MOPO3

It’s BM-21 on MAZ chassis instead Ural one. I suppose it is perfect to be camouflaged as an civilian truck.

Garry

I guess if they put tent on it nobody would be able to see what the truck is actually carrying.

Anon

BM-21s are good simple MRLs, but their protection levels are obviously for crap.

MOPO3

Do you suppose that protection level of M-39 MSLR can help it to survive after an hely's missile strike or an RPG shot? Warhead will dismount it to Lego bricks same way like an BM-21, but these bricks will be heavier and much more expensive.

Garry

yes good and simple... and short range. Snipe, I think that protection level is not something to be expected from such a weapon.... if it is detected it would be a priority target for enemy and even most heavy armor will not save MLRS from heavy barrage/air strike.

So the best protection for simple and short range MLRS - be unidentifiable.... and look like a normal truck....

ps. Just remembered reading about Damansky conflict of Soivet border guards with Chinese army....

Only 4 salvos from 9 trucks of BM-21 shooting to areas reported by air reconnaisance has destroyed a whole Chinese division in a matter of 30 minutes.... A weight of explosives from one salvo of BM-21 was (66kg x 40 tubes = 2,460 kg) and 9 trucks delivered 23,760kg in one salvo in a total of 360 shells.... well 4 salvos delivered 1,440 of a 66kg shells and cleared the territory on which this division was waiting to get into the fight.

Air force pilots reported then that Chinese has lost a division which was staying in reserve (15km from border) and waiting a command to engage into the border conflict. Having lost that division Chinese cooled down despite their oveall numerical domination at that particular part of the Chinese-Soviet border.

Yes, Indeed, MLRS would be a priority target after a command center.

Anon

The US went a different route wrt MLRS philosophy...

VovaLee

I like TOS-1
And I think that It protection level is superpower.

Anon

Looks like a good system. Where are the end covers for the missiles? And is it single tube manual reload as it appears to be?

MLRS has run of the mill armored protection, but it'll stop most shell fragments...which are really the main threat(counterbattery fires)

Gun Grape

It needs that protection. Cause against a real enemy, it would die quick!!!

Its a short range FAE delivery system. Max range 3.5 Km, Min range .5 Km.
Well within M1 gun and TOW2 range.

VovaLee

Yes Tos-1 have 3.5 Km range Tos-1m 6.0 Km.
For long range we have
2s5 Giacint - 152mm - 28.4 (33.1) Km

and
2s7 Pion - 203mm - 37.5 (55.0) Km

+Grad+Uragan+Smerch

Garry

ATACM is really impressive weapon. But it should not be compared to MLRS... It is interesting that it shares platform with MLRS alowing for shared cost.

I liked the idea of configuring the trade off of range vs payload.... Hence the standard missile has payload of 560kg consisting 950 bomblets delivered to 165km!!!! while maximum range of 300km reduces payload to 160kg (300 bomblets). Each bomblet weights 0.58kg and has kill range of 150m.

However I guess that this system should not be compared to MLRS in Russian army. MLRS are supposed to be cheap and cover large territories while one ATACM was almost a $1mln ($0.82mln in 1998 prices). In Russian army this is similar to Iskander which has similar range of 300km (400km for Russian army) and payload of 460kg, the warhead consists of 44 elements but very few is known about types of minitions - applications anti-tank guided shells, anti-personel bomlets/mines, one guided penetration shell, 10 area shells (against air-fields/SAMs).
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/theater/ss-26.htm

Most impressive are the antitank guided version of ATACM - 13 self guided shells per one ATACM (20kg each and total warhead weight of 268kg) fired at quite impresive range of 145km.... Looks really powerfull!

http://www.aeronautics.ru/archive/wm..._block1-01.htm
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/atacms.htm
http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/mlrs.html

Garry

TOS-1 Buratino is something which has completelly different role. It is more a close-battlefield aminal.... that is why it is mounted on T-55 chasis.

Yes it is a single tube manufal reload. The TOS-1 is not really having high ROF. It is supposed to kill its enemy from first salvo. It can be used only in close combat and only anti-persnnel.... even when it is inside fortifications (vacuum kill effect). At can not engage even lightly armored vehicles.... but it is really great in anti-personnel area effect. Nothing can clear battlefield that quickly from infantry.

Yep. It has been built on T-55 and T-62 chasis. So it has protection against shrapnell and small caliber cannons.
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In general Buratino, M-39/ATACM, Smerch, Grad BM-21 changed the wars completelly..... I guess Iraqi war was one of the last when Army could afford to attacking enemy in large columns covered by helicopters.... The animals listed above make attacking in large formations on open area quite suisadal..... Indeed one few salvo from any of those can kill divisions... only range differs.

And Chinese learned that in 1968..... They wanted to attack in a large crowd like in WW 2..... and were cleared off the ground by BM-21... only 4 salvos... of only 9 trucks.... I believe that US army was lucky that Saddams army was so stupid, unmotivated and disorganized (they did not blow up bridges!!! charged!!!). For example Chechens had only two BM-21 but they fired 3 salvos against poor Russian brigade (completelly destroyed) while marching towards Grozniy in 1995.

I guess that MLRS changed war tactics.

VovaLee

No...
It have base from T-72

Garry

oups. Yes I stand corrected.

Anon

ATACM is just a missile that works with our std MLRS launchers. You can see the one in the pic has a six-cell of std M77 rockets aboard too.