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Denel Valkiri / Bateluer MLRS

1982 COLD WAR MODERN

Story of Denel Valkiri / Bateluer MLRS

The simplicity and lethal effectiveness of the Soviet-designed 6x6 wheeled BM-21 "Grad" Multiple Rocket Launcher System (MLRS) vehicle against the Angolan army has won the South African Army's appreciation. In the late 1970s, Denel Land Systems took this design as a starting point to design a modern, locally produced version of the onboard system, with changes made to meet the needs of the local military.

The result of this work became the MLRS "Valkiri", which entered service in 1982 and remains active today (2015) (now "Bateluer") in the South African Defence Force's inventory.

The original branding became the "Valkiri-22" Mk 1, which had a 24-round launch tube on the chassis of a UNIMOG 4x4 wheeled truck. This provides excellent ground clearance and off-road driving with a full suspension arrangement. The launcher assembly is rear mounted with a bracket that allows the weapon to be trained top-down or left-to-right as needed.

The cab is parked in front. Before firing, the hydraulic support legs were lowered at the rear of the fuselage.

This resulted in a size-truncated form called the "Valkiri-5", which was advertised for use by the Army Airborne Forces. A shortened rocket was developed for a more compact launcher, which now has room for only twelve rockets, but provides the airborne troops with substantial firepower when needed.

The modern incarnation of the Valkyrie system has become "Bateleur". It features a trainable 40-round launcher assembly located in the rear of a Samil 100 series 6x6 truck, a 10-ton system classified as a heavy-duty vehicle.

The trucks themselves are customized to suit a variety of battlefield roles, including personnel carriers and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (SPAAGs), and form the transport component of the new Bateleur MLRS. Again, ground clearance and overland driving are excellent, and the extended cab keeps a crew of five protected on the job.

The launcher supports standard-range missiles as well as a slightly heavier Extended Range (ER) variant.

Bateluer is 9.6 meters long and 2 meters wide. 5 meters, 3.4 meters high. His combat weight is 21,550 kg. The road cruising range reaches 600 kilometers, and the off-road cruising range is 500 kilometers. The vehicle can travel at about 80 km/h.