Pictures published by Sova on Twitter on March 19 show a BM-21-1 (2B17) 122mm MRL of the 9K51 Grad type with a roof-mounted RP-377VM1 jammer. The vehicle is organic to the 6th Ind. Tank Brigade (1GvTA). These pictures were taken at Mulino during joint drills with the Belarusian army that took place from 15-19 March.
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BM-21-1 (2B17) 122mm MRL of the 9K51 Grad with a roof-mounted RP-377VM1 jammer (Picture source: Alexey Kudenko on Twitter account of Sova)
The BM-21 "Grad" is a Soviet-era truck-mounted 122mm multiple rocket launcher. The weapons system and the M-21OF rocket were first developed in the early 1960s, and saw their first combat use in March 1969 during the Sino-Soviet border conflict. BM stands for boyevaya mashina (combat vehicle), and the nickname "grad" means "hail". The complete system with the BM-21 launch vehicle and the M-21OF rocket is designated as the M-21 field-rocket system. The complete system is more commonly known as a Grad multiple rocket launcher system. In NATO countries, the system (either the complete system or the launch vehicle only) was initially known as M1964. Several other countries have copied the Grad or have developed similar systems.
The BM-21 Grad is equipped with a pod of 40 launch tubes of 122 mm caliber arranged in a rectangular shape that can be turned away from the unprotected cab. The rocket tube arrangement is a single rectangular bank of four layers each with 10 tubes. The rocket launcher pod is mounted on a mobile elevatable launcher platform which has elevation from 0 to +55º with traverse being 60º right and 120º left. The rocket launcher weapon system is mounted at the rear of the truck chassis.
The rockets can be either fired one by one or in a salvo lasting six seconds. Manual reloading by the two-man crew takes approximately five minutes. The launcher can traverse a full 360º. The system is limited to firing HE fragmentation-type rockets only. The BM-21 can launch rockets directly from the cab or remotely from outside of the truck cab with a 64-meter cable. Standard rockets have a maximum firing range of 20 km, but with the use of the latest generation of rockets the range can be increased up to 35/40 km.
Various 122mm rockets have been developed for the BM-21 Grad MRLS:
- 9M22U HE fragmentation rocket
- 9M521 HE fragmentation rocket with enhanced power warhead. In engaging targets, twice effective as 9M22U
- 9M522 HE fragmentation rocket with a separable warhead. In engaging targets, six effective as 9M22U
- 9M217 rocket with sensor-fuzed submunitions.
- 9M218 rocket with HEAT fragmentation submunitions.
The BM-21 is mounted on a Ural-375D 6x6 truck chassis. The truck is powered by a water-cooled V-8 180 hp gasoline engine ZIL-375. The vehicle can reach 80 km/h, drive up to 800 kilometers and cross fords up to 1.5 m deep.
BM-21-1 (2B17) 122mm MRL of the 9K51 Grad with a roof-mounted RP-377VM1 jammer (Picture source: Alexey Kudenko on Twitter account of Sova)
Convoy of BM-21-1 (2B17) 122mm MRL of the 9K51 Grad, the last one having a roof-mounted RP-377VM1 jammer (Picture source: Alexey Kudenko on Twitter account of Sova)
