Russian TOS-1A heavy flamethrower is displaying keen interest about counterterrorist operations TASS 42411152

Defence & Security News - Russia
 
Russian TOS-1A heavy flamethrower is displaying keen interest about counterterrorist operations
Foreign customers have displayed keen interest in the TOS-1A heavy flamethrower system lately, Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport’s press office said in a press release on Tuesday. The press release followed a recent discussion of the export prospects of Russian multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) by both the developers of such systems and Russia’s authorized arms exporter.
     
     
"There has always been high demand for the Smerch and Grad systems. There has been special interest in the unique TOS-1A heavy flamethrower system proven in counterterrorist operations. Hitting the global market, the latest Russian MLRS’s and their ammunition and control systems will enable Russia to retain its leadership in this market segment," the press office quotes Alexander Yemelyanov, chief of Rosoboronexport’s army materiel export department, as saying.

It is said in the press release that the discussion dwelt on the further Russian MLRS development and performance improvement.

As was reported in the press, the Syrian government troops started using Russian-made TOS-1A flamethrower systems. There have been no official statements about the TOS-1A’s delivery to Syria, however. At present, the type is in service with the Russian, Kazakh, Azeri and Iraqi armies.

The TOS-1A combat vehicle weighs 44.3 tons and has a crew of three. It mounts a pod of 24 launch tubes. Its minimum firing range is 400 m and the maximum one equals 6,000 m. The complete salvo takes 6 s. The system fires rockets with the incendiary or fuel-air explosive warheads. The warhead’s payload produces an aerosol cloud that goes off in a fuel and air explosion when ignited. The TOS-1A is especially effective in mountainous terrain or against well-fortified defenses, including urban terrain.
     
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