S-8 rocket - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The S-8 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...

for use 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:...

. It remains in service with the Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n Air Force and various export customers.

Developed in the 1970s, the S-8 is an 80 mm (3.1 in) rocket

Rocket

A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...

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. The system entered service in 1984 and 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-armor, 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...

, smoke, and incendiary, as well as the specialized S-8BM runway

Runway

According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...

-destroying munition and the S-8DM fuel-air explosive

Fuel-air explosive

A fuel-air explosive device consists of a container of fuel and two separate explosive charges. After the munition is dropped or fired, the first explosive charge bursts open the container at a predetermined height and disperses the fuel in a cloud that mixes with atmospheric oxygen...

variants. Each rocket is between 1.5 meters (4 ft 11 in) and 1.7 meters (5 ft 7 in) long and weighs between 11.3 kg (25 lb) and 15.2 kg (33.5 lb), depending on warhead and fuse. Range is 2 to 4 kilometers (1.3 to 2.6 mi).

The S-8 is generally carried in the B series of rocket pods, carrying either seven or 20 rockets.

Rocket specifications

Designation	Type	Length overall	Launch weight	Warhead weight	Range	Notes
S-8KO	HEAT	1.57 m	11.3 kg	3.6 kg (0.9 kg of explosive)	1.3 to 4 km	400 mm versus RHA
S-8KOM	HEAT	1.57 m	11.3 kg	3.6 kg (0.9 kg of explosive)	1.3 to 4 km	400 mm versus RHA. Velocity 610 m/s
S-8B	Penetrating	1.5 m	15.2 kg	7.41 kg (0.6 kg of explosive)	1.2 to 2.2 km	800 mm versus reinforced concrete.
S-8BM	Penetrating	1.54 m	15.2 kg	7.41 kg (0.6 kg of explosive)	1.2 to 2.2 km	800 mm versus reinforced concrete. Velocity 450 m/s.
S-8D	FAE	1.66 m	11.6 kg	3.8 kg (2.15 kg of explosive)	1.3 to 3 km
S-8DM	FAE	1.7 m	11.6 kg	3.8 kg (2.15 kg of explosive)	1.3 to 3 km	5.5–6 kg TNT equivalent. Velocity 590 m/s
S-8DF	FAE	1.68 m	13.4 kg	5.5 kg (3.3 kg of explosive)	1.3 to 4 km	6 kg TNT equivalent. Velocity 500 m/s
S-8 O	Illuminating	1.63 m	12.1 kg	4.3 kg	4 to 4.5 km	2 megacandela flare warhead
S-8 OM	Illuminating	1.63 m	12.1 kg	4.3 kg	4 to 4.5 km	2 megacandela flare warhead burns for 30 seconds. Velocity 545 m/s.
S-8T	Tandem-HEAT	1.7 m	13 kg	6.6 kg (1.6 kg of explosive)	1.3 to 4 km	Tandem HEAT 400 mm versus RHA. Velocity 470 m/s
S-8P	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...	1.63 m	12.3 kg	4.5 kg of chaff	2 to 3 km
S-8PM	Chaff	1.63 m	12.3 kg	4.5 kg of chaff	2 to 3 km	545 m/s velocity.
S-8S	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:...	1.612 m	13 kg	4.3 kg	1.2 to 3.5 km	2,000 flechettes in 5 bundles
S-8TsM	Target marking	1.605 m	11.1 kg	3.6 kg	1.3 to 2 km (heli) 1.3 to 3 km (plane)	target/route marking smoke visible 6 km away

Rocket specifications

See also