Russia Announces Production of Dual-Purpose Vozrozhdenie Rocket Launcher & Mine System.

On December 26, 2023, reports emerged on Russian social media platforms regarding the plans of the Russian state corporation Rostec to produce a bicaliber multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) named "Vozrozhdenie" (translated as "Renaissance"). This MLRS, derived from the ISDM Zemledeliye 8x8 mine-laying system, can launch two types of munitions: 140mm anti-tank or anti-personnel mines, and 220mm caliber rockets.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

Derived from the ISDM Zemledeliye 8x8 mine-laying system, the Vozrozhdenie is also able to use the 220mm rockets found in the BM-27 Uragan, TOS-1 Buratino, TOS-1A Solntsepek, and TOS-2 Tosochka rocket launchers systems. (Picture source: Vitaly Kuzmin)

Production of the Vozrozhdenie is anticipated to commence in the first half of 2024, as confirmed by Sergei Chemezov, the General Director of Rostec. This new system development has also resulted in the creation of a container compatible with 220mm rockets from various Russian MLRS systems, namely the BM-27 Uragan, TOS-1 Buratino, TOS-1A Solntsepek, and TOS-2 Tosochka. These rockets can carry diverse warhead types, including high-explosive fragmentation, chemical, thermobaric, incendiary, and scatterable-mine sub-munitions.

As Rostec's Vozrozhdenie system prepares to enter the realm of bi-caliber MLRS systems, its potential impact on the modern battlefield, marked by its adaptable capabilities and dual-caliber functionality, remains to be seen. In the absence of further details provided by Sergei Chemezov, we can compile existing data on the munitions used by the various systems mentioned.

The BM-27 Uragan employs 220mm rockets equipped with high-explosive fragmentation, chemical, and scatterable-mine sub-munition warheads, with a range of 35 to 40 km. It can achieve a maximum rate of fire of roughly one round per second and can be reloaded with a second set of 16 rockets in about 20 minutes. The BM-27 is capable of firing a variety of unguided artillery rockets, including 9M27F (High Explosive), 9M27K1 (anti-personnel anti-material bomblets), 9M27K2 (anti-tank mines), 9M27K3 (anti-personnel minelets), and 9M59 (anti-tank mines with directional charge).

The TOS-1 Buratino, a heavy flamethrower system within the Russian MLRS family, can discharge 30 220mm rockets with thermobaric or incendiary warheads. These unguided rockets possess a minimum range of 600 m and a maximum range of 4,000 m, with all rockets launchable simultaneously within six seconds, ensuring a zone of destruction spanning 200 by 400 m.

In contrast, the upgraded TOS-1A Solntsepek is equipped with 24 tubes for 220mm rockets, extending its range to 6 km and featuring an enhanced ballistic computer. It maintains the TOS-1 Buratino's firepower, releasing a full salvo within six seconds. The TOS-1A's munition, an unguided missile with incendiary or thermobaric warheads, generates an aerosol cloud that triggers fuel and air explosions, proving effective in mountainous and fortified terrains.

In March 2020, Russia introduced a new rocket for the TOS-1A with a 10-kilometer range achieved through reductions in the warhead's fuel-air explosive mixture's weight and size. However, this alteration resulted in an extended minimum range from 400 m to 1.6 km, necessitating the retention of the shorter-range M0.1.01.04M rocket for close combat environments.

The TOS-2 Tosochka, representing the latest innovation in Russian flamethrower and thermobaric rocket launcher systems, deviates from its predecessors by employing a wheeled platform, automated aiming systems, shooting and fire control systems, and no longer requiring a transport-loading vehicle due to its integrated crane. The TOS-2, an extensively modernized TOS-1A launcher mounted on a 6x6 chassis, is capable of launching 220mm fuel-air explosive rockets or thermobaric ammunition, as well as a full range of unguided rockets from 18 launch tubes, effectively covering an area of six hectares with its barrage. When outfitted with thermobaric rockets, its firing range spans from 3.5 to 10 km, with some sources suggesting it may reach up to 15 km.

The Vozrozhdenie system, based on the ISDM Zemledeliye 8x8 mine-laying system, is therefore designed to function both as a 220mm multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) when equipped with a unified transport and launch container and as a remote mining vehicle using 140mm caliber rockets for mining operations. It is worth noting that the ISDM Zemledeliye employs a lower caliber, with two sets of 25 122mm tube launchers capable of dispatching either anti-tank or anti-personnel mines, featuring a firing range ranging from 5 to 15 km.

In terms of mobility, the Vozrozhdenie system will likely use the same KamAZ 6560 8x8 chassis as the ISDM Zemledeliye. The KamAZ-6560 is recognized as a robust military truck and is one of KamAZ's substantial models. First introduced to the public in 2005, the KamAZ 6560 has a notable payload capacity of up to 20,000 kg. It is powered by the KamAZ-740.35-400 turbocharged diesel engine, producing 400 hp, coupled with a German-made ZF 6HP 602 automatic gearbox. The truck can reach a maximum road speed of 90 km/h and offers a maximum cruising range of 1,000 km.