9K52 Luna-M (Frog-7)

History

At a time of extreme tension between East and West during the Cold War (1947-1991) and another major war, everything seemed to be It was in Europe, but the Soviet Union inevitably invested heavily in front-line rocket launcher weapons to repel attacks. One such development from this period was the 9K52 "Luna-M" mobile battalion-level battlefield rocket launcher with 8x8 wheels that carried a large rocket on a modified chassis of a ZiL-135LM military truck.

The missile is capable of long-range launch of conventional, chemical and nuclear payloads, travels at Mach 3 speeds and can "reach" targets up to 40 miles away. The vehicle was originally developed (designated "3R-11" and "9R11") as a nuclear readiness solution to deter advanced Westerners, especially in and around East Germany, but has since been modified to be more traditionally conscious Variant to serve better in response to Soviet frontline offense.

The vehicle, dubbed the "Frog-7" by NATO, has limited service worldwide. In practice, it proved to be inaccurate, weather/environment sensitive, and required a supply vehicle to replenish single-shot rocket components.

As a result, it was eventually replaced in the Soviet inventory by the more efficient 1976 OTR-21 "Tochka" (NATO: SS-21 "Scarab"), which is detailed elsewhere on this site.

The first use of this battlefield system was during the Yom Kippur War between Syria and Israel in 1973. They stayed in stock long enough to be used in the prolonged civil war engulfing Syria today.

The main missile variants in the series include the nuclear focused 9M21B, the conventional 9M21F (High Explosive, Fragmentation - HE-FRAG) and the chemically capable 9M21Kh. The 9M21E provides cluster munition capabilities, while the Laith-90 is the version Iraq used in its war with neighboring Iran and later the West.

The PV-65 name includes the training system.

The 9K52 series was in production capacity at the time and served in conflicts from the Soviet-Afghanistan war (1979-1989) and the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) to the Syrian civil war (2011-today) and the Yemeni civil war (since since 2014). It has such a great range that it can still be found on some battlefields today.

Active operators include former Soviet/Russian allies such as Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Libya, North Korea and Ukraine. Notable former operators include Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Iraq, Kuwait, Poland and Romania.

Specification

Base

Year of Service

1965

Origins

Soviet Union

Status

Active.

Limited service.

Crew

4

Production

3,000

Manufacturer

National Factory - USSR

Operators

Algeria; Afghanistan; Belarus; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria (formerly); Czechoslovakia (formerly); Cuba; East Germany (formerly); Egypt; Hungary (formerly); Iraq ( Formerly); Kuwait (formerly); Libya; North Korea; Poland (formerly); Romania (formerly); Russia; South Yemen (formerly); Soviet Union (formerly); Syria; Ukraine; Yemen; Yugoslavia (formerly)

Roles

Special designs developed to fulfill one or more equally special battlefield roles.

Highlights

Tire layout

The wheeled arrangement gives the system inherent road capability and improved maneuverability.

Cross-country skiing

The design includes features such as a chain linkage system or high ground clearance for better traversing of terrain.

ABC Protection

Crew are protected (standard or optional) by nuclear biological and chemical agents to improve survivability in contaminated areas.

Night Vision

Night vision equipment is available to the crew to allow operation in low light conditions or at night.

Indirect fire possible

The capabilities of this system allow it to attack targets/target areas without reaching line-of-sight.

Psychological effect

Capable of firing lethal indirect fire from a distance to saturate the area; can include nuclear, biological, and chemical agents.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

30.4 feet

9.26m

width

10. 3 feet

3.13m

Height

10. 0 feet

3.06m

Weight

30,865 lbs

14,000 kg

Tonnage

15.4 tons

Power and Performance

Engine:

2 x ZiL-375YA V8 diesel engines driving conventional 8x8 four-wheel drive.

Transfer:

1 x 5-speed manual (ZiL-135LM) or 6-speed automatic transmission.

Speed

40.4 km/h

(65.0 km/h)

Area

310. 7 miles

(500.0 km)

Weapons

1 x Tactical Battlefield Missile with conventional, chemical or nuclear warhead/payload.

AMMOTION

For single-shot use, requires the included supply vehicle (carrying up to three missiles).

VARIANTS

9K52 "Luna-M" - Name of the base series. 9M21B - nuclear capable variant. 9M21E - Cluster munition variant. 9M21F - HI-FRAG missile variant. 9M21Kh - chemical missile variant. Laith-90 - Iraqi export model. PV-65 - Training missile variant.