Range and accuracy are two characteristics that missile system designers pay particular attention to. In addition, they seek to shorten the time to open fire and shorten the loading time through the use of container solutions. Increased accuracy is also achieved by adding guidance kits, which de facto turns unguided missiles into guided missiles.
The Chinese company Aerospace Long March International offers a series of 301-mm missiles with a range of 100 to 290 km
MLRS MLRS M270 American Army
The West has been using Lockheed Martins' Cold War Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Cold War Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) for many years, and its decommissioning is not even discussed as the United States has extended its service life until 2050. The main and largest operator remains the American army, many countries have also adopted it, for example France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and the United Kingdom. The Netherlands and Norway have removed their systems from service, but Denmark sold its launchers to Finland. Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, South Korea and Japan are also operators of this jet system. As for the lightweight version of Himars (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System), it is in service with the US Army and Marine Corps, the armies of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore. The increased sensitivity of warheads (submunitions) has forced many countries to get rid of their M26 missiles, each of which contains 644 advanced conventional dual-use M77 DPICM submunitions, as well as M26A1 and M26A2 missiles in favor of unitary warheads. In addition, the need to reduce indirect losses forced a change in the direction of new purchases in favor of the GMLRS - a controlled version of a 227-mm inertial guidance missile, supplemented by GPS guidance, which provides a circular probable (CEP) deviation of 10 meters. The original M30 GMLRS warhead remained a cluster warhead and was based on combat elements, but the next unitary version of the M31 GMLRS-Unitary was widely used when firing from MLRS / HIMARS launchers of the British and American armies (in the last available report of October 2013, more than 3000 such missiles fired during expeditionary operations). Nearly all US GMLRS-U missiles have been fired in urban counter-terrorism scenarios. Lockheed Martin has produced over 25,000 GMLRS missiles; In April 2015, the ninth batch of missiles were delivered from the company's plant in Arkansas to the US Army, the Marine Corps and the Italian Army. Italy, Germany and France have upgraded their M270 installations to European standard, which includes a European fire control system compatible with GMLRS-U. European modernization followed the American initiative of 2002, which pursued similar goals. The launcher itself was modernized and a new fire control system (FCS) was integrated; modified launchers received the designation M270A1. The next contract in 2012 provided for the installation of a new armored cab and software update of the LMS, deliveries of the modified systems began in 2015. The British Army also modernized their MLRS.
Although the United States has not signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the combat use of cluster warheads has been suspended since 2003. However, the use of unitary warheads to block enemy access to specific areas required significantly more missiles, which increased the cost and time of operations. In this regard, a program was launched on the GMLRS missile with an alternative warhead. Three rival prototypes were tested in 2010, with ATK being named the winner. Test flights of the new rocket were carried out in 2013.
The British Army is armed with GMLRS missiles. Launch of GMLRS from MLRS facility during deployment in Afghanistan in the Helmand Valley
Launch of a 227-mm rocket from the HIMARS installation. This system was designed to provide highly mobile units with the same firepower as armored forces armed with MLRS systems.
For the alternative warhead of the GMLRS missile, ATK uses its LEO technology; production contract expected soon
ATK's approach was to retain the unitary warhead while significantly increasing its lethal radius. To achieve this, she developed the Lethality Enhanced Ordnance (LEO) technology, based on tungsten balls of different diameters, mixed in the appropriate ratio for maximum damage. The new warhead should match the lethality of previous warheads with reactive elements and should be equipped with a fuse with two different altitude settings and a point detonation mode, although no precise information is available on this technology, as well as on lethality. Another goal of this development was to reduce the risk of an uncontrolled reaction of the warhead when hit by a bullet or shrapnel. The new warhead has so far been qualified and in the summer of 2015, Lockheed Martin and ATK were awaiting a contract for its production. The American army should leave in service only a new missile with an alternative warhead, and stop the production of the current unitary warhead.
The State of Israel is undoubtedly the target for all sorts of missiles. From 2001 to the end of 2014, more than 25,000 missiles were fired at the territory of this country. Being under fire does not mean that the Israeli defense industry is not active in this area. Here, first of all, Israel Military Industries stands out, which has gradually expanded its portfolio, especially in terms of ammunition with increased accuracy and increased range.
IMI has developed the Lynx multiple launch rocket system, which can fire five types of missiles. As a rule, this MLRS is installed on the chassis of a 6x6 truck, it is completely autonomous, since it is equipped with a modern inertial navigation system (INS), an OMS and an on-board information management system. The placement of missiles in two launch containers ensures their high availability during operation, the system can be reloaded in less than 10 minutes and re-take a firing position. The simplest missile is the standard 122 mm Grad unguided missile, capable of delivering a 20 kg warhead to a range of 20/40 km (each container contains 20 missiles). Later, IMI developed a 160-mm unguided LAR missile capable of delivering a 45 kg warhead to a range of 45 km (in a container of 13 missiles). In order to improve accuracy, IMI has developed the following version, which received the designation Accular (Accurate LAR). Its increased range, accuracy and low cost should have challenged the cost of the 155mm guided artillery shells. The Accular missile has a 35 kg warhead and a range of 40 km, its guidance system is based on GPS. Officially, the maximum KVO is 10 meters, but IMI claims the actual two to three meters. The missile was adopted by the Israeli army as well as an unnamed foreign buyer. Each Lynx MLRS launcher can accommodate 10 Accular missiles.
To keep the ground forces independent of the air force in terms of long-range strikes, IMI has developed an Extra (Extended Range Artillery) 306 mm diameter missile with a 120 kg warhead and a range of 150 km. Guidance is based on an INS / GPS system, while the rocket is controlled using nose rudders, which guarantees a CEP of 10 meters. Each Lynx container can hold four Extra rockets. These missiles were delivered to two unnamed foreign buyers, the number of rockets alone with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead exceeded 500 pieces. Israel is also armed with Extra, albeit in a classified version. This missile can also be equipped with warheads (the same is true for most of the aforementioned munitions), but Israel has stopped using cluster bombs. Nevertheless, for the Israeli army, IMI is developing a very advanced cluster munition, which will have much less than 1% of failed combat elements, tests showed a real figure of 0.02%. Each of them weighs 1, 2 kg and is equipped with a self-destruct mechanism of three types. This ammunition will be deployed along with rockets and 155mm artillery shells.
The fifth ammunition for the Lynx (LAR and Accular are believed to belong to the same category) is the Delilah-GL guided missile. It is a Delilah airborne guided missile in the form of a ground launch. The rocket diameter is 330 mm and therefore the Lynx installation can only accept two containers, one rocket each. The missile with a 30 kg warhead and a range of 180 km is less than one meter accurate thanks to its inertial navigation system with GPS and an improved optoelectronic homing head. The ground launch option features a launch rocket engine that propels the Delilah to the speed at which the main engine is already firing. Thanks to the concept of a human in the control loop, real-time video is displayed on the operator's display. The Delilah-GL can loit over the target area for some time, which allows its operator to positively identify the target or direct it to a more important one. The attack, as a rule, is carried out from a dive, at this moment the rocket reaches a speed of 0.85 of the Mach number, which, when it meets the target, adds kinetic energy to the explosion.
Italian Army MLRS launcher from the 5th Artillery Regiment. Like many other countries, Italy is upgrading its MLRS to be compatible with the GMLRS rocket.
Let's move on to what may soon add to the portfolio of IMI. In early 2014, under pressure from two customers looking for a missile with a range of 250 km, IMI began work on a long-range unguided missile named Predator Hawk; its development should be completed in mid-2016. The new missile weighs 800 kg, has a diameter of 370 mm and carries a 200 kg unitary warhead. Its guidance is based on an inertial navigation system with GPS / Glonass, guaranteeing (according to IMI) a KVO of 10 meters. The warhead and guidance system are taken from the Extra missile. The company is seeking to adapt the Predator Hawk missile for other tasks, for example, for the defense of the coast and islands. Its cost is reduced due to the fact that there is no homing head, since guidance is provided by two Elta radars, which triangulate the target, while a one-way communication channel provides the missile with an update of target data before meeting with it. Thus, naval targets can be neutralized at a substantially lower cost compared to traditional surface-to-surface missiles. IMI is close to signing a contract for a similar system with one of the Asian countries, while a second buyer from this region is waiting for its turn. The company is currently considering using this principle against moving ground targets.
The Slovak company Konstrukta Defense has developed an upgraded RM-70 / 85M MLRS equipped with a new FCS and navigation system. The modular version of the system can also launch 227-mm missiles.
With regard to work to improve the MLRS, the Israeli company IMI has developed a trajectory correction system TCS (Trajectory Correction System), which is a guidance rocket engine installed in the front of the rocket between the warhead and the nose cone. The system is activated from the ground control station, which is located in the battalion's command post, and can simultaneously control up to 24 missiles. The control of the rocket rudders is performed in the middle section of the trajectory and this allows to significantly reduce the missile CEP. The automatic, all-weather TCS system does not rely on GPS signals, does not require human intervention in the control loop. It has been in service with the Israeli army since the early 2000s. IMI manufactures these systems and integrates them into rockets purchased from American Lockheed Martin. To date, there are no foreign customers for this system.
Turkish Roketsan is one of the most active companies in the field of rocket production. Its products range from 107mm rockets and launchers (a typical caliber of Chinese missiles), 122mm typical of the Soviet era, and up to 300mm systems. Let's start with missiles. The TR-107 missile with a range of 3-11 + km has a launch weight of 19.5 kg and a high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing 8.4 kg, its effective radius of destruction is 14 meters. Two types of 122-mm missiles are produced: TR-122 with a range of 16-36 km (21-40 km when launched at an altitude of 600 meters) and weighing 65, 9 kg, 18, 4 kg of which a high-explosive fragmentation warhead with a radius of destruction 20 meters. Both missiles have impact fuses. The TRB-122 has the same physical characteristics, but it has a high-explosive fragmentation warhead with 5,000 steel balls and a remote fuse, which increases the lethality to 40 meters. The larger TR-300 missile, which comes in two versions, TR-300E with a range of 65-100 + km and TR-300S with a range of 40-60 km, does not fundamentally differ either. Both missiles weigh 590 kg and have the same high-explosive fragmentation warhead with steel balls weighing 150 kg, the radius of destruction is 70 meters.
MLRS Himars. Unlike the heavy MLRS MLRS, this lighter system can accept not two, but only one launch container.
The Turkish company Roketsan is developing guided versions of its 122 and 300 mm missiles, which can be launched by the T-122/300 multi-caliber launcher manufactured by the same company.
In order to offer maximum functional flexibility to its customers, Roketsan has developed a series of modular systems in which more than one type of missile can be used simultaneously. The TR-107 launcher is the lightest in the company's product line. The launch container with 12 tubular guides, mounted on a trailer, is well suited for arming the airborne and airmobile forces; its launch tubes are made of steel and thus it can be recharged. The entire trailer weighs 385 kg without missiles. The T-107SPM launcher is equipped with a container with tubular guides in a 2x12 configuration. Its machine-mountable 107mm launch pods are also available with disposable, insulated and composite rails. Compared to the original Chinese 107mm rockets with a range of 8 km, Roketsan missiles fly almost 50% further, up to 11 km. For 122mm rockets, Roketsan offers the T-122 launcher, which can accept two containers of 20 steel rails each (four rows of five tubes) or two thermally insulated composite containers each also with 20 rails. Compared to the original Russian missiles with a range of 20 km, missiles of this type have a range of 40 km. The launcher can be rotated ± 110 °, vertical angles are 0c / 55 °. The system is mounted on a 6x6 or 8x8 truck chassis, equipped with a 15 tonne container change crane and a four-leg hydraulic stabilization system. To reduce the preparation time for launch, the unit is equipped with an INS / GPS navigation system (inertial / using GPS signals), an automatic guidance system, a weapon control system, and a voice and digital data transmission system. It takes less than five minutes to launch the first missile, with a minimum interval between launches of half a second. The total weight of the system is about 23 tons. At the request of the customer, the calculation of the installation receives ballistic protection. On a smaller chassis, for example a 4x4, the T-107/122 launcher can be installed; it can accept three disposable 107 mm containers in a row or one disposable 122 mm container installed longitudinally, since 122 mm missiles are three meters long. It should be noted that 107-mm missiles can also be launched at a negative angle, which allows direct fire from heights. Another two-caliber T-122/300 launcher can take two disposable containers with 20 122mm missiles or two two-tube containers with 300mm missiles. All multi-caliber installations automatically detect and identify the type of loaded container with missiles.
When loading 12mm missiles, the Roketsan T-l22 / 300 launcher can take 40 missiles in two 20-tube containers
The Polish company Huta Stalowa Wola has developed 122mm long-range missiles and two launchers. The Langusta 40 is based on a 6x6 truck chassis, while the second, Langusta II, is based on an 8x8 chassis.
In order to expand its range, Roketsan is developing guided variants of 122-mm and 300-mm missiles. Various options will be available, either with INS / GPS guidance or semi-active laser guidance. According to the company, the range of these models will be increased by 20% compared to uncontrolled options.
The Behemoth MLRS was developed by the Emirati company Jobaria Defense Systems in cooperation with the Turkish Roketsan. Consists of four swivel launch platforms, each with three containers of 20 122mm missiles, for a total of 240 missiles
At IDEX 2013, Jobaria Defense Systems (a joint venture between Tawazun and Al Jabed Land Systems, both from the United Arab Emirates) unveiled their Behemoth MLRS (truly a Behemoth!). The oversized machine is specially designed for desert areas. The system is based on a heavy tug Oshkosh 6x6 HET, pulling a five-axle trailer on which four launchers are installed. This monster is 4 meters wide, 3.8 meters high and 29 meters long! All four launchers rotate 360 °, each of them accommodates three containers with 20 guides with 122-mm missiles, that is, 240 missiles can be loaded into this MLRS at once. The hippopotamus is equipped with a GPS / INS navigation system, meteorological sensors and a communication system for transmitting data and voice messages to the artillery control center. The commander can program a firing mission depending on the targets and the necessary impact on them, the system is capable of firing all 240 missiles at one target in separate salvos or firing at several targets with a certain number of missiles; the effective range of the system is from 16 to 40 km. The high-explosive fragmentation missiles are supplied by the Turkish company Roketsan, their warhead with steel balls has a remote fuse. According to reports, the Behemoth is in service with the Emirati army, although the number of purchased systems has not been disclosed.
The Polish company Huta Stalowa Wola has been producing MLRS for 122-mm missiles for several years. There are two such systems in its current catalog, both with the same artillery piece. The launcher can accommodate forty 122mm rockets that are fired in one gulp within 20 seconds; High-explosive fragmentation missiles have a range of 42 km, while cluster missiles - 32 km. The maximum angle of vertical guidance is 50 °, the minimum is 0 °, which, when firing forward, becomes 11 ° (because of the cockpit). The horizontal angles are 70 ° to the right and 102 ° to the left from the center line. The fire control system consists of a WB Electronics DD9620T terminal, a Honeywell Talin 5000 navigation system and a Radmor RRC-9311 AP radio station, capable of transmitting voice, digital, packet IP data in a safe mode. When installed on a Jelcz P662D.35-M27 6x6 truck chassis, the system is called Langusta WR-40, while when installed on a Jelcz P882D.43 8x8 truck chassis it becomes Langusta II. The second landing gear allows you to take on board one set of 40 missiles, which can be automatically reloaded into the launcher; naturally this MLRS has great firepower. Langusta WR-40 is designed to replace the outdated BM-21 MLRS. Although Poland is striving with all its might to switch to NATO standards, the reason for keeping the 122 mm missiles and the corresponding MLRS in service with the Polish army, which are standards of the Cold War era, is related to the country's very strong production base for such weapons. The Polish army also wants to be armed with new systems that are compatible with missile units for the MLRS. They should be based on the new Jelcz 663.32 6x6 truck, which is also used for the Kryl wheeled 155mm howitzer from the same company. HSW is to become the prime contractor here, and Lockheed Martin signed an agreement at MSPO 2013 with the Polish firm Mesko to develop unguided and guided missiles. The system will have the designation WR-300 Homar, the number 300 indicates the maximum range that is achieved when firing an ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missile, whose container is compatible with a container with six 227-mm missiles. MLRS Honiar should be ready in 2017.
Reloading the RM-70 system (based on the BM-21 MLRS with 122mm missiles) does not take much time thanks to the spare ammunition placed behind the 8x8 chassis cab
The Czech company Excalibur Army still has the RM-70 system in its catalog. It has been in service with the Czech Army (formerly the Czechoslovak Army) since 1972. The system is based on a BM-21 launcher with 40 122-mm missiles mounted on an adapted version of the Tatra T813 "Kolos" 8x8 truck, which also carries an ammunition load of 40 missiles and an installation for automatic loading of the launcher.
Following current trends, the Serbian company Yugoimport has developed a modular self-propelled rocket launcher Morava, which is based on a rotating platform with a launcher capable of receiving two disposable modules of 12 missiles each. The launcher can accept different types of missiles: 107 mm, 122 mm and 128 mm calibers. Among them, a 107-mm M06 missile with an increased range, capable of delivering a fragmentation warhead weighing 1.25 kg at a range of 11.5 km, a 122-mm Grad rocket with a warhead of 19.1 kg at 20.1 km, improved versions with the same warhead with with a range of 27.8 km (Grad-M) and 40 km (Grad-2000), respectively, a 128-mm M77 Oganj missile with a 19.5 kg warhead at 21.5 km and a short-range Plamen-D missile with a 3.3 kg warhead and a range of 12.6 km. The launcher is fully automated; it integrates OMS and INS / GPS, meteorological sensors and an automatic platform leveling system, which reduces the launch time of the first missile to less than 60 seconds; after launching the last missile, the system is ready to leave the position after 30 seconds. The use of rocket modules allows for easier reloading, and a rocket truck with a light crane is sufficient to quickly replace used modules. Yugoimport's Morava modular rocket launcher can be easily installed on a 4x4 truck chassis.
The Russian company Rosoboronexport offers the latest modifications based on the Smerch family of 300-mm systems, which, depending on the model and warhead, have a maximum range of 70 or 90 km. Various warheads are available for these MLRS: cluster, cluster for anti-tank mines, high-explosive fragmentation, thermobaric, high-explosive armor-piercing, cumulative fragmentation and submunitions with remote fuses. The BM 9A52-2 launcher with 12 tubes can fire all 40 missiles in 40 seconds, with the first missile launching three minutes after stopping thanks to fully automated navigation, fire control and tube guidance systems. The crew works with a BM 9A52-2 launcher from a protected cockpit, the system is quite heavy, its combat weight is more than 43 tons. A lighter BM 9A52-4 launcher with six tubular guides was also developed. She has the same ballistic characteristics, while her combat weight has been reduced to about 24 tons.
Indonesian MLRS Astros. Brazilian company Avibras is currently working for the Brazilian army under the Astros 2020 program, which includes the development of new systems and upgrades.
MLRS AR3 from Norinco can be loaded with 300-mm or 370-mm missiles, which can hit targets at a distance of 280 km
In its various forms, the MLRS Smerch has been exported to many countries, such as Algeria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, India, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Syria, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UAE and Venezuela. In addition, Russia is still offering its 122mm Grad missile system in a basic 40-rail configuration.
The Brazilian company Avibras developed the Astros MLRS (Artillery Saturation Rocket System - MLRS in other words) in the 80s and since then has constantly refined this system. The current standard variant is designated Astros II Mk6. Compared to the Mk3 variant, which is in service with the Brazilian army, the new variant has a cockpit with additional armor, new digital navigation and communications equipment, while the Contraves Fieldguard radar has been replaced by a new target tracking radar. The rocket launcher itself and the system components are installed on the chassis of Tatra T815-790R39 6x6 and T815-7A0R59 4x4 off-road trucks; The original Mk3 is based on the Mercedes Benz 2028A 6x6 chassis. Brazil has already acquired the first batch of nine Mk6 systems, the first being delivered in June 2014. The next planned contract includes the procurement of 51 more systems. Meanwhile, Brazil is upgrading its Mk3 MLRS to the Mk3M standard, which includes most of the upgrades accepted for the Mk6, with the exception of the new chassis. From the very beginning, the MLRS Astros was conceived as a multi-caliber system, it can accept a launch container with a different number of missiles, depending on the caliber: 32 SS-30 127 mm missiles, 16 SS-40 180 mm or 4 SS-60/80 300 mm, they have range of action, respectively, 33, 40, 60 and 90 km. In order to improve accuracy and increase range, the Astros 2020 program provides for the development of a guided version of the 180-mm rocket under the designation SS-40G. New and modernized MLRS also allow launches of the tactical cruise missile AV-TM 300, the launcher can accept two such missiles.
MLRS Astros II is in service with six more countries, Angola, Bahrain, Malaysia, Iraq, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The last buyer of this system, Indonesia bought 36 systems. It is not yet known how much the financial crisis affecting Avibras will affect the future of the Astros system.
The South Korean army is currently receiving the first batch of Chun-Mu MLRS. The system is based on the Doosan 8x8 truck chassis. This company also manufactures the swing arm and launcher and acts as the prime contractor. The missiles for this system are designed and manufactured by Hanwa. The launcher houses two containers of six 239-mm missiles each. They can be either unmanaged or managed. Although various types of warheads are available for this MLRS, only a high-explosive fragmentation warhead is offered for export (it is possible that cluster warheads are also available for the domestic market; South Korea has not signed the Convention on the Prohibition of Weapons of this Type). The range of the system was not disclosed, but it is estimated at about 80 km.
The latest developments of Norinco include Dragon guided missiles of various calibers.
China is definitely not suffering from a lack of MLRS manufacturers. At least three companies are active in this area: North Industries Corporation (Norinco), China Precision Machinery Import Export Corporation (CPMIEC) and Aerospace Long-March International (ALIT). They all have in their portfolios the development of launchers and missiles for them.
Let's start with Norinco. The most common Type 90B system is a 122mm launcher mounted on a North-Benz 2629 6x6 chassis, which houses a turntable with 40 tubular rails, as well as a reloading kit. The entire system is quickly masked by the included camouflage net. The most advanced 122mm missiles have a range of 50 km, however, Norinco plans to add an INS / GPS guidance system to these missiles. Installation WM-120 with a range of 120 km is significantly larger and can accommodate two containers of four 273-mm missiles each. The WM-120 is a further development of the previous WM-80 system, also based on the chassis of the TA-580 8x8 off-road truck. An export order for this system was received from Armenia in the late 90s. MLRS can launch missiles with high-explosive, high-explosive, incendiary or cluster warheads at a range of 80 km, although the new guided missiles add another 40 km to its range. MLRS AR1A 8x8 carries two containers of five 300-mm missiles (the same caliber of the Soviet-Russian Smerch systems). But this system can also take on board two containers of four 370 mm missiles. Three types of 300-mm missiles are available, BRE2 (190 kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead, lethal radius 100 meters, range from 60 to 130 km), cluster BRC3 (623 submunitions capable of penetrating 50 mm thick steel armor, range from 20 to 70 km) and BRC4 (480 submunitions and a range of 60 to 130 km). MLRS AR1A is a further development of the AR1 system, on which two containers of four 300-mm missiles were installed. Its export version A2 has been sold to at least one country, Morocco. Later, the AR3 variant was developed, which can carry two containers of five 300-mm missiles or two containers of four 370-mm missiles. The 370 mm Fire Dragon 280 guided missile can fly 280 km, its guidance system is based on an inertial system connected to a satellite positioning system (this can be GPS, Glonass or the Chinese Beidou), which allows reaching a CEP of 30 meters. The 300 mm Fire Dragon 140 guided missile is equipped with the same guidance system and has a range of 130 km. Norinco has also developed the SR-5 modular MLRS, which can fire 122mm or 220mm missiles. It can accept one container with 20 122mm missiles or one with six 220mm missiles. These missiles were designated Fire Dragon 60 and have a range of 70 km. They have the same guidance system as other missiles of the Fire Dragon family, only they have added a guidance function at the end of the trajectory using a semi-active laser, which guarantees meter accuracy.
The WeiShi (Sentinel) missile family was developed by the Chinese company Alit in unguided, guided (simple inertial guidance) and high-precision (INS guidance / satellite signal) versions. Unguided rockets 122 mm WS-15, 300 mm WS-1 and WS-1B have a range of 45, 100 and 180 km, respectively. The WS-1B carries a 150-kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead at a maximum speed of Mach 5.2, with a range dispersion of 1 to 1.25%; a cassette version is also available. The WS-22 is a guided variant of the WS-15 with the same range, while the WS-2 is a 400mm guided missile with a range of 200 km. As for precision missiles, the WS-32 missile is a guided variant of the WS-1 with a range of 150 km, while the WS-33 is a 200 mm missile with a range of 70 km. The WS-3 is a high-precision version of the WS-2 missile, while its upgraded WS-3A version has a long range of up to 280 km. Alit has also developed a family of 301mm A-series missiles, in which the A100 is guided and the A200 and A300 are precision-guided missiles. The numbers in their designations presumably indicate their range, although the latter barely reaches 290 km.
The CPMIEC M12 MLRS carries two 600-mm guided missiles weighing 2070 kg, which have high-explosive or high-explosive cluster warheads weighing 450 kg. The vertical launch rockets have a range of 50 to 150 km with a CEP of 80-120 meters with an inertial system and a CEP of 30-50 meters with inertial-satellite guidance. It takes 18 minutes to launch the first rocket, and the second one takes 3-5 minutes to launch. Two other launchers of CPMIEC are armed with SY400 and SY300 guided missiles, which with an inertial guidance system have a CEP of 250 meters and an inertial-satellite system have a CEP of 50 meters. The length of the 400 mm SY400 missile is 4.8 meters. The launch weight of the rocket is 1175 kg, which includes a 200 kg warhead; it can be high-explosive, volumetric explosion or cluster. The smaller SY300 missile has a diameter of 300 mm, a length of 6.518 meters and a mass of 745 kg, including a 150 kg warhead, which can be a high-explosive fragmentation, volumetric explosion, high-explosive fragmentation incendiary or cluster with armor-piercing submunitions. Depending on the warhead, it has a range of 40 to 130 km. Both SY400 and SY300 are vertical launch missiles. Chinese MLRS and missiles have received many export orders and can be found in Armenia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey and Venezuela.
MLRS SR. This rocket launcher, developed by the Chinese company Norinco, can accept 122mm and 220mm rockets in unguided and guided versions.
Super lightweight systems
The Croatian company Agencija Alan offers its Heron M93A2 system, which is a 70-mm missile launcher with two containers of 20 missiles each. The system is installed on a trailer; after stopping, the first missile is launched in five minutes; vertical pointing angles are -1 ° / + 46 °, horizontal angles ± 15 °, 360 ° rotation is available as an option. The MLRS is armed with TF M95 missiles with a 3.7 kg warhead and a maximum range of 10 km. With a combat weight of less than 1.3 tons, the system can also be installed on a passenger car.
The South Korean company Hanwha has also developed a 70mm system. The vehicle-mounted launcher has 34 missile rails. These missiles are available with three types of warheads: a 1 kg high-explosive fragmentation mass with an impact fuse, a universal one with nine submunitions and an electronic remote fuse, and, finally, with 1200 3, 9-gram ready-made arrow-shaped striking elements and an electronic remote fuse. The system, equipped with automated fire control, navigation and guidance systems, can fire four missiles per second in direct and indirect fire mode at a range of up to 8 km (universal), 7, 8 km (high-explosive fragmentation) and 6 km (with arrow-shaped striking elements). The launcher rotates 360 °, the vertical guidance angles are 0 ° / 55 °, the system weighs 4.9 tons, so it can be installed on light and medium weight vehicles.
South Korean MLRS Chun-Mu is based on a 239-mm rocket developed by Hanwa, which can be equipped with high-explosive fragmentation or cluster warheads
