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BM-24 (Katyusha)

1949 COLD WAR

History

The Soviet Army found great value in relatively inexpensive wheeled self-propelled rocket launchers, perhaps more valuable than any other participating military force in World War II (1939-1945). This weapon provides much-needed shock value to enemy forces and is accompanied by massive artillery fire before a massive attack. Various "Katyusha" systems - the BM-8, BM-13 and BM-31 - played this role during the conflict and were designed around the use of the existing 6x6 wheeled cab and flatbed truck chassis, Match the launch platform with limited lateral rockets.

After the war in 1945, a new generation of similar vehicles was considered, one of which was developed to become the BM-24 series. Today, such weapons are classified as "MLRS" - "Multiple Rocket Systems" - their main purpose is still shock value and saturation of the target area within range.

The BM-24 follows the same design form and function as previous BM products. The launch vehicle component is a fairly simple steel cage consisting of 12 x 240mm rockets, each of which can hold a warhead (including chemicals) to meet mission requirements. The vehicle initially selected was the ZiS-151 6x6 multipurpose series with one front and two rear axles. The cabin offers enough space for up to three people, including the driver (a typical crew of six).

Power is provided by a 5.6-liter ZiS 121 6-cylinder engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The production of the truck model started in 1947 and continued until 1958 at the Second Automobile Plant in Moscow - Zavod Imeni Stalina (hence the name "ZiS"). In 1956, the factory received a new name - "Zavod Imeni Likhacheva" - so the name of the truck was changed to "ZiL-151".

The ZiL-151 designation was eventually replaced by the ZiL-157 series in 1958.

The BM-24 was used heavily (thousands) by the Soviet Army. The car was adopted by Soviet customers all over the world, including Egypt (which saw action in the Six-Day War), China, North Korea, and Iran, among others.

The BM-24 launch platform is also matched with the AT-S artillery tractor to produce the related model brand "BM-24T". These feature a sprocket arrangement and a larger fully enclosed armored cab. The carrying system is attached to a cross brace at the rear of the vehicle.