BM-21
Encyclopedia
The BM-21 launch vehicle , a Soviet truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher
, and a M-21OF rocket were developed in the early 1960s. BM stands for boyevaya mashina, ‘combat vehicle’, and the nickname means ‘hail
’. The complete system with the BM-21 launch vehicle and the M-21OF rocket has designation as M-21 Field Rocket System. The complete system is more commonly known as a Grad multiple rocket launcher system. In NATO countries, the system (either the complete system or the launch vehicle only) was initially known as M1964. Several other countries have copied it or developed similar systems.
system. The launch vehicle consists of a Ural-375D
six-by-six truck chassis fitted with a bank of 40 launch tubes arranged in a rectangular shape that can be turned away from the unprotected cab. The vehicle is powered by a water-cooled V-8 180 hp gasoline engine, has a maximum road speed of 75 km/h (46.6 mph), road range of up to 750 kilometres (466 mi), and can cross fords up to 1.5 metre deep. The original vehicle together with supporting equipment (including the re-supply truck 9T254 with 60 rockets) is referred to by the GRAU index 9K51; the launcher itself has the industrial index of 2B5. In 1976, the BM-21 was mounted on the newer Ural-4320
six-by-six army truck.
The crew of five men can emplace the system and have it ready to fire in three minutes. The crew can fire the rockets from the cab or from a trigger at the end of a 64 metres (210 ft) cable. All 40 rockets can be away in as little as 20 seconds, but can also be fired individually or in small groups in several-second intervals. A PG-1M panoramic telescope with K-1 collimator can be used for sighting. The BM-21 can be packed up and ready to move in two minutes, which can be necessary when engaged by counter-battery fire
. Reloading is done manually and takes about 10 minutes.
Each 2.87 metre rocket is slowly spun by rifling in its tube as it exits, which along with its primary fin stabilization keeps it on course. Rockets armed with high explosive/fragmentation, incendiary, or chemical warheads can be fired 20 kilometres (12.4 mi). Newer high explosive and cargo (used to deliver anti-personnel or antitank mines) rockets have a range of 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) and more. Warheads weigh around 20 kilograms (44.1 lb), depending on the type.
The relative accuracy of this system and the number of rockets each vehicle is able to quickly bring to bear on an enemy target make it effective, especially at shorter ranges. One battalion of eighteen launchers is able to deliver 720 rockets in a single volley. However, the system cannot be used in situations that call for pinpoint precision.
Adaptations of the launcher were/are produced by several countries including China
, Czechoslovakia
, Egypt
, Iran
, North Korea
, Poland
and Romania
.
has made use of 122mm Grad rockets and 122mm Grad-style copies made in Iran, and others have been Eastern-bloc editions modified to expand their range and
lethality. The rockets were believed to be smuggled into the Gaza Strip via tunnels from Egypt. Some of the rockets were of a Chinese Grad variant. Hamas sources said they were pleased by the performance of the Chinese variants of the BM-21 Grad rocket, which demonstrated a far greater range and blast impact than Palestinian made rockets, as well as Russian-origin Grads or Katyushas.
On 28 February 2008 at least ten 122mm Grad rockets hit the coastal city of Ashkelon. In other incidents, longer range rockets were used, with twice that of the BM-21 Grad. These longer range rockets were erroneously reported by the media to be also Grad rockets.
In the 2010 attacks on Eilat and Aqaba, nine standard 122mm Grad rockets were used. For the most part, rockets are smuggled into the Gaza Strip through the network of tunnels between the Strip and Egypt.
On 23 February 2011 at least two 122mm Grad rockets were fired at Beersheba hitting and severely damaging a house in a residential area. On 23 March 2011 another two Grad rockets were fired at Beersheba, seriously injuring a civilian.
During the first week of April 2011, Israeli defense forces intercepted and destroyed several Grad rockets fired from Gaza near Ashkelon in southern Israel, using a newly deployed anti-missile system called Iron Dome
.
On Saturday August 20, 2011, over 24 Grad rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, landing in Beersheba and Ashdod and killing 1 Israeli. Hamas has claimed responsibility for these attacks.
On Saturday October 29, 2011, the Islamic Jihad
fired eight Grad rockets towards Ashdod, Gan Yavne
, and west of Be'er Sheva wounding one person and causing light wounds to two more, just hours after Israel Defense Forces
soldiers killed Ahmed al-Sheikh Khalil, a commander of the Islamic Jihad and four of its munitions experts. They allegedly were responsible for firing one additional Grad rocket towards Ashdod the previous Wednesday., in response to attacks from the Israeli Air Force
towards a militant squad that was preparing to launch rockets, earlier in the month.
Hamas have used small man-portable single-tube launchers for rockets in attacks against Israel, designated 122 mm 9P132/BM-21-P. The 122 mm Grad rockets used in Gaza have a range of about 40 km (24.9 mi), and can reach the Israeli towns of Ashdod, Beer-Sheva, Ofakim, Gedera
, Kiryat Gat, Ashqelon, Sderot
, Rehovot
, Kiryat Malachi and Gan Yavne
. Islamic Jihad have used
produces the rockets while the Bishoftu Motorization Engineering Complex
produces the launching tubes and has converted existing trucks to diesel engine. Bishoftu motorization has also produced a six tube launcher to be mounted on light trucks.
Also Incendiary, Chemical, Illumination, Antipersonnel mines.
– 250 – 75 – 47 – 63 – KRL 122, Type 90B – BM-21 and BM-21A "BelGrad" – 6 – about 192 active, some 200 in storage – 10 – 5 – 100 – 50 – 4 – 20 – 64 – 250 – 4 – 6 – 6 – 10 – 215 – 25 – 10 – 24 units. Known as 122 RAKH 76. Now withdrawn from service. Gaza – Hamas and other militants (including Iranian made 20 km range and Chinese 40 km range Grad variants). – 116 RM-70 – 46 – N/A RM-70 (operated by marines) – 150+ – 100+ – 55 – 50 confiscated from militant groups, not in active service – 100 – 21 – 30-including some BM-11 – ? – 200+ – 36 – ? – 12 – 2 – 5 – 230 – 4 – 30 – 11 APR-21 and APR-40 – 40 – 14 – 219 – 352 APR-40 (124 being upgraded to LAROM) – 1,750 – 10 - 1? – 5 – 250 – 10 – 48 – 56 – 36 – 600 – 52 – 800 – 280 – 50 – 25
Multiple rocket launcher
A multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided rocket artillery system. Like other rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers are less accurate and have a much lower rate of fire than batteries of traditional artillery guns...
, and a M-21OF rocket were developed in the early 1960s. BM stands for boyevaya mashina, ‘combat vehicle’, and the nickname means ‘hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...
’. The complete system with the BM-21 launch vehicle and the M-21OF rocket has designation as M-21 Field Rocket System. The complete system is more commonly known as a Grad multiple rocket launcher system. In NATO countries, the system (either the complete system or the launch vehicle only) was initially known as M1964. Several other countries have copied it or developed similar systems.
Description
The M-21 Field Rocket System with a BM-21 launch vehicle (122 mm multiple rocket launcher (MRL) system entered service with the Soviet Army in 1963 to replace the aging 140 mm BM-14BM-14
The BM-14 , is a Soviet-made 140mm multiple rocket launcher, fielded by the Soviet Union.The BM-14 can fire rockets fitted with chemical , smoke or high-explosive fragmentation warheads...
system. The launch vehicle consists of a Ural-375D
Ural-375D
The Ural-375D is a general purpose 4.5 ton 6x6 truck, produced at the Ural Automotive Plant in the Russian SFSR since 1961. The ZIL-157 was the standard Soviet truck until it was replaced by the Ural-375D, which became the standard Soviet truck in 1979. The Ural-375D was soon replaced by the...
six-by-six truck chassis fitted with a bank of 40 launch tubes arranged in a rectangular shape that can be turned away from the unprotected cab. The vehicle is powered by a water-cooled V-8 180 hp gasoline engine, has a maximum road speed of 75 km/h (46.6 mph), road range of up to 750 kilometres (466 mi), and can cross fords up to 1.5 metre deep. The original vehicle together with supporting equipment (including the re-supply truck 9T254 with 60 rockets) is referred to by the GRAU index 9K51; the launcher itself has the industrial index of 2B5. In 1976, the BM-21 was mounted on the newer Ural-4320
Ural-4320
The Ural-4320 is a general purpose off-road 6x6 truck, produced at the Ural Automotive Plant in Miass, Russia for use in the Russian army. Introduced in 1976, it is still in production today....
six-by-six army truck.
The crew of five men can emplace the system and have it ready to fire in three minutes. The crew can fire the rockets from the cab or from a trigger at the end of a 64 metres (210 ft) cable. All 40 rockets can be away in as little as 20 seconds, but can also be fired individually or in small groups in several-second intervals. A PG-1M panoramic telescope with K-1 collimator can be used for sighting. The BM-21 can be packed up and ready to move in two minutes, which can be necessary when engaged by counter-battery fire
Counter-battery fire
Counter-battery fire is a type of mission assigned to military artillery forces, which are given the task of locating and firing upon enemy artillery.-Background:...
. Reloading is done manually and takes about 10 minutes.
Each 2.87 metre rocket is slowly spun by rifling in its tube as it exits, which along with its primary fin stabilization keeps it on course. Rockets armed with high explosive/fragmentation, incendiary, or chemical warheads can be fired 20 kilometres (12.4 mi). Newer high explosive and cargo (used to deliver anti-personnel or antitank mines) rockets have a range of 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) and more. Warheads weigh around 20 kilograms (44.1 lb), depending on the type.
The relative accuracy of this system and the number of rockets each vehicle is able to quickly bring to bear on an enemy target make it effective, especially at shorter ranges. One battalion of eighteen launchers is able to deliver 720 rockets in a single volley. However, the system cannot be used in situations that call for pinpoint precision.
Soviet Union
- BM-21: Original version known as the BM-21 launch vehicle. The launcher unit was mounted on a modified Ural-375DUral-375DThe Ural-375D is a general purpose 4.5 ton 6x6 truck, produced at the Ural Automotive Plant in the Russian SFSR since 1961. The ZIL-157 was the standard Soviet truck until it was replaced by the Ural-375D, which became the standard Soviet truck in 1979. The Ural-375D was soon replaced by the...
truck chassis.- BM-21-1: Launch vehicles are mounted on a family of Ural-4320Ural-4320The Ural-4320 is a general purpose off-road 6x6 truck, produced at the Ural Automotive Plant in Miass, Russia for use in the Russian army. Introduced in 1976, it is still in production today....
truck chassis. - 2B17 or also BM-21-1: This upgrade was presented for the first time in 2003 and was developed by Motovilikha PlantsMotovilikha PlantsMotovilikha Plants is a Russian metallurgical and military equipment manufacturer. The full official name of the company is Open stock venture for special machinery and metallurgy "Motovilikha Plants" .*...
from Perm. The system is fitted with a satellite navigation system NAP SNS, automated fire control system ASUNO, APP laying system and can fire a new generation of rockets with a range of 40 km (24.9 mi). The truck is the Ural-4320Ural-4320The Ural-4320 is a general purpose off-road 6x6 truck, produced at the Ural Automotive Plant in Miass, Russia for use in the Russian army. Introduced in 1976, it is still in production today....
1.
- BM-21-1: Launch vehicles are mounted on a family of Ural-4320
- 9P138 "Grad-1": lighter 36-round version, mounted on a six-by-six ZIL-131 chassis. The vehicle with supporting equipment (rockets, transporter 9T450 and re-supply truck 9F380) is referred to as complex 9K55. The 9P138 can only use "short-range" rockets with a range of 15 km (9.3 mi). It used to be known in the West as BM-21b or M1976.
- BM-21V "Grad-V" (Vozdushnodesantiy – 'airborne') (NATO designation M1975): Developed for airborne troops in 1969. A GAZ-66GAZ-66The GAZ-66 is a Russian 4x4 all-road military truck produced by GAZ. It was the main transport vehicle for motorized infantry of the Soviet Army and is still employed in former Soviet Union countries...
B four-by-four truck chassis is fitted with a 12-round 122 mm rocket launcher. The vehicle is sturdy enough to be air-dropped. Parts of the vehicle such as the canvas cab roof can be taken off or folded down to reduce its size during transit. Like the BM-21, the BM-21V has stabilizing jacks on the rear of the vehicle for support when firing. The launch vehicle has the industrial index of 9P125. - 9А51 "Prima": 50-round launcher on a Ural-4320Ural-4320The Ural-4320 is a general purpose off-road 6x6 truck, produced at the Ural Automotive Plant in Miass, Russia for use in the Russian army. Introduced in 1976, it is still in production today....
5t chassis. The vehicle together with fire control equipment, the ammunition transporter TZM 9T232M and the new rocket 9M53F is referred to as complex 9K59. Apparently only a small number was produced. - "Grad-P Light portable rocket system": The complete system comprises a 9P132 single-round man-portable launcher (it can be reloaded and used again), a 9M22M 122mm high-explosive fragmentation rocket and a fire control panel. The system was developed in the middle of the 60s for North Vietnamese forces at war with the US. It was not accepted for service with the Russian Army, but it was and is still popular with paramilitaryParamilitaryA paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
and guerrillaGuerrilla warfareGuerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
forces. - BM-21PD "Damba" (Protivodiversionnyi): 40-round launcher mounted on Ural-375D or 43201 truck chassis. Developed for protection of naval bases against underwater infiltrations, uses special ammunition PRS-60 (Protivodiversionnyi Reaktivnyi Snaryad). The vehicle together with ammunition transporter is referred to as complex DP-62 "Damba".
- A-215 "Grad-M" – 22-round naval version, entered service in 1978.
Adaptations of the launcher were/are produced by several countries including China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.
Belarus
- BM-21A "BelGrad": This is a modernized version, based on a MAZ-631705 6×6 truck with 425 hp diesel engine TMZ-8424. Between the cab and the launcher there is another pack of 40 rockets. The system was evaluated from 1997 and entered service a couple of years later.
Ukraine
- BM-21M "Grad-U": Ukraine also has switched the original Ural-375 truck with gasoline engine for a new truck with diesel engine, the KrAZKrAZKrAZ is a factory that produces trucks and other special-purpose vehicles in Kremenchuk, Ukraine; particularly heavy-duty off-road models...
-6322-121. Some vehicles have a longer chassis with 40 additional rockets.
People's Republic of China
- Type 81 SPRL: The People's Republic of China produces the Type 81, which was copied from Russian BM-21s captured in the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese WarSino-Vietnamese WarThe Sino–Vietnamese War , also known as the Third Indochina War, known in the PRC as and in Vietnam as Chiến tranh chống bành trướng Trung Hoa , was a brief but bloody border war fought in 1979 between the People's Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam...
. After reverse engineering, it entered service with the PLA in 1982 where it is nowadays known as PHZ81. Due to the fact that it is a direct copy, the Type 81 is extremely similar to its Russian predecessor. Its 40 tubes are mounted on a Yan'an SX2150 six-by-six truck, which unlike the original Russian version, has a cab protected by blast shields. - Type 83 SPRL: This is a 24-round version, based on a Dong Feng truck. The launch tubes are arranged in three rows of 8. The launch vehicle has a total combat weight of 8700 kilograms (19,180.2 lb) and can also be used as part of the mine-laying rocket system Type 84. Currently new rockets with ranges between 30 and 40 km (18.6 and 24.9 mi) are being developed.
- Type 89 TSPRL: This is basically the 40-round launcher of the BM-21 or Type 81 mounted on a tracked chassis with 520 hp diesel engine. The same chassis is also used for the Type 83 152 mm self-propelled howitzer (PLZ83), the Type 89 120 mm tank destroyer (PTZ89) and several other specialised vehicles. The vehicle has a combat weight of 29.9 short ton and carries 40 spare rockets. Its current PLA designator is PHZ89.
- Type 90 SPRL: The NORINCO (China North Industries Corporation) Type 90 40-round multiple rocket system is an indigenously designed and built system equipped with an automatic operating and laying system, an electric firing system and an automatically reloadable pack of 40 rockets. It is very similar to the M-77 OganjM-77 OganjThe LVRS M-77 "Oganj" is an self-propelled multiple rocket launcher made in Yugoslavia. Development started in 1968. Professor Obrad Vucurevic, Mechanical Engineer at the time, and Chief operating officer of the Artillery department of Military Technical Institute, developed and managed...
but of 122 mm calibre. The chassis used is the Tiema SC2030 6×6 truck. A Type 90 MRL battalion consists of three batteries, each with 6 self-propelled rocket launchers, 6 ammunition re-supply trucks Tiema XC2200 with 80 rockets and a battery command post on a DongFeng EQ-245 6×6 truck.- Type 90A: Modernised version, based on a Tiema XC2200 6×6 truck chassis and fitted with a modern fire control system with GPS. The command post vehicle can lay and control a number of Type 90A systems by remote control for maximum firepower.
- Type 90B: Latest, digitalised version. The rocket launch vehicle is based on a Beifang Benchi 2629 series 6×6 truck (Mercedes-Benz copy) and has a longer cabin. Each set now also has three forward observer vehicles, based on the armoured WZ551WZ551The WZ551 is a Chinese wheeled armored personnel carrier. It is actually consisted of two families of vehicles with official designations in the People's Liberation Army as Type 90 and Type 92. Roughly 600 WZ551s are in service with the PLA, where they are used by light mechanized infantry units...
.
Former Czechoslovakia
- RM-70RM-70The RM-70 multiple rocket launcher is a Czechoslovak army version and the heavier variant of the BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, providing enhanced performance over its parent artillery system that was introduced in 1971 .- Overview :RM-70 was developed in Czechoslovakia as a successor for...
(raketomet vzor 1970): In 1972 the Czechoslovakian army introduced its own version of the BM-21 launch vehicle (really, launcher unit of the BM-21 LV was used only), designated the RM-70. The launcher unit comprises a bank of 40 launch tubes arranged in 4 rows of 10 and it is mounted on an eight-by-eight 10-ton modified Tatra T813Tatra T813Tatra T813 was a truck produced in Czechoslovakia by the Tatra company.-History:The first prototype already built in 1960 utilized existing Tatra T138 assemblies in 4x4 full time all wheel drive, which was also another first for Tatra. After the initial trials however the designers decided to...
truck. Unlike the BM-21, the RM-70 has an armoured cab and enough room behind it to allow for the storage of further 40 rockets.- RM-70/85: Modification of RM-70 launch vehicle on unarmored Tatra T815Tatra T815Tatra T815 is a truck family, produced by Czech company Tatra. It uses the traditional tatra concept of rigid backbone tube and swinging half-axles giving independent suspension. The vehicles are available in 4x4, 6x6, 8x8, 10x8, 10x10, 12x8 and 12x12 variants. There are both air-cooled and...
truck.
- RM-70/85: Modification of RM-70 launch vehicle on unarmored Tatra T815
Poland
- WR-40 "Langusta"WR-40 LangustaWR-40 Langusta is a Polish self-propelled multiple rocket launcher developed by Centrum Produkcji Wojskowej HSW S.A.. The first 32 units of the WR-40 will enter service in 2010.The Langusta is based on a deeply modernized Soviet BM-21 launcher...
(eng.English languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
European spiny lobsterPalinurus elephasPalinurus elephas is a spiny lobster, which is commonly caught in the Mediterranean Sea. Its common names include European spiny lobster, crayfish or cray , common spiny lobster, Mediterranean lobster and red lobster....
) (wyrzutnia rakietowa means rocket launcher): This is a modern Polish version with a new fire control system (with ballistic computer BFC201 and navigation system Sigma 30) and a modified launcher based on the JelczJelczJelcz is a Polish brand of trucks, buses and trolley buses produced by Zakłady Samochodowe Jelcz SA , a division of Jelczańskie Zakłady Samochodowe or . Currently Zakłady Samochodowe Jelcz SA is closed....
P662D.35G-27 6×6 truck (produced by Jelcz-Komponenty). The first vehicle entered service on March 20, 2007. Probably about half of all 227 Polish BM-21 launchers will be converted into WR-40 launchers. New, modern types of munition were also developed for the launcher: the range is approximately 42 km (26.1 mi) for fragmentation-HE rockets "Fenix" and 32 km (19.9 mi) for cargo rockets. The Jelcz P662.D.35 truck with lightly armoured cab is also believed to be the base of a Polish multiple rocket launcherMultiple rocket launcherA multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided rocket artillery system. Like other rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers are less accurate and have a much lower rate of fire than batteries of traditional artillery guns...
complex, which will possibly be developed in the future.
Egypt
The Egyptians domestically manufacture the rockets "Sakr-36" and "Sakr-18" with a respective range of 36 and 18 km (11.2 mi), and the latest "Sakr-45" with a superior range of 45 km (28 mi). Rather than a standard HE-Frag round, the Egyptian military prefers a 23 kilograms (50.7 lb) cluster munition, which can be extremely effective against lightly armored equipment and troop concentrations. Both rockets, as well as the original Soviet models of course, are fired by locally manufactured rocket launchers like the RL-21 (copy of BM-11) and RC-21 (copy of BM-21, similar to the Hadid HM20). The Helwan Machine Tools Company also produces portable systems with one, three, four and eight launch tubes.Gaza Strip
Since 2006, HamasHamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
has made use of 122mm Grad rockets and 122mm Grad-style copies made in Iran, and others have been Eastern-bloc editions modified to expand their range and
lethality. The rockets were believed to be smuggled into the Gaza Strip via tunnels from Egypt. Some of the rockets were of a Chinese Grad variant. Hamas sources said they were pleased by the performance of the Chinese variants of the BM-21 Grad rocket, which demonstrated a far greater range and blast impact than Palestinian made rockets, as well as Russian-origin Grads or Katyushas.
On 28 February 2008 at least ten 122mm Grad rockets hit the coastal city of Ashkelon. In other incidents, longer range rockets were used, with twice that of the BM-21 Grad. These longer range rockets were erroneously reported by the media to be also Grad rockets.
In the 2010 attacks on Eilat and Aqaba, nine standard 122mm Grad rockets were used. For the most part, rockets are smuggled into the Gaza Strip through the network of tunnels between the Strip and Egypt.
On 23 February 2011 at least two 122mm Grad rockets were fired at Beersheba hitting and severely damaging a house in a residential area. On 23 March 2011 another two Grad rockets were fired at Beersheba, seriously injuring a civilian.
During the first week of April 2011, Israeli defense forces intercepted and destroyed several Grad rockets fired from Gaza near Ashkelon in southern Israel, using a newly deployed anti-missile system called Iron Dome
Iron Dome
Iron Dome is a mobile air defense system in development by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells. The system was created as a defensive countermeasure to the rocket threat against Israel's civilian population on its northern and southern...
.
On Saturday August 20, 2011, over 24 Grad rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, landing in Beersheba and Ashdod and killing 1 Israeli. Hamas has claimed responsibility for these attacks.
On Saturday October 29, 2011, the Islamic Jihad
Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine
The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine known in the West as simply Palestinian Islamic Jihad , is a small Palestinian militant organization. The group has been labelled as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia and Israel...
fired eight Grad rockets towards Ashdod, Gan Yavne
Gan Yavne
Gan Yavne is a in the Center District of Israel, located adjacent to the city of Ashdod. It was founded in 1931 and declared a local council in 1950.Gan Yavne lies east of the Tel-Aviv–Ashkelon highway...
, and west of Be'er Sheva wounding one person and causing light wounds to two more, just hours after Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
soldiers killed Ahmed al-Sheikh Khalil, a commander of the Islamic Jihad and four of its munitions experts. They allegedly were responsible for firing one additional Grad rocket towards Ashdod the previous Wednesday., in response to attacks from the Israeli Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
towards a militant squad that was preparing to launch rockets, earlier in the month.
Hamas have used small man-portable single-tube launchers for rockets in attacks against Israel, designated 122 mm 9P132/BM-21-P. The 122 mm Grad rockets used in Gaza have a range of about 40 km (24.9 mi), and can reach the Israeli towns of Ashdod, Beer-Sheva, Ofakim, Gedera
Gedera
-External links:** *...
, Kiryat Gat, Ashqelon, Sderot
Sderot
Sderot is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,700. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip...
, Rehovot
Rehovot
Rehovot is a city in the Center District of Israel, about south of Tel Aviv. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 112,700. Rehovot's official website estimates the population at 114,000.Rehovot was built on the site of Doron,...
, Kiryat Malachi and Gan Yavne
Gan Yavne
Gan Yavne is a in the Center District of Israel, located adjacent to the city of Ashdod. It was founded in 1931 and declared a local council in 1950.Gan Yavne lies east of the Tel-Aviv–Ashkelon highway...
. Islamic Jihad have used
Ethiopia
The Homicho Ammunition Engineering ComplexHomicho Ammunition Engineering Complex
Homicho Ammunition Engineering Complex is one of the military production facilities of the Ethiopian Defense Industry Sector. It specializes in producing wide range of ammunition for use by the Ethiopian National Defense Force.-History:...
produces the rockets while the Bishoftu Motorization Engineering Complex
Bishoftu Motorization Engineering Complex
Bishoftu Motorization Engineering Complex is a repair and overhaul center for heavy armament, tanks and military vehicles. It is one of the organizations of the Ethiopian Defense Industry supporting the Ethiopian National Defense Force.-History:...
produces the launching tubes and has converted existing trucks to diesel engine. Bishoftu motorization has also produced a six tube launcher to be mounted on light trucks.
North Korea (DPRK)
- BM-11: North Korean 30-tube version. The tubes are arranged in 2 banks of 15; all rockets can be fired in as little as 15 seconds. The basis for the BM-11 system is a Japanese manufactured Isuzu chassis.
- MRL 122 mm M1977: US DIA code for a system that appears to be a direct copy of the BM-21 "Grad".
- MRL 122 mm M1985: This is a more modern version, based on a Isuzu 6×6 truck and probably with a 40-round reload-pack mounted between the cab and the launcher
Iran
D.I.O. from Iran produces copies of the BM-11 and BM-21 systems that can fire the original Soviet rockets as well as the locally developed "Arash" with a range of 20.5 km (12.7 mi). There is also a rocket with a range of 75 km (46.6 mi).- HM20 – This is the Iranian version of the BM-21, mounted on a Mercedes-Benz 2624 6×6 truck. The launch pack however consists of 2 packs of 20 tubes. Reportedly there is also a version with an automatic reload-system.
- HM23 – Lighter 16-round version with two packs of 8 launch tubes.
- HMxx – Iranian version of the 30-round BM-11, based on a Mercedes-Benz LA 911B 4x4 truck. Some vehicles are equipped with a light hydraulic crane.
Pakistan
- KRL 122 – Kahuta Research LaboratoriesKahuta Research LaboratoriesThe Khan Research Laboratories ,, formerly known as Engineering Research Laboratories , is a multi-program Pakistan's weapons science and engineering research and development institute and nuclear research facility...
from PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
have developed a rocket launcher that is very similar to the North-Korean BM-11. The KRL 122 was originally based on an Isuzu truck but later models use the Reo M35 truck. Some sources mention the designator Gadab or Azar. Except for the original Soviet rockets, the "Yarmuk" developed by Pakistan Ordnance FactoriesPakistan Ordnance FactoriesPakistan Ordnance Factories was founded in 1951 with the primary objective of producing arms and ammunition for the armed forces of Pakistan...
can be launched.
Romania
- APR-21 (aruncator de proiectile reactive – rocket launcher): Romanian 21-round launcher (3 rows of 7) mounted on a Bucegi SR-114 four-by-four chassis. No longer used by the Romanian Army but some vehicles have been exported to NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
has the launch pack mounted on a Kaiser M35 truck. - APR-40: Initially this designator was used for the original BM-21 "Grad" in Romanian service, but Aerostar SA has developed an improved model, based on a DAC-665T six-by-six truck. A slightly improved model, called APRA-40 or 40 APRA 122 FMC is based on the DAC 15.215 DFAEG truck. Each launcher is normally accompanied by a re-supply truck MITC with a 6t crane and a trailer RM13. The system is also used by BotswanaBotswanaBotswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, BosniaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, CameroonCameroonCameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
, CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, LiberiaLiberiaLiberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
and NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.- LAROMLAROMThe LAROM is a Romanian modern, highly mobile, native-made multiple rocket launcher, attached to a DAC-25.360 6X6 truck, in service with the Romanian Land Forces, built in collaboration with Israel. Currently, there are 24 systems in service, all operated by the 8th Mixed Artillery Brigade...
or LAROM 160: This is an upgraded version that was developed in cooperation with Israel. The launch vehicle is based on the truck chassis DAC 25.360 DFAEG, fitted with two launch packs with each 20 122 mm tubes or 13 160 mm tubes. The LAROM 160 can fire rockets like the LAR Mk.IV with a range of 45 km (28 mi). The system entered service with the Romanian Land Forces in 2002.
- LAROM
South Africa
- ValkiriValkiriThe Valkiri is a South African self-propelled multiple rocket launcher developed in the 1980s by Somchem, a division of the Denel corporation....
: This is an improved South African design by DenelDenelDenel Ltd is a South African state owned aerospace and defence technology conglomerate established in 1991. It was created when the manufacturing subsidiaries of Armscor were split off in order for Armscor to become the procurement agency for South African Defence Force , now known as the South...
using 127 mm rockets. - Bateleur: A newer, more accurate version of the Valkiri. Based on the Withings (White Stallion) military recovery truck chassis. Also produced by Denel.
Projectiles
| Origin | Ammunition type | Minimum range | Maximum range | Length | Weight | Warhead weight | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| metres | miles | metres | miles | metres | ft in | kg | lb Pound (mass) The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement... | kg | lb | |||
| 9M22U (M-21OF) | USSR/Russia | Fragmentation-HE | 5000 metres (3.1 mi) | 20380 metres (12.7 mi) | 2.87 metre | 66.6 kilograms (146.8 lb) | 18.4 kilograms (40.6 lb) | |||||
| 9M28F | USSR/Russia | Fragmentation-HE | 1500 metre (0.93205910497471 mi) | 15000 metres (9.3 mi) | 2.27 metre | 56.5 kilograms (124.6 lb) | 21 kilograms (46.3 lb) | |||||
| 9M28K | USSR/Russia | Anti-tank mines | 13400 metres (8.3 mi) | 3.04 metre | 57.7 kilograms (127.2 lb) | 22.8 kilograms (50.3 lb) | ||||||
| 9M43 | USSR/Russia | Smoke | 20000 metres (12.4 mi) | 2.95 metre | 66 kilograms (145.5 lb) | 20.2 kilograms (44.5 lb) | ||||||
| 9M217 | USSR/Russia | Anti-tank submunitions | 30000 metres (18.6 mi) | 3.04 metre | 70 kilograms (154.3 lb) | 25 kilograms (55.1 lb) | ||||||
| 9M218 | USSR/Russia | HEAT Heat In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between... submunitions |
30000 metres (18.6 mi) | 3.04 metre | 70 kilograms (154.3 lb) | 25 kilograms (55.1 lb) | ||||||
| 9M519 | USSR/Russia | RF jammer Radio jamming Radio jamming is the transmission of radio signals that disrupt communications by decreasing the signal to noise ratio. Unintentional jamming occurs when an operator transmits on a busy frequency without first checking whether it is in use, or without being able to hear stations using the frequency... |
18500 metres (11.5 mi) | 3.04 metre | 66 kilograms (145.5 lb) | 18.4 kilograms (40.6 lb) | ||||||
| 9M521 | USSR/Russia | Fragmentation-HE | 40000 metres (24.9 mi) | 2.87 metre | 66 kilograms (145.5 lb) | 21 kilograms (46.3 lb) | ||||||
| 9M522 | USSR/Russia | Fragmentation-HE | 37500 metres (23.3 mi) | 3.04 metre | 70 kilograms (154.3 lb) | 25 kilograms (55.1 lb) | ||||||
| PRC-60 | USSR/Russia | Underwater charge (for BM-21PD) | 300 metre (0.186411820994942 mi) | 5000 metres (3.1 mi) | 2.75 metre | 75.3 kilograms (166 lb) | 20 kilograms (44.1 lb) | |||||
| Type 90A | China | Fragmentation-HE | 12700 metres (7.9 mi) | 32700 metres (20.3 mi) | 2.75 metre | 18.3 kilograms (40.3 lb) | ||||||
| M21-OF-FP | Romania | Fragmentation-HE | 5000–6000 m (3.1–3.7 mi) | 20400 metres (12.7 mi) | 2.87 metre | 65.4 kilograms (144.2 lb) | 6.35 kilograms (14 lb) | |||||
| M21-OF-S | Romania | Fragmentation-HE | 1000 metre (0.621372736649807 mi) | 12700 metres (7.9 mi) | 1.927 metre | 46.6 kilograms (102.7 lb) | 6.35 kilograms (14 lb) | |||||
| Oghab Oghab The Iranian Oghab missile is an unguided 230 mm artillery rocket with a range of 34-45 km . It is spin-stabilized in flight but has a proven circular error probable in excess of 500 m , making it a highly inaccurate weapon. It carries a 70 kg high explosive fragmentation warhead, though it may... |
Iran | HE fragmantation | 45000 metres (28 mi) | 4.82 metre | 360 kilograms (793.7 lb) | 70 kilograms (154.3 lb) | ||||||
| Fajr-3 Fajr-3 The Fajr-3 Artillery Rocket is an Iranian multiple-launch artillery rocket, a third-generation Katyusha rocket. Fajr means 'dawn' in Arabic.... |
Iran | HE fragmantation | 43000 metres (26.7 mi) | 5.2 metre | 407 kilograms (897.3 lb) | 45 kilograms (99.2 lb) | ||||||
| Fajr-5 Fajr-5 The Fajr-5 is an artillery rocket developed by Iran in the 1990s. The system is part of the Fajr family of rockets.-Overview:The latest production of the Fajr-5 is installed on a new Mercedes-Benz 6 x 6 forward control chassis and the platform is now integrated into a complete weapon system rather... |
Iran | HE fragmantation | 75000 metres (46.6 mi) | 6.485 metre | 915 kilograms (2,017.2 lb) | 90 kilograms (198.4 lb) | ||||||
| Sakr-45A | Egypt | AT / AP submunitions | 42000 metres (26.1 mi) | 3.31 metre | 67.5 kilograms (148.8 lb) | 24.5 kilograms (54 lb) | ||||||
| Sakr-45B | Egypt | Fragmentation-HE | 45000 metres (28 mi) | 2.9 metre | 63.5 kilograms (140 lb) | 20.5 kilograms (45.2 lb) | ||||||
Also Incendiary, Chemical, Illumination, Antipersonnel mines.
Operators
– Afghan National ArmyAfghan National Army
The Afghan National Army is a service branch of the military of Afghanistan, which is currently trained by the coalition forces to ultimately take the role in land-based military operations in Afghanistan. , the Afghan National Army is divided into seven regional Corps. The strength of the Afghan...
– 250 – 75 – 47 – 63 – KRL 122, Type 90B – BM-21 and BM-21A "BelGrad" – 6 – about 192 active, some 200 in storage – 10 – 5 – 100 – 50 – 4 – 20 – 64 – 250 – 4 – 6 – 6 – 10 – 215 – 25 – 10 – 24 units. Known as 122 RAKH 76. Now withdrawn from service. Gaza – Hamas and other militants (including Iranian made 20 km range and Chinese 40 km range Grad variants). – 116 RM-70 – 46 – N/A RM-70 (operated by marines) – 150+ – 100+ – 55 – 50 confiscated from militant groups, not in active service – 100 – 21 – 30-including some BM-11 – ? – 200+ – 36 – ? – 12 – 2 – 5 – 230 – 4 – 30 – 11 APR-21 and APR-40 – 40 – 14 – 219 – 352 APR-40 (124 being upgraded to LAROM) – 1,750 – 10 - 1? – 5 – 250 – 10 – 48 – 56 – 36 – 600 – 52 – 800 – 280 – 50 – 25
See also
- Katyusha, BM-13, BM-8, and BM-31 multiple rocket launchers of World War II
- BM-14BM-14The BM-14 , is a Soviet-made 140mm multiple rocket launcher, fielded by the Soviet Union.The BM-14 can fire rockets fitted with chemical , smoke or high-explosive fragmentation warheads...
140 mm multiple rocket launcher - BM-27 UraganBM-27The BM-27 Uragan is a self-propelled multiple rocket launcher system designed in the Soviet Union. It began its service with the Soviet Army in the late 1970s, as its first modern spin and fin stabilized heavy multiple rocket launcher. This system is capable of launching 220 mm rockets from...
220 mm multiple rocket launcher - BM-30 Smerch 300 mm multiple rocket launcher
- ASTROS II (Brazil)
External links
- 122 mm Multiple Rocket Launcher (MRL) "GRAD" on the Ural-375 6×6 truck chassis – Walk around photos
- Globalsecurity.org
- Enemyforces.com
- Splav State Research and Production Enterprise
- BM-11 at FAS.org
- RM-70 at Army.cz
- WR-40 Langusta at krucjata.org.pl
- Iraq BM-21 Picters
- Iraq BM-21 Ger.
- Полевая реактивная система М-21 (M-21 Field Rocket System)
- Легкая переносная реактивная система "Град-П" (Grad-P Light portable rocket system)
- BM 21 Training in Bulgaria on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
