Russian army Arctic brigade will be equipped with Grad & Smerch MLRS on DT-30PM.

Russian Army Arctic brigades will be equipped with all-terrain Grad and Smerch MLRS Multiple Launch Rocket System carried by Vityaz DT-30PM and DT-10PM all-terrain tracked cross-country vehicles, which consists of two tracked vehicle units linked by a steering mechanism. The design allows Vityaz to drive off-road, overcome snow banks, deep snow, marshes and water obstacles. Experts believe the combat vehicles will considerably increase mobility and artillery fire power in the Arctic, the Izvestia daily writes.

Drawing of future DT-30PM All-Terrain tracked vehicle fitted with Smerch 300mm rocket launcher pod  (Picture source IZ.ru website)

The Russian Defense Ministry told the newspaper the tracked Vityaz salvo fire weapons have been included into the list of perspective Arctic armaments. The Vityaz Machine-Building Company said it is supplying basic models of two-link tracked transporter DT-30P-1 to the end producer Motivilihinskie zavody. They can carry various arms and have additional armor and other systems. Minor adjustments will be necessary to install salvo fire weapons on the carrier.

The SKB design bureau of Motovilihinskie zavody confirmed the design of the perspective Arctic Vityaz salvo fire system but refused to elaborate.

It was reported that Grad and Smerch weapons will be the main armaments of the Arctic salvo fire systems. They are designed to destroy accumulations of troops and combat hardware. Grad has a 122mm caliber and a maximum firing range of 40 km, while Smerch is heavier and longer-range. Its caliber is 300mm and it can hit targets at a distance of 100 km.

The Vityaz snow and swamp-going vehicle has a two-link scheme with a trailer nose for two transporters. The drivers and the crew of the salvo fire system (4-7 men) stay in the front together with the power plant. The munitions carrier is in the back.

DT-30PM is distinguished by high cross-country ability and maneuverability. Despite major weight of 28 tons, the pressure of the tracks on the ground is only 0.3 kg/cm. The vehicle easily overcomes snow banks, marshes and floats across small water reservoirs. Ravines and 4-meter wide ditches are no obstacle for Vityaz. It can easily climb 1.5-meter high humps.

Drawing of future DT-10PM All-Terrain tracked vehicle fitted with GRAD 122mm rocket launcher pod (Picture source BTVT Narod website)

According to a drawing published to the Russian military website BTVT.info, the Russian defense industry is also busy to develop a new version of 122mm MLRS (Multiple Rocket Launcher System) based on the all-terrain tracked armoured vehicle DT-10PM which is a lighter version of the DT-30PM.

The DT-10PM is a two-sections tracked carrier vehicle designed and manufactured by the Russian Company Vityaz. The project of DT-10 was launched in 1982 to offer a new type of vehicle offering high cross-country capabilities and maneuverability in swamp and snow terrain.

For the rocket launcher variant using the DT-10PM vehicle, the second tracked vehicle is used to carry the same rocket launcher pod, which consists of a bank of 40 launch tubes 122 mm arranged in a rectangular shape as the Russian Tornado-G, a modernized version of the standard BM-21 GRAD 122mm. In firing position the rocket launcher pod is erected vertically outside of the second vehicle while in road position is stored inside.

The Russian Defense Ministry said a family of hardware, including APC, salvo fire systems, antiaircraft missiles and self-propelled artillery guns, would be created for the Arctic. Uniform two-link tractors are to become the main carrier for them. The Arctic Tor-M2DT and Pantsyr-SA displayed at Victory Day military parade in Moscow in May 2017 were carried by DT-30PM transporters, the Izvestia said.