S-5 rocket - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The S-5 is a rocket

Rocket (weapon)

A rocket is a self propelled, unguided weapon system powered by a rocket motor.- Categorisation :In military parlance, powered munitions are broadly categorised as follows:* A powered, unguided munition is known as a rocket....

weapon developed by the Soviet Air Force

Soviet Air Force

The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...

and used by military aircraft

Military aircraft

A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...

against ground area targets. It is in service with the Russian Air Force

Russian Air Force

The Russian Air Force is the air force of Russian Military. It is currently under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Zelin. The Russian Navy has its own air arm, the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet Aviatsiya Voyenno Morskogo Flota , or AV-MF).The Air Force was formed from...

and various export customers.

It is produced in a variety of subtypes with different warhead

Warhead

The term warhead refers to the explosive material and detonator that is delivered by a missile, rocket, or torpedo.- Etymology :During the early development of naval torpedoes, they could be equipped with an inert payload that was intended for use during training, test firing and exercises. This...

s, including HEAT

Shaped charge

A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosive's energy. Various types are used to cut and form metal, to initiate nuclear weapons, to penetrate armor, and in the oil and gas industry...

anti-armour (S-5K), high-explosive fragmentation

Fragmentation (weaponry)

Fragmentation is the process by which the casing of an artillery shell, bomb, grenade, etc. is shattered by the detonating high explosive filling. The correct technical terminology for these casing pieces is fragments , although shards or splinters can be used for non-preformed fragments...

(S-5M/MO), smoke, and incendiary rounds. Each rocket is about 1.4 meters (4 ft 6 in) long and weighs about 5 kg (11 lb), depending on warhead and fuze. Range is 3 to 4 kilometres (1.9 to 2.6 miles).

Development

Developed in early 1950s, originally as part of the air to air AS-5 weapon system for the MiG-19. The rockets were tested in a series of configurations on MiG-15bis and MiG-17 jets, with the final tests complete on a MiG-17PF in January 1955. The tests revealed that the rockets did not perform as expected against aerial targets. The rocket ARS-57 was accepted into service in April 1955, with a military designation S-5.

Description

The S-5 is a 55 mm (2.2 in) calibre unguided rocket fired from a 57 mm calibre tube. It is used by fighter bombers and helicopter

Helicopter

A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...

s. It consists of a steel body containing a solid fuel rocket, and a high explosive warhead with a mechanical impact fuze. At the rear of the rocket is an elongated exhaust nozzle, attached to which are eight forward folding fins. The fins fold around the rocket when it is stowed in its launch tube, springing back as soon as it leaves the launch tube. In flight the fins provide stabilizing spin to the rocket, spinning it at approximately 750 rpm. The solid rocket motor burns for just 1.1 seconds, during which time it covers about 300 meters.

The S-5 is carried in rocket pods, with 4 - 32 rockets. The first were ORO-57 launchers

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...

, made in variants with capacity of 4, 8 and 16 rockets. Most typical became ORO-57K for 8 rockets, used especially with MiG-19. Then, from early 1960s, typical launcher became UB-16-57, with 16 rockets, developed in several variants, for helicopters and planes. UB stands for "universal block", for it could be carried on typical bomb hardpoints, "57" is referring to the actual diameter of the launch tube (the diameter of the rocket plus 2 mm). First variant and UB-16-57U had conical forward part, next variant UB-16-57D had blunt forward part. From 1968, a variant UB-16-57UMP was produced, with conical forward part and sticking out five inner tubes. In the 1970s there was developed an ultimate launcher UB-32 with 32 rockets, carried by heavier aircraft. In 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...

, Mars-2 launcher was developed for 16 rockets, and in 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...

, LPR 57 launchers for 16 rockets.

Afghanistan

S-5 rockets were used extensively by Sukhoi Su-25

Sukhoi Su-25

The Sukhoi Su-25 is a single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by the Sukhoi Design Bureau. It was designed to provide close air support for the Soviet Ground Forces. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 22 February 1975...

and Mil Mi-24

Mil Mi-24

The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...

aircraft in Afghanistan in the 1980s, where their effectiveness was considered poor. Pilots described the rockets fanning out after launch "like a tulip", and that the warhead was only good for "tickling the dookhi's (mujahedeen) heels". The Russian forces have shifted to higher-calibre weapons like the S-8 rocket

S-8 rocket

The S-8 is a rocket weapon developed by the Soviet Air Force for use by military aircraft. It remains in service with the Russian Air Force and various export customers....

instead.

Israel

On Sunday the 6th of January 2009, The Israel Defense Forces identified a rocket fired at Israel earlier in the day by militants in the Gaza Strip as a Russian-made S5K, the type used in battle in Iran and Afghanistan.

According to the IDF, the rocket fired at Kibbutz Alumim in the Negev marked the first time militants in Gaza have used this type of weapon.
Although this type is intended to be launched aerially, said the IDF, Gaza militants on Sunday chose to launch their rocket from on-the-ground. Unlike a Qassam rocket, the S5K contains more explosives, but is less precise.

Libya

S-5, along with S-8

S-8 rocket

The S-8 is a rocket weapon developed by the Soviet Air Force for use by military aircraft. It remains in service with the Russian Air Force and various export customers....

and S-13

S-13 rocket

The S-13 is a 122 mm calibre unguided rocket weapon developed by the Soviet Air Force for use by military aircraft. It remains in service with the Russian Air Force and some other countries....

rockets, have been deployed from the backs of pick-up trucks (generally, technicals) during the 2011 Libyan Civil War

2011 Libyan civil war

The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...

, serving as a make-shift MLRS. The rebels have also developed a man-portable launcher for the S-5, turning the rocket into a make-shift RPG round.

Typical launchers specifications

ORO-57K
- rockets: 8
- length x diameter: 1447 x 220 mm
- weight, empty: 33 kg
- weight, loaded: 64 kg
- aircraft: MiG-19
UB-16-57UMP
- rockets: 16
- length x diameter: 1880 x 335 mm
- weight, empty: 57 kg
- weight, loaded: 138 kg
- aircraft: MiG-21, Su-7, Mi-8
  Mil Mi-8
  The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....
  
  (various variants of UB-16-57)
UB-32
- rockets: 32
- length x diameter: 2080 x 481 mm
- weight, empty: 103 kg
- weight, loaded: 264 kg
- aircraft: MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, Su-7, Su-17/20/22, Su-25, Mi-17
  MI-17
  MI-17 can refer to:* Mil Mi-17, Soviet helicopter*M-17...
  
  , Mi-24

Rocket specifications

Designation	Type	Length overall	Launch weight	Warhead weight	Notes
S-5	GP	0.915 m	3.99 kg	1.16 kg	Impact fuze
S-5M	HE-FRAG	?	?	?	Produces 75 splinters
S-5M1	HE-FRAG	0.882 m	3.86 kg	0.8 kg	Produces 75 splinters
S-5MO	Frag	0.998 m	4.82 kg	0.8 kg	Warhead has 20 notched steel rings generate 360 fragments.
S-5K	HEAT	?	?	?	Shaped charge Shaped charge A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosive's energy. Various types are used to cut and form metal, to initiate nuclear weapons, to penetrate armor, and in the oil and gas industry... warhead, 130 mm versus RHA.
S-5K1	HEAT	0.83 m	3.64 kg	1.1 kg	Shaped charge warhead, 130 mm versus RHA.
S-5KO	HEAT / FRAG	0.987 m	4.43 kg	1.36 kg	Warhead has 10 notched steel rings, 220 fragments.
S-5KP	HEAT / FRAG	?	?	?	Shaped charge with wound wire fragmentation jacket and sensitive piezoelectric impact fuze.
S-5KPB	HEAT / FRAG	1.079 m	5.01 kg	1.8 kg	Shaped charge with wound wire fragmentation jacket and sensitive piezoelectric impact fuze.
S-5S	Flechette	?	?	?	Warhead contains 1,000 to 1,100 40 mm long flechette Flechette A flechette is a pointed steel projectile, with a vaned tail for stable flight. The name comes from French , "little arrow" or "dart", and sometimes retains the acute accent in English: fléchette.-Bulk and artillery use:... s.
S-5SB	Flechette	?	?	?	Warhead contains 1,000 to 1,100 40 mm long flechettes.
S-5P (PARS-57)	Chaff Chaff (radar countermeasure) Chaff, originally called Window by the British, and Düppel by the Second World War era German Luftwaffe , is a radar countermeasure in which aircraft or other targets spread a cloud of small, thin pieces of aluminium, metallized glass fibre or plastic, which either appears as a cluster of secondary...	?	?	n/a	Chaff rocket
S-5P1	Chaff	1.073 m	5.04 kg	n/a	Chaff rocket.
S-5-O	Flare	?	?	?	Flare / illumination
S-5-O1	Paraflare	0.948 m	4.94 kg	1.73 kg	Parachute flare.