Eurasia Press & News
The Russian Ministry of Defense has published the results of the latest missile tests for the 9A53-S Tornado multi-lead missile launcher [modernized BM-30 Smierch]. This system uses GLONASS satellite navigation and will be able to effectively hit targets at a distance of up to 200 km.
According to the Inside GNSS portal, this system is to be able to fight the enemy dispersed subunits in a single salvo of missiles. This is to be possible thanks to the possibility of individually setting the preferred range and azimuth angle for each of the fired missiles. After leaving the launcher, which predetermines the missile trajectory, each of them is supposed to aim at a specific target using satellite navigation.
The system can also automatically receive and process information from reconnaissance units or unmanned aerial vehicles. Additionally, their effective range has also been increased to 200 km. Until now, classic missiles used in Tornado-S systems could only hit a predetermined target on a limited area.
Tornado-S is a deep modernization of the BM-30 Smiercz field missile system. The system consists of a 300 mm multi-lead or unguided rocket launcher mounted on a carrier in the form of a KamAZ-63501 military truck.
As part of the modernization, the time needed to switch from the transport position to combat readiness and change of the combat position was reduced, and the rate of fire and range was increased [the new ammunition under test will increase it even more, to 200 km]. Tornado-S, in addition to the standard 300 mm caliber missiles, can also use intelligent and programmable ammunition.
The Russian army is currently modernizing its BM-21 Grad, BM-27 Uragan and BM-30 Smersh rocket artillery systems to the standards 9A53-G Tornado-G, 9A53-U Tornado-U and 9A53-S Tornado-S, part of them is produced anew. The first of these types go to missile artillery subunits at the regiment and brigade levels, and the remaining two at the division and army levels. These systems are successively delivered to other missile units throughout the Russian Federation.
Russia`s Grad rocket system was upgraded to Tornado-G level
Russia’s Defense Ministry has received the final batch of the latest Tornado-G multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) this year under the defense procurement plan, as we reported last year according the press office of Rostec statement.
“The Special Design Bureau integrated into the Motivilikha Plants (within Rostec) has dispatched the final batch of combat vehicles of Tornado-G multiple launch rocket systems to units of Russia’s Defense Ministry under the defense procurement plan,” RT-Capital [part of Rostec – ed.] said in a the statement.
The work to repair and upgrade combat vehicles of Grad multiple launch rocket systems to the Tornado-G level under the 2019 program has been implemented in full and on time, the statement says.
The Motivilikha Plants are Russia’s sole manufacturer of combat and transporter-loader vehicles for Grad and Smerch multiple launch rocket systems and also of their upgraded Tornado-G and Tornado-S versions, the press office informed.
The Tornado-G is a 122mm multiple launch rocket system derived from the Grad MLRS. The new system can conduct fire from unprepared positions in an automated mode. This allows quickly opening fire, after which the gunner can switch the system’s artillery gun into a travel mode directly from the vehicle’s cab and change the position.
The system has been developed by the Splav Research and Production Association integrated into the Tecmash Group within Rostec. As its major advantages, the system features better fire efficiency, more powerful shells and automated guidance, sighting, topographic positioning and navigation systems. The Tornado-G was accepted for service in the Russian Army in 2014.
