At Army-2018, the International Military Technical Forum in Russia, the Russian Company Zaslon Center presents new MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) based on a UAZ 4x4 pickup vehicle. The rear part of the vehicle is fitted with a rocket launcher system able to launch 80mm unguided rocket.

New 4x4 UAZ pickup 80mm MLRS Multiple Launch Rocket System at Army-2018, International Military Technical Forum in the Patriotic Park Expo, Moscow Region, Russia. (Picture source Army Recognition)

The new rocket launcher system is based on a 4x4 UAZ pickup chassis especially designed to be used in road and off-road conditions. The pickup UAZ can, be motorized with a ZMZ-40906, Euro-4 / Euro-5 ptreol engine or a ZMZ-51432, Euro-4, Common Rail Diesel engine couple to a 5-speed manual transmission. The vehicle can reach a maximum road speed of 140 km/hr. It has a load capacity of 725 kg.

The rocket launcher system is mounted on a mobile platform that can be traversed through a full 360º and elevation from -5° to 55°. It has four pods of 10 launch tubes of 80mm able to fire S-8 unguided rockets. It can be used to destroy enemy's manpower and light armored vehicles.

The S-8 is a rocket weapon which was developed by the Soviet Air Force and Serbian Air Force for use by military aircraft but now the rocket is also used by ground launcher system. For the UAZ MLRS, the maximum firing range is 6 km. The vehicle has a crew of two and all the firing operations are done manually thanks to a control box connected by cable to the launcher station.

According to the manufacturer, the rocket launcher system of the UAZ pickup MLRS is able to fire any types of 80mm unguided rocket as the S-8KOM – with HEAT fragmentation warhead, S-8BM with concrete-piercing (penetrating) HE warhead, S-8T with tandem HEAT fragmentation warhead, S-8DF with FAE warhead, S-8OM with illuminating warhead, S-8PM with chaff warhead and the S-8TsM with target designating (smoke) warhead.