Indian Military

BM-21 "Grad"
Indian Army BM-21 Grad
Type	Multiple rocket launcher
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1964–present
Used by	See Operators
Wars	1995 Cenepa War 2008 South Ossetia war 1999 Kargil War
Production history
Produced	1963–present
Specifications (9K51)
Weight	13.71 tonnes (30,225 lbs)
Length	7.35 m (24 ft)
Barrel length	3.0 m (9.84 ft)
Width	2.40 m (7.87 ft)
Height	3.09 m (10.13 ft)
Crew	4
Caliber	122.4 mm (4.81 in)
Barrels	40
Rate of fire	2 rounds/s
Muzzle velocity	690 m/s (2,264 ft/s)
Maximum range	40 km (25 mi)
Sights	PG-1M panoramic telescope
Engine	V-8 gasoline ZiL-375 180 hp (130 kW)
Suspension	6x6 wheeled
Operational range	405 km (251 mi)
Speed	75 km/h (47 mph)

The BM-21 Grad (Russian: БМ-21 "Град") is a Soviet truck-mounted 122-mm multiple rocket launcher, developed in the early 1960s. BM stands for boyevaya mashina, ‘combat vehicle’, and the nickname grad means ‘hail’. In NATO countries, the system was initially known as M1964. Several other countries have copied it or developed similar systems.

Description

The BM-21 122 mm multiple rocket launcher (MRL) system entered service with the Soviet Army in 1963 to replace the aging 140 mm BM-14 system. It consists of a Ural-375D six-by-six truck chassis fitted with a bank of 40 launch tubes arranged in a rectangular shape that can be turned away from the unprotected cab. The vehicle is powered by a water-cooled V-8 180 hp gasoline engine, has a maximum road speed of 75 km/h, road range of up to 750 kilometers, and can cross fords up to 1.5 m deep. The original vehicle together with supporting equipment (including the re-supply truck 9T254 with 60 rockets) is referred to by the GRAU index 9K51; the launcher itself has the industrial index of 2B5. In 1976, the BM-21 was mounted on the newer Ural-4320 six-by-six army truck.

BM-21, side view.

The crew of five men can emplace the system and have it ready to fire in three minutes. The crew can fire the rockets from the cab or from a trigger at the end of a 64-meter cable. All 40 rockets can be away in as little as 20 seconds, but can also be fired individually or in small groups in several-second intervals. A PG-1M panoramic telescope with K-1 collimator can be used for sighting. The BM-21 can be packed up and ready to move in two minutes, which can be necessary when engaged by counter-battery fire. Reloading is done manually and takes about 10 minutes.

Each 2.87-meter rocket is slowly spun by rifling in its tube as it exits, which along with its primary fin stabilization keeps it on course. Rockets armed with high explosive/fragmentation, incendiary, or chemical warheads can be fired 20 kilometers. Newer high explosive and cargo (used to deliver anti-personnel or antitank mines) rockets have a range of 30 kilometers and more. Warheads weigh around 20 kilograms, depending on the type.

The relative accuracy of this system and the number of rockets each vehicle is able to quickly bring to bear on an enemy target make it effective, especially at shorter ranges. One battalion of eighteen launchers is able to deliver 720 rockets in a single volley. However, the system cannot be used in situations that call for pinpoint precision, unless one is ready to cover the surroundings of the target with fire.

Indian service

The Indian Army has used the BM-21 system since the 1970s and the system was used to great success in the 1999 Kargil conflict. The Russian News & Information Agency (RNIA), reported on 23 January 2006, that a contract was signed between Rosoboronexport and the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to deliver modernized rockets for the BM-21 system. The modernized rockets have an extended range of 40 km and feature more powerful warheads. Brigadier General Arie Mizrachi (Retd), Chairman of Israel Military Industries (IMI), in an interview with Globes Online in December 2004 stated that a $40 million contract was signed with the Indian Army for the upgrade of the Russian-made rockets to improve their precision and range. He also stated that the deal could expand to as much as $1 billion over a period of five years. It is unsure whether the deal signed with Rosoboronexport has IMI also involved in the upgrade.

Projectiles

Also Incendiary, Chemical, Illumination, Antipersonnel mines.

Operators

Croatian BM-21

•  Afghanistan – Afghan National Army
•  Algeria - 250
•  Angola—75
•  Armenia— 50
•  Azerbaijan— 63
•  Bangladesh—KRL 122, Type 90B
•  Bosnia and Herzegovina—6
•  Bulgaria—about 100 active, some 200 in storage
•  Burkina Faso—10
• Central African Republic—5
•  Cambodia—100
•  Cameroon—20
•  Chad—4
•  Cuba—250
•  Cyprus—4
• Republic of the Congo—6
• Democratic Republic of the Congo—6
•  Djibouti
•  Ecuador-105
•  Egypt—60
•  Eritrea—25
•  Ethiopia—10
•  Finland—24 units. Known as 122 RAKH 76. Now withdrawn from service.
•  Hungary—46
• Gaza—Hamas and other militants have no BM-21 Grad launchers, but use 122-mm ammunition in small launchers.
•  Georgia
•  Greece—116 RM-70
•  Indonesia—N/A RM-70 (operated by marines)
•  India—150+
•  Iran—100+
•  Iraq—55
•  Israel—50 captured,not in active service
•  Kazakhstan - 100
•  Kyrgyzstan - 21
•  Lebanon—30-including some Template:BM-11
•  Liberia—?
•  Morocco—36
•  Mongolia-?
•  Macedonia—12
•  Mali—2
•  Moldova—(in use by Dnestr separatist with ZIL-131 Trucks)
•  Mozambique—5
•  Myanmar—230
•  Namibia—4
•  Nicaragua—30
•  Niger—11 APR-21 and APR-40
•  North Korea
•  Pakistan—40
•  Peru-14
•  Poland—219
•  Romania—352 APR-40 (124 being upgraded to LAROM)
•  Russia—1,750
•  Syria—250
•  Tajikistan - 10
•  Tanzania—48
•  Turkmenistan - 56
•  Uzbekistan - 36
•  Ukraine—600
•  Venezuela-1
•  Vietnam—800
•  Yemen—280
•  Zambia—50
•  Zimbabwe—25

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