Russian army to receive more Tornado-S and Tornado-G MLRS rocket launchers in 2020.

The Russian Armed Forces will get more than 30 new Tornado family multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) in 2020, the Defense Ministry said on Sunday, May 3, 2020. This Tornado MLRS system comprises an upgraded combat vehicle equipped with an automated fire control system, new rockets and corrected rockets with the separated high explosive element.

Tornado-S 300mm MLRS Multiple Launch Rocket System. (Picture source Russian MoD)

"The delivery of more than thirty modern multiple launch rocket systems to units of rocket troops and artillery of the Russian Federation Armed Forces is planned by the end of this year. Tornado-G and Tornado-S MLRS will be handed over by manufacturing companies to the Russian Defense Ministry within the framework of performing the state defense order," the Russian Ministry said.

The Tornado-G MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) is an improved version of the standard Russian-made 122mm BM-21 rocket launcher system based on a Kamaz or Ural-4320 truck. The Tornado-G has been designed to be fully automatic. The operating crew has been reduced to three men compare to the six-man crew of the BM-21 Grad.

The Tornado-G is equipped with a bank of 40 launch tubes 122 mm 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 roof of Tornado-G crew cab is fitted with a small antenna for the GLONASS satellite navigation system. It can fire upgraded 122 mm Grad HE-Frag and HE/HEAT rocket variants, 9M538, 9M539 and 9M541.

The 12-tube, 300-mm Tornado-S (9K515) MLRS is a “deeply modernized” version of the BM-30 Smerch using a new 8x8 military truck chassis. The Tornado-S can fire Smerch MLRS projectiles and new guided longer-range rockets.

The advanced Russian-made 300mm Tornado-S MLRS includes an upgraded fighting vehicle equipped with an automated fire control system and new rockets, as well as guided rockets with a separable high-explosive/fragmentation warhead with a range of 120 kilometers (74.6 miles). 

The new MLRS is equipped with automated fire controls to conduct geo survey and land navigation, as well as automatic aiming, which considerably reduces the time required from tasking to target engagement.

Tornado-G 122 MLRS Multiple Launch Rocket System. (Picture source: Army Recognition)