Rostec’s industrial director Sergei Abramov said the state-owned corporation is launching the latest 9K515 Tornado-S multiple launch rocket launcher system (MLRS) on the international market. According to him, this unique artillery complex has already received an advertising passport.

“Her (Tornado-S. - RT systems) main advantage is the use of fundamentally new 300-mm guided missiles with a firing range of up to 120 km,” the Rostec press service quoted Abramova as saying.

The Tornado-S system is designed to destroy armored vehicles, manpower, engineering structures, airfields, command posts, enemy artillery and missile units.

“The system is also capable of hitting motorized infantry and tank units, command and control posts, air defense and missile defense systems, electronic warfare, airplanes and helicopters at take-off and landing sites,” the Rostec materials said.

The lead developer of Tornado-S is the A.N. Ganicheva, which is part of the Techmash concern. Serial production of combat and transport-loading vehicles was launched at Perm Motovilikhinsky Plants PJSC, which is part of the Splav NPO.

Automation, precision and power

Tornado-S is a deeply modernized version of the Smerch MLRS developed in the second half of the 1980s. In 2015, the newest complex passed state tests. In 2016, the system was adopted by the Russian army.

At the beginning of this year, the Russian Armed Forces received the first brigade kit “Tornado-S”. In April, the MLRS calculations took part in exercises at the Kapustin Yar training ground (Astrakhan region). As specified in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the gunners conducted the "first military launches."

According to the developer, "Tornado-S" is fully consistent with the "main trends of modern combat." In particular, the designers focused on increasing the automation of control processes. The military has the opportunity to control the firing of the division and at the same time calculate data on new targets.

  • Multiple launch rocket system "Smerch"
  • RIA News
  • © Mikhail Voskresensky

As the editor-in-chief of Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine Viktor Murakhovsky explained in an interview with RT, an important advantage of Tornado-S is that gunners can carry out the calculations necessary for striking from any firing position. Moreover, the deployment of the system on the ground takes literally several minutes.

“Each self-propelled firing system actually operates independently - it does not require external data on ballistic, navigation and other parameters. In this case, the preparation cycle of the volley takes the shortest possible time. It also allows for maneuvers to escape from retaliation, moving to other firing positions, ”Murakhovsky said.

"Tornado-S" is noticeably superior to the "Tornado" in firing range. The latest system can hit targets at a distance of up to 120 km against 70-90 km from the Soviet predecessor. This was made possible thanks to the development of new fragmentation and cumulative-fragmentation ammunition.

The general director of Techmash, Vladimir Lepin, said that modern shells are capable of performing a wide range of tasks, effectively turning the Tornado-S into a high-precision weapon. According to him, each of the 12 MLRS ammunition can receive individual flight mission data.

“They were created (new ammunition. - RT ) on the basis of adjustable 300 mm rocket launchers of the Smerch MLRS at the expense of a control system unit built on a strap-on inertial navigation system with support for on-board satellite navigation equipment,” Lepin quoted the press service of Rostec .

Guided munitions for the Tornado-S use the GLONASS navigation system, which has significantly increased accuracy.

At the same time, the Russian MLRS could well do without GLONASS. Specialists of NPO “Splav” developed a special projectile 9M534, which delivers the Tipchak drone to the area of ​​the alleged strike. A drone is necessary for transmitting the coordinates of targets to the Tornado-S calculation.

All these innovations allow the domestic artillery system to effectively destroy single targets. At the same time, Tornado-S, like Tornado, retained the ability to defeat in the area, turning into a universal weapon, experts say.

“Typical areal targets are, for example, control points. They are often located on a vast territory of several hectares. “Tornado-S” ammunition dispersion value is programmed during a salvo, ”Murakhovsky explained.

  • Exhibition exhibit MLRS "Tornado-S"
  • © NPO Splav

At Motovilikhinskiye Zavody Tornado-S is called an extremely powerful weapon. According to the general designer of the enterprise Vitaly Khomenko, the destructive power of the domestic multiple launch rocket system is second only to nuclear warheads.

“The full salvo of this system is commensurate and is second in terms of indicators after the use of nuclear weapons. “Tornado-S” delivers several tons of explosive to the target, and a full salvo covers an area of ​​67.6 hectares, where there is practically nothing left to resist, ”Khomenok said earlier.

In January 2019, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Alexei Krivoruchko said that the appearance of Tornado-S and other systems expanded the combat capabilities of Russian rocket artillery. He stressed that domestic designers managed to increase accuracy, firing range and the power of ammunition.

Vast market

In 2014, Motovilikhinskiye Zavody faced certain difficulties in the production of Smerch and Tornado-S due to a break in military-technical cooperation with Ukraine. Kiev supplied Russia with shaped tubes for launchers. In 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin set the task to replace these products with domestic counterparts, and a year later Vladimir Lepin reported on its successful implementation.

  • Rocket launch from multiple launch rocket system
  • RIA News
  • © Pavel Lisitsyn

In an interview with RT, military expert Yuri Knutov noted that at present Russia has no obstacles to saturate the Tornado-S with its own army units and foreign armed forces. According to him, the domestic system can become a very popular weapon in the international market.

“Long-range MLRS of large caliber is a fairly common artillery system in many armies of the world. Such systems, in view of their monstrous power, can be called a deterrence weapon - the consequences of even one salvo are too great for the enemy. Therefore, the potential market for Tornado-S is quite extensive. Probably, these are primarily the countries of the Middle East and East Asia, ”Knutov explained.

Today, one of the largest buyers of Russian MLRS is Delhi. In particular, the Indian army operates the "Tornado" system. Recently, Moscow and Delhi have been discussing plans to create a joint venture for the production of jet munitions.

“It should be understood that our country will face serious competition in the foreign market. Most likely, rivalry from the allied Belarus, Israel and the USA cannot be avoided. However, Tornado-S surpasses its foreign analogues in a number of characteristics. In addition, the traditional advantage of domestic weapons is the price acceptable to the customer and Russia's willingness to share production technologies, ”Knutov summed up.