WDS 2026: Russia Unveils Sarma 300 mm MLRS Designed for Precision Strikes and Rapid Mobility.

Russia presented for the first time the Sarma 300 mm Multiple Launch Rocket System at the World Defense Show 2026 as a new-generation, mobile heavy rocket artillery platform. The system highlights Moscow’s push to improve survivability, precision, and rapid redeployment of long-range fires based on recent combat experience.

Displayed publicly for the first time at the World Defense Show 2026, the Sarma 300 mm Multiple Launch Rocket System represents Russia’s latest attempt to modernize heavy rocket artillery for contemporary battlefield demands. Derived from earlier Russian MLRS concepts, Sarma is positioned as a highly mobile and precision-capable system, reflecting lessons learned from recent conflicts where counter-battery threats, drone surveillance, and rapid targeting cycles have reshaped how long-range fires are employed.
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Sarma 300 mm Multiple Launch Rocket System displayed at World Defense Show 2026 on a KamAZ-63501 8x8 chassis, highlighting its compact six-tube launcher and mobile precision fire role. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The Sarma is a Russian-made 300 mm multiple launch rocket system classified as heavy rocket artillery and intended for tactical and operational-level strike missions. According to Russian industrial and analytical sources, development is initiated by Motovilikha Plants in 2022, with the first official acknowledgment of the program emerging in June 2023. An experimental combat vehicle is publicly presented for the first time in September 2025, marking the transition from conceptual work to a tangible prototype. At WDS 2026, the system is shown as a mature platform positioned for potential service entry.

The Sarma represents a revival and modernization of the earlier 9K58-4 Kama project, developed in the early 2000s as a lighter alternative to traditional Russian heavy MLRS systems. Russian sources explicitly link the renewed interest in this configuration to battlefield observations highlighting the effectiveness of lighter, more mobile rocket artillery capable of employing guided munitions. Unlike twelve-tube launchers such as Smerch or Tornado-S, Sarma adopts a reduced launcher size to prioritize speed, lower mass, and faster redeployment.

The system is designed to operate closer to the forward edge of the battlefield than legacy heavy MLRS platforms. Its reduced weight and compact architecture are intended to support rapid relocation after firing, allowing the launcher to limit exposure to counter-battery fire. Russian reporting suggests Sarma is expected to enter service in limited numbers, potentially within operational zones during 2026, where it would complement rather than replace heavier Tornado-S units.

Sarma is intended to conduct short-duration artillery raids and precision strikes against high-value targets. These include command posts, ammunition storage sites, logistics nodes, bridges, and enemy artillery positions. The ability to fire guided rockets allows the system to engage point targets, while conventional unguided ammunition preserves the option for area saturation fire when required.

The launcher module consists of six 300 mm tubes mounted at the rear of the vehicle on a hydraulically actuated rotating cradle. The tubes are arranged in two horizontal rows of three, a configuration that reduces overall launcher mass while maintaining compatibility with standard Russian 300 mm rockets. The launcher supports single-shot, ripple, and full-salvo firing modes, with a complete six-round salvo reportedly delivered in under twenty seconds. Reloading is carried out by a dedicated transport-loading vehicle, enabling rapid resupply and redeployment.

Sarma is compatible with the full family of Russian 300 mm rockets developed for the Smerch and Tornado-S systems. Unguided 9M55-series rockets provide ranges between 20 and 70 kilometers, while extended-range unguided types such as the 9M528 and 9M531 reportedly reach up to around 90 kilometers. The system is optimized for guided munitions, including the 9M542, 9M544, and 9M549, which extend effective range to approximately 120 to 130 kilometers using inertial navigation combined with satellite correction via GPS and GLONASS. Reported accuracy is around 0.21 percent of firing range. Russian sources also reference compatibility with newer guided rockets such as the 9M543 and 9M543L, as well as limited-production types whose characteristics remain undisclosed. Claims of future 300 mm rockets with ranges up to 200 kilometers are mentioned, although these remain unverified.

The Sarma MLRS is mounted on a KamAZ-63501 8x8 tactical truck chassis, selected to balance cross-country mobility with reduced overall mass. The vehicle follows a conventional MLRS layout with a front-mounted engine, a protected crew cab, and a rear launcher module. The armored cabin provides protection against small-arms fire and artillery shell fragments, allowing all combat operations to be conducted under armor. The system is operated by a crew of three, consisting of a commander, driver, and operator, and is equipped with an NBC protection system for operation in contaminated environments.

Mobility characteristics include a reported combat weight of approximately 24 tonnes, a road speed of up to 90 kilometers per hour, and an operational range of around 1,000 kilometers. Overall dimensions are approximately 11.2 meters in length, 2.5 meters in width, and 3.15 meters in height, with ground clearance close to 390 millimeters.

Onboard equipment includes an automated fire-control system integrating inertial navigation, satellite positioning, digital mapping, and secure communications. Target data can be received from reconnaissance assets or higher command networks and processed directly within the vehicle. Automatic positioning, launcher alignment, and ballistic computation enable rapid transitions from movement to firing, supporting shoot-and-run tactics intended to reduce vulnerability to counter-artillery strikes.

In operational terms, Sarma positions itself as a complementary asset within Russian rocket artillery formations rather than a direct substitute for heavier systems. Its reduced launcher size, rapid firing cycle, and reliance on guided 300 mm munitions suggest an intended role focused on time-sensitive targets and decentralized fire missions conducted closer to the line of contact.