In the history of Soviet military equipment there are many such technical solutions and vehicles that still remain in service due to their combat effectiveness and reliability. Yes, the system volley fire"Grad" and its variations are still in service in dozens of countries around the world.

General information

According to the passport, the complex was called MLRS “Grad” (9K51). It was intended to suppress enemy infantry, lightly armored vehicles, as well as to solve some other problems that arose as the combat situation developed. The Grad multiple launch rocket system was adopted by the army of the Soviet Union back in 1963.

The caliber of cartridges used is 122 mm. The shells are placed in guides, the total number of which is 40 pieces. Some sources contain statements that the enemy can be reached even a couple of hundred kilometers away by shells fired by the Grad multiple launch rocket system. The range of this installation in reality does not exceed 20.4 km.

The artillery unit itself can be mounted on the chassis of any more or less suitable truck. Most often, "Urals" are used. You can find out about the platform used by looking at the modification index. However, the Grad-1 MLRS was generally produced on the ZIL basis. On a normal road, the unit can move at speeds of up to 75-90 km/h.

Purpose

According to the documents, the Grad multiple launch rocket system is intended to perform the following combat missions: suppression and destruction of enemy infantry openly located and dug in on the ground, equipment, including lightly armored, mortar batteries and cannon artillery, as well as command posts. It is possible to defeat other targets in the area of ​​enemy activity.

It is believed that the Grad multiple launch rocket system is capable of destroying only light armored vehicles. But, as the events in Georgia in August 2008 showed, 122 mm shells from this rocket system reduce enemy tanks to a state of choice scrap metal.

However, this is not surprising: the thickness of the armor on the roof of the turret of old modifications of the T-72 is 410 mm (for new T-72s, the thickness of the armor in this place is from 510 mm), and the explosive reserve in one “hailstone” is up to 18 kilograms (there is and more powerful modern types shells). It’s quite enough to, if not knock out a tank, then incapacitate its crew.

Of course, the Grad multiple launch rocket system, the range of which does not allow it to be classified as anti-tank artillery, was used in this role, as they say, not because of a good life, but because of the exhaustion of anti-tank weapons.

In addition, the Grad system, the characteristics of which are described here, has excellent maneuverability, which allows the complexes to be driven under their own power as part of columns of heavy armored vehicles. The complex is recharged by the crew, who use a special transport-charging machine. Its role is played by the three-axle ZIL-131. Two racks are mounted on the chassis, each containing 20 shells.

What components are included in the complex?

The composition is as follows:

• The combat vehicle itself, which forms the basis of the installation, is the Ural-375D vehicle, on which guides for missiles are installed.
• Secondly, a machine for transporting and loading them.
• Thirdly, in order to timely receive and correct the data that is necessary for accurately hitting enemy targets, the Bereza vehicle is used. It is made on the basis of the GAZ-66, known for its unpretentiousness and cross-country ability.

Characteristics of the combat vehicle

As we have already said, this is an all-terrain vehicle, the artillery part of which is installed in the rear area. Guides for projectiles are mounted on a massive rotating base. There is also a mechanism for rotating and lifting the base, devices for aiming and other equipment. Thanks to this, you can aim at the target in the vertical and horizontal planes.

Thus, "Grad" is a multiple launch rocket system that can be used in several areas at once.

Guides

The internal diameter of the guides is 122.4 millimeters, their length is three meters. In order for the projectiles to rotate in flight, there is a U-shaped guide groove in the wall of each pipe. The guides are arranged in a package of four rows, each of which has ten pipes. The entire mechanism is rigidly mounted on a separate welded cradle. In the vertical plane, aiming can be performed in the range from 0 to +55 degrees.

Accordingly, in horizontal projection this figure is 173 degrees (that is, 70 degrees to the right and 103 degrees to the left of the car). Guidance is carried out through the operation of an electric drive.

OMS

The fire control system, also known as the fire control system, provides the possibility of both a full salvo of all projectiles and a single launch. The installation can be activated directly from the cabin, but it is also possible to use a remote control (range of action - 50 meters). A full salvo is completed in just 20 seconds. The manufacturer guarantees the ability to fire at temperatures from -40 to +50 degrees Celsius.

Since it is used special system automated stabilization, and the projectiles leave the guides in a strictly sequential order, missile system volley fire "Grad" practically does not sway. This is a huge advantage in combat conditions.

Some information about cross-country ability

The installation is brought into firing position in just three and a half minutes. Modern modifications can move on highways at speeds of up to 90 km/h, and can also cross rivers and streams up to one and a half meters deep under their own power. For communication, a standard radio station R-108M is used. The machine is equipped with full fire extinguishing systems.

In general, "Grad" is a multiple launch rocket system that has rare survivability. All installed mechanical and electronic systems They are very reliable, so you can still find cars that began to be used in Afghanistan.

Advantages of the modernized version

A modernized version of the Grad, called BM-21-1, is also known. In this case, the Ural-4320 diesel vehicle is used as the chassis. But much more important is the fact that the design of the installation in this case uses ASUNO, that is, completely automated system guidance and fire control. Preparation and launch equipment, as well as a satellite navigation system, were initially installed on the vehicle.

All these systems provide the following functions: precise orientation of guide packages with projectiles, synchronization of installation location coordinates on the move with real-time display on the on-board computer display.

This is the ultra-modern “Grad”. The multiple launch rocket system, photos of which are repeatedly found in this article, allows the crew to target the target without even approaching the guides or using sighting devices. Even better, there is the ability to remotely record into the shell fuses.

Of course, the salvo is carried out without the crew leaving the cockpit, which significantly increases the mobility and maneuverability of the entire system as a whole.

What types of projectiles can be used?

- Classic 9M22. The most common, can be used at a distance of 5 to 20.4 km. If shooting is carried out at average range, that is, at 13-16 kilometers, you should use a small one, and when shooting at a distance of up to 12 kilometers, a large brake ring. The length of this projectile is 2.87 m, its total mass is 66 kg. The warhead itself weighs 19 kg and contains 7 kg of explosives. The fuse is a head fuse, impact action. Three settings are allowed: for an instant explosion, as well as for medium and extreme deceleration. The fuse is armed only after the projectile leaves the guides and has already managed to fly away from the installation at least 450-500 meters. This ensures the safety of the Grad crew. The multiple launch rocket system (performance characteristics are given in the article) also uses other variants of the NURS.

- 9M22U. No less frequently used NURS with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead. It differs from the previous type in that it produces several times more fragments, which is what causes it wide application against enemy infantry. The maximum firing range in this case is 21 km. The projectile flies at a speed of 690 meters per second.

- 9M23 "Leika". Also belongs to the category of fragmentation shells, but has a chemical warhead. Most often it is equipped with 1.83 kilograms of explosives itself, to which 3.11 kg of the R-35 destructive compound is added. As an option, a warhead with 1.39 kg of explosives and 2.83 kg of R-33 mixture is used. Another special feature of the projectile is that it can be equipped with a fuse activated via radio communication. In this case, the defeat of the Grad system occurs due to a cloud of toxic substances, which is formed at a height of one and a half to thirty meters. When exploded, it produces exactly 760 fragments, each of which has a mass of 14.7 grams.

- 9M43. A heavy projectile (56.5 kilograms) used to set up light curtains in front of one’s battle formations. Can be used at distances from five to twenty kilometers. The warhead includes five samples of red phosphorus, each of which weighs 0.8 kg. The launch of just ten such projectiles creates a stable curtain a kilometer wide and the same depth. The cloud lasts for about five minutes on average.

- 9M28K. An unusual projectile used for remote anti-tank mining. It weighs 57.7 kg, with the mass of the warhead itself being 22.8 kg. Each shell contains three mines, each of which weighs five kilograms. The maximum range is within 14 km. To reliably mine a square kilometer of the front, about ninety shells are required. The mines are eliminated on their own after 24 hours. In principle, not only Grad has such shells. The Uragan multiple launch rocket system can also be used for remote mining.

- 9M16. Similar to the previous type, but used for laying anti-personnel minefields. The projectile itself weighs 56.4 kg, with the warhead accounting for 21.6 kg. Each contains five POM-2 mines. Individually they weigh about two kilograms. In this case, the maximum salvo range is five kilometers. To mine a square kilometer, at least twenty shells are required. They are equipped with a self-destruct mechanism that can be activated hundreds of hours after being scattered across the area.

- 9M28F. A particularly powerful high-explosive projectile. Its total mass is about 60 kilograms, the warhead weighs 21 kg, and the explosive weight is 14 kg. The effective firing range is from one and a half to fifteen kilometers.

- 9M28D. A special type of projectile that is designed to cause active radio interference in the VHF and HF ranges, which greatly complicates enemy radio communications. Only eight of these projectiles are capable of effectively suppressing communications at frequencies from 1.5 to 120 MHz.

The maximum range of use is 18.5 km. The total mass of the projectile is 66 kg, of which the warhead accounts for 19 kg. Each transmitter is designed for an hour of continuous operation, with a range of at least 700 meters. In principle, not only Grad can boast of such means. The Smerch multiple launch rocket system has similar (even more powerful) shells in its ammunition load.

- 9M42. A lighting projectile that is part of the Illumination system. It is launched to a height of about 450-500 meters, from where it illuminates an area of ​​a square kilometer for ninety seconds. The illumination level is about two lux.

Where is it used today?

It is believed that the Grad system, the characteristics of which are described in the article, is in service in thirty countries around the world, but in fact their number is much larger. As for the Russian Federation, the state troops have 2.5 thousand installations, of which 350 are on combat duty, and the rest are mothballed.

There are about forty Grads on duty in the coastal defense forces. According to statistics, there are at least three thousand BM-21 Grad in the armies of the world. The multiple launch rocket system, the characteristics of which are impressive, immediately spread throughout the world. In principle, such a number of MLRS is not at all surprising, since at the Motovilikha plants in Perm this installation was produced for many years, and in large quantities.

But “Grad” was produced not only there! In Perm alone, three thousand BM-21 units came off the stocks. At least three million shells for them were manufactured there. But that’s not all “Grad”! The multiple launch rocket system, photos of which are presented in the article, was repeatedly modernized by foreign countries, which in some cases managed to create decent weapons.

You don't have to look far for examples. Thus, more than one hundred Grad vehicles remain on the territory of Ukraine. The multiple launch rocket system, which Ukraine badly needed, was transferred to the KRAZ vehicle chassis, which made it possible to avoid dependence on the supply of spare parts.

In addition, back in 1966, the development of a similar installation for arming ships began. The work continued for twelve long years until it was put into service. “Damba” appeared at its base. This is a special MLRS, which was used to defend the coast from a possible landing of enemy troops or saboteur swimmers.

What is a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS)? What is the radius of destruction of the Grad installation? We will consider these important issues further in as much detail as possible. And now you need to remember that an MLRS is a weapon complex that includes a multi-charge launcher and rockets (rocket depth charges, unguided rockets), as well as aids: transport-charging and transport vehicles, other equipment.

MLRS is a rocket weapon. This system is armed ground armies, naval flotillas and air force a large number of states.

A jet engine is used in a rocket projectile, which eliminates the influence of recoil force when fired. This nuance allows you to design lightweight, uncomplicated and small-sized multi-barrel launch structures.

MLRS launchers are installed on self-propelled (tracked, wheeled) and towed chassis, helicopters, airplanes and ships.

By the way, the latest MLRS fire projectiles with a caliber of up to 425 millimeters. Their maximum firing range can reach forty-five kilometers or more (up to 400 kilometers on some samples). They can carry from four to fifty rockets, each of which is equipped with a separate guide (tubular or rail) for launching.

"Katyusha"

During the Great Patriotic War field artillerymen acquired barrelless systems, unofficially called “Katyushas”. Initially they were manufactured as BM-13, and then as BM-8, BM-31 and so on.

The armed forces of the USSR very actively used these installations during the Second World War. The nickname “Katyusha” was quite popular, so in colloquial speech This is how the BM-21 “Grad” began to be called, as well as the post-war MLRS on a vehicle chassis, and the BM-14.

Later, Soviet artillerymen dubbed other installations with similar nicknames (“Vanyusha”, “Andryusha”): BM-31 and others. Of course, these names are not so famous.

History of the creation of weapons

Workers of the gas-dynamic laboratory V.A. Artemyev and N.I. Tikhomirov began designing rockets for aircraft back in 1921. In 1929-1933, B. S. Petropavlovsky, together with other GDL employees, conducted public tests of jet missiles for various purposes and calibers. In the experiments, specialists used multi-shot and single-shot aircraft and ground launchers.

In 1937-1938, rockets were adopted into service by the RKKVF. It should be noted that they were developed by the RNII under the direction of G. E. Langemak. The I-153, I-15 and I-16 fighters were equipped with 82-mm RS-82 missiles: summer period In 1939, they were successfully used on the Khalkhin Gol River in battles with the Japanese army.

In 1939-1941, RNII employees A.S. Popov, V.N. Galkovsky, A.P. Pavlenko and others designed a multi-charge launcher mounted on a truck.

In 1941, the installations were tested at the test site, and very successfully. They were designated BM-13 - a military vehicle with 132 mm rockets. BM-13 shells and a launcher based on truck ZIS-6 BM-1, put into service in 1941, June 21. It is this type of machine that received famous name"Katyusha".

BM-13

What is BM-13? This is a Soviet combat apparatus rocket artillery, developed during the Great Patriotic War. This is the most famous USSR combat vehicle of this class. It was her who the people nicknamed “Katyusha”.

At the Comintern plant, located in Voronezh, for the first time on June 27, 1941, two BM-13 launch units were created on a ZIS car chassis.

Device

BM-13 - the same as the Grad installation. Its characteristics are completely unsophisticated. This is a relatively simple weapon, which consists of rail guides and an aiming device. For aiming, an artillery sight, lifting and rotating mechanisms are used. At the rear of the car there are two jacks, which are used to stabilize it during shooting. One machine can accommodate from 14 to 48 guides.

The shell of the missiles is made in the form of a welded cylinder, divided into three sections - combat unit, jet nozzle and engine compartment (combustion chamber with fuel). The RS-132 rocket for the BM-13 design was manufactured weighing 42.5 kg, with a diameter of 132 mm and a length of 0.8 meters. Solid nitrocellulose was placed inside the cylinder with feathers. The warhead weighed 22 kg. The explosive had a mass of 4.9 kg: six anti-tank grenades weighed the same. The firing range reached 8.5 km.

The M-31 rocket for the BM-31 design had a mass of 92.4 kg, was manufactured with a diameter of 310 mm and contained 28.9 kg of explosive substance. Its range reached 13 km. Interestingly, the BM-13 (16 missiles) salvo lasted from seven to ten seconds, and the BM-8 (24-48 missiles) lasted from eight to ten seconds. The BM-31-21 has a loading time of five to ten minutes.

The launch was carried out by a hand-held electric coil connected to contacts located on the guides and a battery. When the handle was turned, the contacts closed one by one and the starting squib was fired in the next projectile. If there were guides large number, sometimes they used a couple of coils at the same time.

Unlike the German Nebelwerfer, the BM-13 has low accuracy and is an area weapon, scattering a colossal number of shells over the territory. It follows that precise strikes, like the Nebelwerfer, could not be made. The explosive charge was half that of the Nebelwerfer rocket, but it could destroy much more equipment without armor and manpower.

How were you able to get such an effect? It’s just that the counter-movement of the detonation increased the gas pressure of the explosion. Explosive detonation occurred on both sides (the length of the cavity for explosives was slightly longer detonator). At the moment when two waves of detonation collided, the gas pressure of the explosion instantly increased at the site of their collision. Thus, the fragments of the hull received impressive acceleration and heated up to eight hundred degrees: they had a magnificent igniting effect.

Legend

In addition to the shell, part of the projectile chamber also burst: it was heated by the gunpowder burning inside. Compared to artillery shells of a similar caliber, this increased the fragmentation impact by 1.5-2 times. Thanks to this nuance, the myth about the “thermite warhead” in Katyusha missiles appeared.

It is noteworthy that “thermite” explosives were tested in the spring of 1942 in Leningrad, but, unfortunately, did not find their application, since the targets were already on fire after the BM-13 salvo. The simultaneous use of dozens of projectiles also generated interference from explosive bursts, which further increased the damaging effect.

Effect

BM-8 (ZIS-6) consisted of five to seven employees:

• The gun commander is one person.
• One driver.
• One gunner.
• Loaders - from two to four people.

9K51 "Grad"

What is 9K51 Grad? This is a 122 mm multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) Soviet Union. The Grad installation was created to destroy command posts, open and hidden manpower, armored personnel carriers and unarmored vehicles in the concentration area, artillery and mortar batteries, and other targets, solving many problems in difficult combat conditions.

Description of the complex

For firing, Grad installations are placed in a field, away from residential buildings. They are called “M-21 field rocket launcher”. Of course, it is better known as the Grad MLRS (GRAU index - 9K51). Its kit includes an equipped Ural-375D chassis, a BM-21 military vehicle (GRAU index - 2B5), and a 122-mm M-21OF unguided rocket. A little later, a colossal number of 122-mm shells were developed, and the BM-21-1 military vehicle was designed, equipped with a modified Ural-43202 off-road truck chassis.

Shells in boxes are transported in trucks of national economic importance. Shells without boxes are transported by a vehicle with a set of 9F37 racks.

Design

In general, the Grad installation was created at NII-147 to equip divisional artillery. The project was led by A. N. Ganichev, who at that time held the position of chief designer. Related enterprises also took part in the work, among which were Moscow NII-6 and Sverdlovsk SKB-203.

Employees of the Central Archive (Podolsk), owned by the Ministry of Defense, store data that confirms that the Grad missile was manufactured in various modifications:

• With a powder starting combined engine and a solid-fuel sustaining ramjet: four nacelles with air intakes were independently mounted on its tail section.
• A rocket of the same system was created, but with some excellent nuances: the fuel of its propulsion engine was concentrated in one central section, made in the form of two cylinders. Partially burnt products flowed through four holes into the gondolas, where they were completely burned in the air flow.
• The Grad installation also used projectiles with rigid stabilizers.
• The stabilizer block of some rocket models was equipped with folding blades.

What was the result of the work carried out? Specialists managed to create an excellent unguided rocket M-210F (with a leading high-explosive fragmentation part, equipped with a pair of welded corrugated bushings necessary to increase the fragmentation effect) and a two-chamber rocket engine with a single charge.

Serial production

The Grad installation was manufactured at the Lenin plant in Perm until 1998. Over the entire period of serial production, 6,536 combat vehicles were manufactured for the USSR army. About 646 "iron dragons" were produced for export.

It should be noted that rocket launcher"Grad" was in service in fifty countries of the world! By 1995, more than two thousand BM-21 military vehicles were in service with many countries. The production of shells was carried out by NPO Splav: more three million specialists from this enterprise created a variety of missiles for the Grad MLRS.

Models

The Grad rocket launcher has become the base model for many domestic systems designed to fire 122 mm unguided rocket projectiles. IN this list included BM-21PD “Damba”, “Grad-VD”, light portable rocket system “Grad-P”, “9K54 Grad-V”, shipborne twenty-two-barreled “A-215 Grad-M”, “9K59 Prima”, “9K55 Grad” -1".

Some foreign systems were also created on the basis of the BM-21, namely: RM-70/85, HADID, RM-70, Modular, Type 90, VM-11, Type 84, PRL113, Type 90A, Type 89, Type 81, " Grad-1A BelGrad, Type 90B, Lynx (Naiza, “Naiza”), RM-70/85М, PRL111, Type 83, APRA, WR-40 Langusta.

So, the Grad salvo launcher was manufactured in the following variations:

• The basic version is 9K51 Grad.
• Sample further development systems - 9K51M "Tornado-G". This is an updated military vehicle 2B17-1/2B17M, equipped with the latest NURS with a maximum firing range increased to forty kilometers.
• The airborne (lightweight) modification is the 9K54 Grad-V. It has a 9P125 combat vehicle with twelve guides and a 9F37V transport vehicle with a set of racks, created on the basis of the GAZ-66B truck for the Airborne Forces.
• If it is necessary to inflict a fatal defeat on the enemy, Grad-VD installations are at your service! These vehicles are a tracked version of the Grad-V system, equipped with a BM-21VD military vehicle and a transport-loading vehicle based on the BTR-D armored car.
• 9K55 "Grad-1" is a modification of the "Grad" system, equipped with a 9P138 military vehicle (36 guides) and a 9T450 transport-loading device, created on the basis of the ZIL-131 truck. They used a truck made not for divisional artillery, but for regimental artillery, for example, for marines.
• 9K55-1 "Grad-1" is a tracked version of the "Grad-1" system. It has the 9P139 combat vehicle, made on the basis of the chassis of the 2S1 “Gvozdika” self-propelled howitzer (36 guides), and the 9T451 vehicle, created on the basis of the MT-Lbu universal tractor.
• A version of the Grad system with increased firepower is the 9K59 Prima. This system consists of a 9A51 military vehicle (50 guides) and a 9T232M transport-loading vehicle, created on the basis of the Ural 4320 truck.
• Belarusian version of the “Grad” system with the BM-21A military vehicle, built on the basis of the MAZ-6317-05 truck - MLRS “Grad-1A” (Belgrade).
• The Ukrainian improvement of the BM-21 is “Bastion-02” and “Bastion-01”.

General characteristics

What is the Grad installation? Its characteristics are quite interesting. Let's look at them in more detail. The army was armed with this vehicle in 1963. For a salvo, it needs forty 122-mm shells.

The maximum range of the Grad installation reaches forty kilometers. The minimum target engagement distance is approximately 1.6 km. Artillery elements are assembled on modernized types of truck chassis, both Ural-4320 and Ural-375: this nuance depends on the model.

As a rule, the Grad-1 model is created on the basis of the ZIL-131. These paramilitary vehicles usually travel at a speed of 75-90 km/h. The system is equipped with the Vivarium automatic fire control complex.

Belarusian version

What does the Belarusian modification of this “iron beast” look like? The Grad-1A (BelGrad) MLRS military vehicle was mounted on the chassis of a MAZ-6317 truck. Her highest speed travel - 85 km/h, range is 1200 km. The radius of destruction of the Grad installation is quite large - up to 1000 m, it weighs 16.45 tons, and the crew consists of six people. It can carry sixty missiles at a time! Recharge time is only seven minutes.

It should be noted that shelling from the BM-21 has dire consequences. Grad launchers have colossal destructive power and, as a rule, force the enemy to capitulate.

One of the symbols local conflicts, which burned after the collapse of the Soviet Union in many territories that were previously part of it, was the Grad installation. Photos of this missile and artillery system, published in newspapers and on the pages of online publications, are sometimes presented as evidence of the Russian military presence or presented as an illustration of scenes of fierce fighting. In any case, if the BM-21 is used, there is little good. The effectiveness of this weapon is very high.

"Katyusha" and the development of the North-West Zone

In our country, salvo launchers appeared earlier than in the rest of the world. The Jet Research Institute patented a multi-barrel launch system that fired rockets back in 1938. Since then, work to improve the MLRS has been carried out in the USSR almost continuously, receiving special development during the Great Patriotic War. "Katyushas" - the legendary guards mortars - formed the combat formations of the regimental echelon, but in terms of striking power they could be compared with divisions. The salvo principle, as opposed to firing single rockets, took root among the troops for a very simple reason. From the late thirties to the mid-fifties, rockets were mostly unguided, moved normally and were inferior in accuracy to artillery weapons. The fuel did not burn evenly enough, and pulse fluctuations occurred, which led to large dissipation values. This drawback could only be offset by massive use, as a result of which areas with everything that was on them at that moment were affected. Second world war was in the nature of clashes large quantities manpower and technology. Based on the experience gained from 1939 to 1945, the concept of multiple launch rocket systems created in the subsequent period in the USSR was formulated. Its brightest expression was the BM (combat vehicle), which has an inexpressive index “21”, also known as the “Grad” installation. The damage radius has become significantly larger compared to Katyusha, firepower has increased many times over.

Previous systems

At the end of the thirties, the Soviet idea of ​​salvo strikes with rockets, as well as rocket technology in general, military leadership was treated with some distrust. The usual army conservatism combined with confidence in time-tested types of weapons had an effect. Nevertheless, many enthusiasts of the new type of ammunition managed to overcome the resistance, and soon after the German attack, the Katyusha divisions reached firing positions, bringing confusion and panic into the ranks of the aggressors. The successful use of SZO during combat operations in Europe and then in Asia (against the Kwantung group of Japanese troops) finally strengthened the Stalinist leadership in the idea of ​​the advisability of further development of this area of ​​​​military equipment. In the first half of the 50s, new models were developed and adopted. The BM-14 had a RS 140 mm caliber and could hit area targets at ten-kilometer distances. The BM-24 fired even further, at 16,800 m. It seemed that it was difficult to create anything more perfect, especially considering that artillery in general is a rather conservative branch of the military, having a technical base that is not as dependent on scientific progress as aviation or the navy. Guns and howitzers serve for decades without undergoing constructive changes, and this surprises no one. Nevertheless, according to the great designer A.N. Gonichev, much could still be done. In May 1960, it was he who received an important government assignment. The performance characteristics of the Grad installation, the creation of which he was entrusted with, should have significantly exceeded the parameters of the BM-14 and BM-24, already in service.

Tasks and related issues

At first they did not plan to use anything revolutionary in the new design. General principles already generally formed. It was assumed that the projectile would be solid propellant, this was dictated by the massive use among the troops and the peculiarities of storage conditions in warehouses and in the front line in the event of a military conflict. The firing accuracy of the Grad installation could be increased by using tubular guides, which more rigidly set the motion vector during launch and at the initial stage of the flight. The rotational moment imparted to the projectile for the same purpose of reducing dispersion arose not only thanks to stabilizers located at an angle to the flight line, but also due to special guide grooves cut inside the barrel, similar to how it is implemented in With other factors that worsened shooting parameters, it was also necessary to fight, not only by the forces of the lead design organization, but also by subcontractors. The launcher was created by SKB-203, Research Institute No. 6 was responsible for fuel cells, and combat charges were developed by GSKB-47. Name " mailboxes“Even today he speaks to few people about anything, and then, in 1960, even more so. All types of weapons, including the Grad installation, were created in secrecy. Photos of prototypes were stored in special folders with strict labels. All personnel related to the creation of the new SZO gave appropriate For many years, none of the employees of defense enterprises could travel abroad, even in

Tests

At the very end of 1961, the first pre-production Grad multiple rocket launcher was ready for testing, then another one. The Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate of the Soviet Army has prepared the training ground area for spring ( Leningrad region) for the planned launches of 650 missiles and further sea tests along a route of 10 thousand kilometers. It is not known whether the rush was to blame, but the chassis could not withstand the full run; it was able to travel only 3,300 km, after which the frame broke. The chassis had to be replaced, but, as it turned out, the problems were not random, but were of a systemic nature. Under the influence of dynamic loads, two axles bent and the driveshaft failed. However, these troubles did not prevent state acceptance. The testing conditions included an excessive operating range. Grad installations began to arrive in military units in 1964.

Guidance Mechanism

Of course, the main thing in this multiple launch rocket system was the performance confirmed by test firing, and not driving performance. Nobody was going to drive these SZOs from Moscow to Vladivostok under their own power; there are other means for delivery, and the trouble-free mileage of more than three thousand kilometers eloquently indicated that the chassis, in general, was not so poorly made, although it needed somewhat enhanced. The main unit of the vehicle is the warhead, consisting of forty (10 in a row) guide pipes, 3 meters long and with an internal diameter of 122.4 mm. The firing range of the Grad installation depends on the inclination of the barrel block relative to the horizontal plane, the angle of which is set by a lifting device. This unit is located in the center of the base and, in its principle, represents a mechanical gearbox, which includes two kinematic pairs: a gear shaft and a gear for setting the direction and with the help of which the desired elevation is created. The guidance mechanism is driven electrically or manually.

Manufacturing innovations

The performance characteristics of the Grad installation are directly related to the characteristics of the missiles it fires.

High-explosive fragmentation was planned as the main ammunition for the BM-21 missile 9M22. Its production was entrusted to plant No. 176, which in 1964 was supposed to produce 10 thousand units. However, the enterprise failed to cope with the task; unexpected difficulties and unforeseen difficulties arose. During the first quarter, the plant managed to produce 650 missiles and 350 warheads for them. The justification for violating the schedule could be an innovation that takes time to implement, but improves the technology in the future. At the insistence of the General Designer Alexander Ganichev, a method was introduced for manufacturing cases using the method of template drawing from sheet steel, similar to that used in the production of artillery shells. Previously, rockets were cut on radial machines from solid blanks, which led to high metal consumption and unnecessary labor costs. Another innovative approach was applied in the method of attaching the collapsible stabilizers of the projectile that the Grad launcher fires. The radius of destruction of the 9M22 slightly exceeds 20 km. The maximum distances are not optimal in terms of accuracy. Scattering in extreme points maximum. Actually, the minimum firing range of the Grad installation, set at 5 km, is conditional; you can fire within a radius of one and a half kilometers, but with a high risk of landing in the wrong place, which with a huge destructive force ammunition can cause very unpleasant consequences.

The “exhaust” technology has proven itself. The rocket body has indeed become lighter. Production became cheaper, but this was not the main achievement. The firing range of the Grad installation has increased significantly. With the same projectile mass, it could hit over-the-horizon targets.

Rocket launch

In the history of local conflicts, there have been episodes when shells intended for the BM-21 were launched from sheets of slate placed on bricks to give the desired angle. In these cases, of course, the accuracy of the hit was low. The Grad installation cannot be replaced by auxiliary means. Photos of Middle Eastern terrorists trying to harm the other side with homemade devices, are intended primarily to exert psychological pressure.

The 9M22 missile weighs 66 kg and is 2870 mm long. The fighting compartment has a mass of 18.4 kg and contains 6.4 kg of TNT. Starting occurs when the fuse is electrically ignited. Solid fuel consists of two blocks total mass 20.4 kg. The warhead is detonated by the MRV (MRV-U) fuse, which is armed automatically after the missile flies 200-400 meters. The projectile leaves the barrel with a speed of 50 m/s, then accelerates to 700 m/s. The firing range of the Grad installation can be artificially limited using brake rings (large or small). In 1963, NII-147 specialists created a chemical fragmentation version of the projectile, designated “Leika” (9M23), which has the same flight characteristics, as 9M22.

Regular 9M22 and Leika

Tests have shown how powerful weapon is the “Grad” installation. The affected area with a full salvo is 1050 square meters. m when impacted by manpower, and 840 sq. m for armored vehicles.

Further development of the projectile hardware affected the fuses. Leika can be equipped with them in two versions (mechanical and radar). Any high explosive ammunition becomes much more effective if it is detonated at an optimal height, including the projectile fired by the Grad installation. The area affected by fragments and toxic substances when initiated 30 meters from the surface increases sharply, however, the use of a radar fuse reduces the range by 1600 meters.

Different types of ammunition for Grad

During the production period of the BM-21, work was constantly carried out to improve existing ammunition and create new (special) ones. They can be loaded with any Grad installation. 3M16 shells have a cassette warhead, 9M42 illuminate the area within a radius of 500 m for one and a half minutes with daylight brightness, 9M28K scatters anti-personnel mines (3 each), self-destructing within 16-24 hours. RS 9M519 creates stable local radio interference.

The BM-21 mainly uses simple unguided ammunition, but there are also special types shells, for example 9M217, equipped with a self-aiming device and a shaped charge for combating tanks.

Smoke barriers, increased-power ammunition, and many other unpleasant surprises for the enemy that the Grad installation can be loaded with have been created. The damage radius is becoming larger, the destructive power is growing, and the accuracy is increasing.

Upgraded BM-21

Such a perfect and reliable system, used by the armies of dozens of countries and which has received universal recognition due to its ease of maintenance and reliability, despite its impressive age, can be used for a long time. From time to time, its characteristics are improved due to the latest technological advances, mainly of an informational nature.

In 1998, the Grad installation, which had undergone a deep modernization, was demonstrated near Orenburg. Photos and videos of this car were not hidden from the public this time and were published by all leading news outlets. information channels. The differences from the base model were the presence of a fire control post called “Kapustnik-B2”, created on the basis of the high-speed Baguette-41 computer. The fire control complex also includes a meteorological system, a navigation locator, and the latest coded communication equipment operating in automatic mode data exchange. Sighting range The firing range of the Grad installation doubled (up to 40 km). The ballistic performance of the projectiles, which received new stabilizers and more advanced alignment, also improved. New fuel mixtures are in the process of development.

During operation, new modernization methods were revealed that could significantly reduce the loading time and other performance characteristics of the Grad installation. In recent decades, composite materials have appeared, the use of which can increase the degree of secrecy of radar equipment and make the design lighter. Most likely, in the near future, the Grad multiple rocket launcher will receive a polymer disposable monoblock instead of tubular barrels, which will lead to a reduction in reload time to 5 minutes.

Modernized SZU along with the latest systems"Prima" will soon be received by the Armed Forces Russian Federation. Installation options are provided not only on automobile platforms, but also on some ships. The Grad salvo launcher can also be used as a defense element for coastal bases.

Modern weapons. BM 21 "Grad".

BM 21 "Grad" - "A multiple launch rocket system that has been in service for more than 50 years.

This multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) has been in service with the Soviet and then Russian armed forces for more than fifty years. First year military service field rocket system BM 21 "Grad" under the index 9K 51 can be considered 1963. It looks like her service has been going on for a long time and is not going to end, which indicates complete professional compliance modern conditions. This technique is popular not only here, but also abroad. "Grad" is in service in 68 countries around the world. Installation is in particular demand in the countries of the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America, CIS countries, Eastern Europe. It is interesting that the United States also has similar equipment in the amount of 75 units, acquired at the turn of the two centuries from the former republics of the socialist camp - Romania and Ukraine. What characteristics allow this installation to remain in service? for a long time?

History of creation

If anyone thinks that when we describe the Grad installation, we are talking about a new, newly developed type of military weapon, then he is deeply mistaken. Its prototype, Hwacha, appeared in the 15th century in Korea, under King Sejong the Great. On a two-wheeled cart there was a shield with a recess for small missiles with metal arrows at the end. The latter were wrapped in rags and set on fire. The device was triggered when ignited powder charges and had a range of about half a kilometer. A more effective remedy of the same type was invented by the British at the beginning of the nineteenth century, including in the war with Napoleon. All these installations were not popular due to their bulkiness and aimless shooting.

In the Soviet Union, in pre-war times, the M 13 multi-volley installation was developed. It took active participation in the battles of the Great Patriotic War, she earned the love not only of front-line soldiers, but of everyone Soviet people. “Katyusha” - that’s how they lovingly called her, they dedicated songs and poems to her. But time, as military-technical progress developed, demanded from domestic developers of the defense complex the emergence of new models of multiple launch rocket systems that are not inferior to foreign analogues. In 1960, the team of the Tula Research Institute - 147 began to work closely on creating a modern model of such weapons. This was spurred on by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of May 30, 1960 on the speedy birth of the latest weapons. The work was headed by A. N. Ganichev, and the talented designer G. A. Denezhkin made a great contribution to the emergence of the new MLRS. After three years of hard work and repeated testing at test sites, on March 28, 1963, the M 21 “Grad” installation was accepted by the government commission and put into service V Soviet Army, and since 1964 it has been put into mass production.

The Grad MLRS received its first combat test during the Soviet-Chinese military conflict in 1969 on Damansky Island. The test was successful. Since then, not a single armed incident, not a single war has gone without the use of M 21. Kabul, Karabakh, Grozny, Tskhinvali and many others settlements, unfortunately, experienced all the consequences of its destructive salvoes.

Peculiarities

• The BM 21 combat unit is capable of destroying an enemy located both in open field and protective conditions. His transport and armored vehicles are also subject to destruction. Artillery and mortar crews, checkpoints, and fortified arsenals with weapons and ammunition will be destroyed.
• The installation is capable of “surrounding” (in all senses of the word) the enemy over an area of ​​145,000 square meters. m.
• Jet system"Grad", 122 mm caliber, is capable of firing high-explosive fragmentation, cluster and high-precision projectiles from 40 guide compartments. The dispersion of the shot is 130 meters in the straight direction, two hundred meters in the frontal direction.
• The firing range depends on the type of projectile. The maximum flight is achieved when firing "high explosives" - up to 40 thousand km. When firing a high-precision charge, the firing distance is eight kilometers less.
• The minimum distance is from 1600 to 4000 km.
• The duration of one salvo is only twenty seconds.
• After the end of the shooting, the crew of three people servicing this combat vehicle will need 3.5 minutes to bring the military unit into a state of readiness for further movement from the firing point and move at a speed of 75 km/h to the further location of redeployment in Ural 375 D vehicles or 4320, as well as ZIL - 131.

Chassis

The cross-country ability of these standard BM 21 Grad installation vehicles, as well as other vehicles included in various modifications, is impressive. These cars with a 6 x 6 wheel formula and a ground clearance of 40 cm are not afraid of a ford 1.5 meters deep, sandy or swampy soil, or snow drifts. This one is not afraid military equipment temperature imbalance. Its operating range is from minus 40 C to plus 50 C. The power of the eight-cylinder carburetor engine installed in the Ural is 180 hp. With. The fuel reserve in the tank is enough for 750 kilometers. The MLRS battery includes the Bereza control complex, located on the GAZ-66. You can control the launch of missiles using a remote control, or using control buttons located in the M21 cockpit. The vertical aiming angle ranges from 0 to 55 degrees.

Artillery gun

The gun mount itself is located in the rear vehicle. It is a package with a row set of three-meter tubular guides 4 x 10. The diameter of the barrel is slightly more caliber projectile - 122.4 mm. The installation is located on a rotating base, which makes it possible to aim in horizontal and vertical projections. In addition to the salvo, it is possible to use single shot methods, which is especially effective when firing high-precision charges.

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Shells

As combat support to reactive salvo system fire, the following types of projectiles can be used.

• High-explosive fragmentation, improved.
• Incendiary.
• High-explosive fragmentation with a detachable head.
• Chemical.
• Camouflage, with a smoke screen.
• Cluster, with mines against tanks.
• Cluster, with anti-personnel mines.
• High-precision projectiles.

This is far from full list arsenal of ammunition for "Grad". The M21 MLRS projectile has two distinctive features from analogues.

• Unconventional production method. The workpiece is made by rolling out a sheet of steel and then drawing it out.
• The charging stabilizer has the ability to fold its “tail” and is held inside using the original ring stopper.

To increase the number of fragments in the OFS ( high-explosive fragmentation projectile) two corrugated steel bushings are welded from the inside. Also in the case is a single-shot rocket engine.

Types of modifications.

In addition to the main Grad model, there are a large number of modifications. Thus, in 2001, an automatic guidance system M 21 - 1 appeared on the Ural 4320 vehicle, equipped with space navigation and a preliminary readiness and launch device.

• "Grad P" 9K 132 is a single-barrel weapon for 122 mm caliber rockets.
• “Prima” 9K 59 is a high-power unit with 50 guides.
• "Grad B" - MLRS with 12 guides, used by airborne troops.
• “Grad VD” is a tracked version of the above system, installed on an armored personnel carrier - D.
• “Dam” - the installation serves to protect naval bases.
• "Grad M" A 215 - installed on naval warships.
• "Grad 1" - MLRS with 36 guides.
• “Grad 1” 9K 55 – 1 – is located on the tracked chassis of the “Gvozdika” 2S1 howitzer.
• “Illumination” 9K 510 – used to illuminate the area at night or when bad weather. A single shot can illuminate an area of ​​about a kilometer from a height of five hundred meters for a period of one and a half minutes.

MLRS. Pros and cons.

Undoubtedly, rocket fire systems are powerful effective means in modern warfare. They have the following obvious advantages.

• A combination of effect and efficiency when shooting. The terrifying psychological effect on the enemy from a volley of such installations is combined with a large damaging effect on the affected area.
• Mobility in attack. The movability of the BM 21 "Grad" allows you to change position within a short time.
• Rate of fire. Allows you to make a powerful salvo in a short time.
• Excellent camouflage. The MLRS is small in size, allowing it to remain invisible to the enemy.
• Easy to operate.

Disadvantages include

• insufficient aiming accuracy;
• quick detection of the installation after a salvo has been fired;
• limited weight of the combat charge.

For many years, Soviet and Russian systems rocket weapons were trendsetters in this class of weapons. IN lately the situation began to change. American, Chinese, and Israeli MLRS are appearing that, in some respects, are superior to our systems. We are waiting for a response from our developers.

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9K51 "Grad" is a 122 mm multiple launch rocket system manufactured in the USSR. The functionality is to defeat armored personnel carriers and unarmored vehicles in the concentration zone, covered and open manpower, command posts, mortar and artillery batteries and other targets, and to solve other tasks in a variety of combat conditions.

1. Photos

2. Video

3. General characteristics

Entered service in 1963. Total number shells for a salvo: 40. Target destruction range – 1.6-40 km. The artillery unit is installed on modified Ural-4320 or Ural-375 truck chassis, depending on the modification. The same modification as Grad-1 is installed on the ZIL-131. Speed ​​– from 75 to 90 km/h. The system is equipped with the Vivarium automated fire control complex.

4. Composition of the complex

The M-21 field rocket system (MLRS "Grad") includes the BM-21 combat vehicle and the 122-mm M-21OF unguided rocket projectile.

If shells are transported in boxes, then trucks for national economic purposes can be used for this, and if without them, then transport vehicles with 9F37 racks. The M-21 was created for the purpose of arming divisional artillery at NII-147 (JSC NPO SPLAV), located in Tula, and related enterprises, including SKB-203 in Yekaterinburg and NII-6 in Moscow.

According to information from the central archive of the Russian Ministry of Defense, several types of missiles were being developed during the work process:

• with a starting combined powder engine and a sustaining ramjet engine running on solid fuel in the form of four nacelles with air intakes independently mounted in the chassis
• a projectile of the same design with the peculiarity that it contains the solid fuel of the main engine in one central compartment in the form of two cylinders, and in the case of incomplete combustion, its products were discharged through four holes into the nacelles, where they burned out in the air flow
• projectile with rigid stabilizers
• a projectile with folding stabilizer block blades.

The result of the work done was the M-21OF unguided rocket projectile. It is equipped with a two-chamber rocket engine and a high-explosive fragmentation head with a single charge, but unequal in size with a stabilizer unit with folding blades and solid ballistic propellant in all chambers.

5. Performance characteristics

5.1 Dimensions

• Length in stowed position, cm: 735
• Width in stowed position, cm: 240
• Height in stowed position, cm: 309
• Ground clearance, cm: 40.

5.2 Armament

• Caliber, mm: 122
• Number of guides: 40
• Firing range min., km: CAS: 2.5; OFS: 4; UAS: 1.6
• Firing range max., km: CAS: 33; OFS: 40; UAS: 42
• Damage area, km²: 145
• Maximum elevation angle, degrees: 55
• Accuracy (dispersion), m: at maximum range, the range standard deviation was 1/130, lateral - 1/200.
• Sight: gun panorama PG-1M
• Transferring the system from traveling to combat position is no more than, p.: 210
• Volley time, s: 20.

5.3 Mobility

• Engine type: Ural-375
• Engine power, hp: 180
• Maximum speed on the highway, km/h: 75
• Cruising range on the highway, km: 750
• Wheel formula: 6×6.

5.4 Other parameters

• Classification: multiple launch rocket system
• Chassis: Ural-4320 and Ural-375D trucks
• Weight without shells and crew, t: 10.87
• Weight in firing position, t: 13.7
• Crew, people: 3

6. Serial production

Serial production of the BM-21 was carried out at the Perm Lenin Plant until 1988. During this time, 6536 units were received by the SA. At least 646 vehicles were delivered to foreign countries. As of 1995, over two thousand vehicles were in service with fifty countries. NPO Splav produced over 3 million various rockets intended for the Grad MLRS.”

6.1 Options

The system became the basis for such domestic systems designed to fire 122-mm unguided rocket projectiles: 9K54 Grad-V, 9K55 Grad-1, Grad-VD, 9K59 Prima, A-215 Grad-M, BM-21PD Damba, portable light rocket Grad-P system.

This number also includes such foreign systems as: Type 84, Type 81, Type 83, Type 89, Type 90, Type 90B, Type 90A, APRA, RM-70/85М, RM-70, RM-70/85, PRL113, PRL111, HADID, Modular, BM-11, Grad-1A BelGrad, Lynx" (Naiza), WR-40 Langusta.

• 9K51 Grad - the main version
• 9K51M Tornado-G - subsequent development: modernization of BM 2B17-1/2B17M, with NURS with longest range firing range increased to 40 km.
• 9K54 Grad-V - lightweight (landed) modification with 9P125 BM with twelve guides and a transport vehicle with 9F37V racks based on the GAZ-66B truck for airborne troops
• Grad-VD is a tracked version of the Grad-V with a BM-21VD with twelve guides and a transport-loading vehicle based on the BTR-D
• 9K55 Grad-1 is a modification of the Grad system with a 9P138 BM with thirty-six guides and a 9T450 transport-loading vehicle based on the ZIL-131 truck for regimental artillery, for example, for the Marine Corps
• 9K55-1 Grad-1 is a tracked version of the Grad-1 with a 9P139 BM based on the 2S1 Gvozdika howitzer chassis with thirty-six guides and a 9T451 transport-loading vehicle based on the MT-LBu multi-purpose tractor
• 9K59 Prima is a modified Grad with increased firepower. It contains the 9T232M transport-loading vehicle based on the Ural 4320 truck and BM 9A51 with fifty guides
• MLRS Grad-1A (BelGrad) is a modification of the Grad system, created in Belarus. The BM-21A is installed on the chassis of a MAZ-6317-05 truck. Crew – 6 people. Transportable spare ammunition - 60 missiles. Reloading takes seven minutes. Weight – 16450 kg. Highest speed— 85 km/h. Power reserve: 1200 km.
• Bastion-01.02 – modernizations created in Ukraine.

6.2 Modifications of combat vehicles

• 2B5 - BM-21 with a 9K51 multiple launch rocket system on a Ural-375D chassis
• 2B17 - BM-21-1 with a 9K51 multiple launch rocket system on a Ural-4320 chassis
• 2B17-1 - modernized BM-21-1 with a 9K51M Tornado-G multiple launch rocket system on the Ural-4320 chassis
• 2B17M - modernized BM-21-1 with a 9K51M Tornado-G multiple launch rocket system on the Ural-4320 chassis
• 2B26 - BM-21 with a 9K51 multiple launch rocket system on a KamAZ-5350 chassis.

7. Combat use

• Border conflict on Damansky Island
• Afghan war
• Karabakh conflict (on the Azerbaijani side)
• First Chechen War
• Second Chechen War
• War in South Ossetia
• Civil war in Libya
• Civil war in Syria
• Armed conflict in eastern Ukraine (both sides).

They were widely used in Somalia, Angola and other conflicts.