with two munitions each so 100 munitions out to 30km range.

A new rocket for the Tornado-G will have a range of up to 70km, according to some sources.

MD
@distant_earth83
The gas turbine engine “Tornado-S” was successfully tested using alcohol as fuel, demonstrating its versatility.

The test aimed to show that the engine can generate the necessary energy for multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) regardless of the fuel type.
Three fuels were tested: kerosene, diesel, and technical alcohol, with alcohol being highlighted as a viable option despite its lack of lubrication.

The results were discussed by Eduard Bazhenov, the general director of the “Turbine” Design Bureau, on the “Military Acceptance” program.

In case you are curious this is the video they are talking about.



It shows the gas turbine APU for the Smerch.

with alcohol being highlighted as a viable option

Soldiers support this idea. 

Hole wrote:

with alcohol being highlighted as a viable option

Soldiers support this idea. 

For years to come the designers will be baffled by the high fuel consumption!

And the traffic accidents....

That sort of alcohol will make you blind as quickly as it will get you drunk.... blind drunk people in charge of a Smerch vehicle anyone?

For those HHGTTG fans, it would be at the opposite end of a big bang so it really would be Milliways... the restaurant at the end of the universe...

MLRS:

- By the beginning of 2022, serial production of the new Tornado-G and Tornado-S multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) was established at the Motovilikha Plants enterprise. Source: https://t.me/Rogatkinlive/212. With the beginning of the SMO, the production of MLRS doubled.
- The 232nd rocket artillery brigade ( Central Military District ) was re-equipped with Tornado-S systems . Before the start of the Northern Military District, the 79th rocket artillery brigade (Western Military District) and the 439th rocket artillery brigade (Southern Military District) received Tornado-S systems. According to unconfirmed reports, the standard number of launchers in the brigade has been doubled - from 12 to 24.
- Serious difficulties arose with the repair of 9K57 Uragan systems, but starting in 2023, the modernized 9K57-1 Uragan-1 systems on the BAZ-69092 chassis entered service with the troops. The Ministry of Defense recently published a video of the combat use of the new Uragan-1 system.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4818118.html

Since Russia is transitioning to domestic trucks for its MLRS, perhaps its also time to develop a modular launcher system that can be mounted on these trucks, now I think this is what they have in mind when Russia introduced the Tornado MLRS, but I think the Tornado program stopped at 300 mm.

I think Russia should start introducing bigger caliber modular launchers that can accommodate bigger missiles for longer range targets. For example, the HIMARS is expected to have a longer range missile (420 mm) munition some time in the future, if Russia can match this system with a BAZ truck that can launch a similar range missile then Russia can offer the Global south countries an alternative.

The new 300mm glide bomb they developed can be launched from Smerch rockets to a range of 150km, and they will have other new munitions as well.

I would say if you want long range that a drone like weapon like Geranium would make more sense, and of course the new model Hermes missiles can have their flight ranges extended by significant margins with ramjet motors added to the missile portion of the weapon.

With their glide bomb kits I am not sure super truck based rockets are all that critical as the new Iskander-M with a 1,000km range and a much cheaper missile should be filling gaps rather more effectively.

PhSt wrote:
Since Russia is transitioning to domestic trucks for its MLRS...

The BM-27 was based on an ancient Zil-135 chassis dating back to the late 50's. Apparently BAZ took over the production since 1963 and was produced till the 90's. Nevertheless it's a really old design that needs to be replaced and the BAZ-6909 chassis is a logical option.

PhSt wrote:
Since Russia is transitioning to domestic trucks for its MLRS, perhaps its also time to develop a modular launcher system that can be mounted on these trucks, now I think this is what they have in mind when Russia introduced the Tornado MLRS, but I think the Tornado program stopped at 300 mm.

I think Russia should start introducing bigger caliber modular launchers that can accommodate bigger missiles for longer range targets. For example, the HIMARS is expected to have a longer range missile (420 mm) munition some time in the future, if Russia can match this system with a BAZ truck that can launch a similar range missile then Russia can offer the Global south countries an alternative.

In a certain sense such development is sought after but is curtailed by the presence of a great number of Iskander launchers that work as a (way better) counterpart of ATACMS missile.