Currently, the titles of articles and television news reports on the conflict in eastern Ukraine to hear the name of such military equipment as the installation of "Grad".Features multiple rocket launchers impressive.Flight range missile 20km provide forty neatly folded fire tubes located at the base of all-wheel drive truck "Ural-375".To date, this mobile system is in service in more than 50 countries.And in 1963 she was on an operational service in the Soviet, and now is in the Russian army.
Historical information
idea of developing a set of multiple rocket launchers with a range of over 20 km belongs to Soviet engineers and takes its origin from the mid 50s of the last century.Military installations "Grad" system was developed to replace the BM-14.The idea was that on a truck chassis that can easily overcome the difficult terrain, place a maneuver artillery piece, packed with rockets.
In 1957, the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU) gave terms of reference Sverdlovsk design bureau to develop a fighting machine.It was necessary to design a machine that can accommodate 30 in-depth guide for jet shells.The goal was achieved by completion of the missile - the creation of curved cylindrical surface of the folding tail stabilizers.
developer projectile was chosen NII-147, which proposed a technology of producing a casing, as a method of hot exhaust.Under the patronage AN Ganicheva and with the support of the State Committee for Defense Technology, work began on creating a missile.Development warhead projectile charged GSKB-47, and the powder charge engine - NII-6.NII-147 was designed with mixed shell stabilization: empennage and rotation.
tests in 1960 conducted fire tests engines of missiles.As part of the plant carried out 53 and 81 burn - as the tests at the state level.
first field tests were conducted in March 1962 in Leningrad.Grau has allocated 2 combat vehicles and five hundred rockets.The planned run of 10 000 km of vehicle under test without damage passed only 3380 km.Damage eliminated by increasing the rear axle chassis.This increased stability of the machine when shooting.
After the elimination of design flaws the Council of Ministers was set at the service and armament in 1963 installation "Grad", the characteristics of which in the same year were demonstrated Khrushchev.
In January of the following year was launched serial production of BM-21.Also in 1964, at the November military parade showed people the first installation.Since 1971, the export of rocket launchers, and its volume was 124 machines, but by 1995 the number of "Grad", sold in 50 countries, there were more than two thousand.
Unique design specifications fighting installation "Grad" have been achieved by the design of the complex, which includes:
- launcher;
- transport and loading vehicle based on the ZIL-131;
- fire control system.
Jet unguided missiles (diameter 122 mm) loaded into artillery unit, which is represented by 40 runners at every 3 meters on a movable base.Guidance may be performed in the horizontal and vertical planes with electrically or manually.The range of angles at the horizontal fire - 102o to the left of the vehicle and 70 ° to the right;during vertical - from 0 to 55 degrees.
The barrel channel is equipped with a screw groove, which at last gives the departure of the projectile rotational movement.
movement speed of the machine - 75 km / h, and the possible movement of charged projectiles.The car has a suspension system shutdown, which excludes the use of supporting jacks with the shooting.After the volley can immediately leave the position in order to avoid the back.Correction firing is carried out in a single machine control, which is part of the battery.
Having examined the structure of the jet combat vehicle, you can understand how the installation of "Grad".
Precise pointing weapons at the target is achieved by the presence of aiming devices: panorama Hertz mechanical reticle and a collimator K-1, which increases the degree of damage in conditions of poor visibility.
first shell
shell unmanaged type that is used in the designs of artillery salvo, consists of 3 parts: the battle, the engine and stabilizer.Warhead - itself a shell with fuse and bursting charge.The engine is made up of the nozzle chamber, igniter and powder charge.For the lighting of the igniter, which would trigger a powder charge, or use pyro cartridge elektrozalpy.From shot closes the electrical circuit and the cutter from incandescent lights igniter.
Missile 9M22 was the first ammunition that fired multiple rocket launchers "Grad".Characteristics of the shell:
- type: high-explosive;
- length - 2.87 m;
- weight - 66 kg;
- maximum range - 20.4 km, the minimum - 1.6 km;
- flight speed - 715 m / s;
- warhead weight - 18.4 kg, of which the third part - the explosive.
breakthroughs was Alexander Ganicheva innovation.He proposed a method of making the projectile, which consisted in drawing the steel plates of the housing, rather than in a simple sectional steel cylinder as before.Another achievement of the Chief Designer of NII-147 was the creation of a collar, restraining plumage shell stabilizers and giving the opportunity to fit in the size of the rocket.
Missile 9M22 supplied with the bow shock fuses MRI and MRI-U, which can be set to 3 steps: instant, small and large slowdown.With the defeat of targets at short distances were used for grouping the brake rings, the size of which is chosen in direct proportion to the distance.
Development rockets 9M22 improved technical characteristics of "Grad".Damage manpower at full load "Castle" is applied to the area of 1050 m2, and soft-skinned technology - to 840 m2.
Serial production of missiles began with the 1964 iron foundry "Stamp".
Improving combat capabilities
With the development of the first missile to destroy and suppress enemy forces intended installation "Grad" characteristics (attack range) is always improved.Thus were established the following types of ammunition:
- enhanced high-explosive ammunition type 9M22U, 9M28F, 9M521;
- fragmentation chemical type - 9M23 identical in flight specifications M22S;
- incendiary - 9M22S;
- smoke-- 9M43, ten such munitions are able to create a smoke screen over an area of 50 hectares;
- from anti minefields - 9M28K, 3M16;
- for interference - 9M519;
- with toxic chemicals - 9M23.
Other countries that produce complex license or illegally, as a dynamically developing new types of shells.
fire management
fire control system allows you to make shots and gulp alone.Pyrotechnic fuse rocket motor is derived from the pulse sensor, which can be controlled in the cabin BM-21 through the junction box or via mobile remote control at a distance of 50 m.
complete cycle of the volley 20 seconds duration is set to "Grad".Features relating to temperature, the following: trouble-free operation is guaranteed at temperatures from -40 ° C to +50 ° C.
Group manages the installation consists of a commander, and 5 assistants: gunner;Installer the fuse;radio operator / loader;combat vehicle driver / loader and driver transport machine / loader.
transport vehicle designed for the transportation of shells on board fixed stationary shelves.
Modernization
Technical progress requires constant work on the modernization of weapons.Otherwise, even the most powerful position in the market may be lost.
rocket launchers "Grad" in 1986 has been improved.It was released model BM-21-1.Now the base is fighting vehicle was located on the chassis "Ural".Package guide tube protecting against sun exposure heat shield.Also there was the possibility of rapid firing.
On the basis of GAZ-66B by reducing the number of producing shafts up to 12 shells was established lightweight setup for airborne troops - BM-21 W.
Based on BM-21-1 in the early 2000s.We had done work for the release of an automated combat vehicle - 2B17-1.The advantage of improved installation - without firing a guided sights and output calculation.That is, the coordinates of the enemy carried out a navigation system.
fighting vehicle "dam" (BM-21PD) intended to defeat submarines to ensure the protection of the marine border.The system could work in conjunction with sonar or independently.
complex "Prima", created in the 80s, had 50 guides, but due to lack of funding has not received the right to continue production.
Produced MLRS "Grad" in Czechoslovakia, Belarus and Italy.Ukrainian version of the BM-21 placed on the chassis Krae.Belarusian "Grad-1A" can accommodate two at a time instead of one ammunition.Italian rocket launcher system (abbreviated FIROS) is different in that the shells are equipped with different jet engines, causing the firing range varies.
Military Accounting
With the end of World War II actively continue the arms race.All scientific achievements have been aimed at improving the military production.Prices for military production began to grow more rapidly than during the war.
Price of modern weapons is also very high.One projectile rocket launcher "Grad" is 600-1000 dollars.After adopting a fighting machine (1963), the cost of the missile was comparable to the price of two cars "Volga".But the mass production cost of the rocket was only two salaries Engineer - 250 rubles (information from the film "Shock Force").
cost of installing "Castle" - it is a commercial secret.According to one British magazine, the price follower "Castle" - "Tornado" - $ 1.8 million (the information is taken from the magazine "Phaeton", issue number 8, January 1996, p. 117).
how to shoot the installation "Grad"?
principle shooting from BM-21 is identical to the mechanism of the use of the famous "Katyusha" and is based on a system salvo firing.In the 40 years of artillery shells receiver always outnumbered single rocket, which lacked precision and mass.The engineers were able to eliminate this disadvantage by using rockets for launching multiple trunks.
By volley principle of operation setting "Castle" in action - a weapon that can destroy 30 hectares of enemy territory, a column of military equipment, the starting positions of missiles, mortar battery, components supply.A shell fired this fighting machine, killing all life within a radius of 100 meters.
world's first MLRS capable to hit the target at long distances - is set to "Grad".Features, attack range combat vehicle Soviet engineers have improved as long as the result does not have a maximum deviation of the projectile from the target 30 meters away.Foreign designers believed that this accuracy can be achieved at a distance of not more than 10 kilometers.However, the creation of the Soviet enemy strikes from a distance of 40 km, 20 seconds produces 720 shells, which equates to 2 tons of explosives.
Military applications
first test in practice the complex "Grad" was held in 1969 during the conflict between China and the Soviet Union.Trying to break the enemy and knock him strength to the Sino-Soviet tanks failed, moreover, the Chinese took stricken T-62, which is secret model.Therefore, in the course went explosive shells from the plant "Grad", which destroyed the enemy and thus to end the conflict.
in 1975-1976.fighting vehicle was used in Angola.Operations on the environment in this conflict was not tied periodic fighting between columns reaching towards.So this feature of "Castle" that at the site of the projectile formed "dead ellipse", so a column of troops, which is an elongated line up in the fighting in Angola has become an ideal target.
Afghanistan were firing from the "City of" direct fire.The Chechen war is also actively used military vehicles.
«Grad" of our time - is about 2500 units, the armament of the Russian army.Combat vehicles were exported to 70 countries since 1970.Do not go unnoticed by BM-21 in armed conflicts around the world: in Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, Somalia, Syria, Libya and recently started the confrontation in the east of Ukraine.
The performance characteristics of the installation 'Hail »
features and parameters of the system are given for MB-21.
- chassis - Ural-375.
- Engine power - 180 l.from.
- Dimensions, m:
- width - 2.4;
- Length - 7.35;
- maximum height - 4.35. - Weight, t:
- with shells - 13.7;
- uncharged MB - 10.9. - maximum speed of movement, km / h - 75.
- Ammunition, pcs.- 120 rockets.
- Caliber, mm - 122.
- Area destruction hectares:
- art 1.75;
- manpower 2.44. - Rail Length, m - 3.
- number of stem guides pieces.- 40.
- time full volley with - 20.
- range, m:
- the maximum - 20 380;
- minimum - 5000. - Time settings in the firing position, min.- 3.5.
Today MLRS manufactured at JSC "MZ".The base acts as a car "Ural-4320".The new samples introduced autonomous topographic location, display the location on an electronic map of the installation, the ability to enter data into the fuse.
want to believe and hope that the installation of "Grad" (characteristics, design, operation) was necessary and interesting to the younger generation as an instance for scientific research, but not for the destruction of the cities and the fate of people!
