Speaking to Defensehere.com Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) representative talked about several modernized systems and a brand new remote mine-laying system.
According to the representative the ISDM Zemledeliye remote mine-laying system can set a whole mine field in a single salvo from 5 to 15 kilometers away. Because of the packaging principle of the mines, reloading and redeploying only takes several minutes. The system can deploy anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. The mines also feature a self destruct mechanist as required by international law for land mines.
The FSVTS representative also talked about the Tornado-S multiple rocket launch system (MRLS), which is an upgraded BM-30 Smerch. The Tornado-S MRLS has 12 launch tubes with 300mm caliber rockets.
Tornado-G MRLS which is an upgraded BM-21 Grad with 120mm rockets on a wheeled chassis was showcased as well.
FSVTS representative said the following:
"It’s a remote mine-laying system. It means agriculture – because it sets mine fields. Actually with one salvo it can set a mine field from 5-15 kilometers. It’s a great machine, a great vehicle. Actually, and this is only a combat vehicle, but there is also a launching machine. And due to the package principle of charge, it’s easy to recharge it. It takes just several minutes to recharge it and it’s ready for combat. It’s the package principle of recharge to recharge the whole package.
Here 20 and 20 – they have anti-mine tubes. Antipersonnel mines and anti-tank mines; so two types. And actually every mine has a self-destruct mechanism. So this meets the requirements of the convention for mining, which is very important. So it shoots the ammunition – and actually it has an automated system in which you can just set coordinates and it will shoot to the direct point. Of course they just shoot the ammunition, so it’s basically like a multiple rocket launching system. It just shoots it out to a set point, that’s it.
The multiple launch rocket system Tornado-S was made on the basis of the Smerch system – a very famous one. It has 12 guides and the caliber of each ammunition is 300 millimeters. Here, only the combat vehicle is demonstrated, but actually the system consists of a load vehicle and it’s designed to destroy the manpower in fortified buildings up to 120 millimeters. It depends on the ammunition. Because every ammunition has a different warhead.
The Tornado-G is also a modernized version of Grad – that’s why it’s called Tornado-G. It has 40 guides and the caliber of each ammunition is 120 millimeters. Now it is being presented on a wheeled chassis, which makes it more flexible. Was the range increased? No, the range was not increased but we developed the ammunition of heavier caliber, with a bigger high explosive part. That is why it’s more effective. What was modernized was the combat vehicle and the ammunition with warhead. We have the whole range of ammunition for it with different warheads for different combat tasks.
The flight range of the system is up to 15 kilometers and the caliber is 220 mm. While it is destined to destroy manpower -- sheltered and non-sheltered, or in buildings. The combat vehicle and the load vehicle is accumulated on one chassis, Ural. The previous version was with trucks, so it was heavy. But this one is more mobile and there is a lifting module which helps to charge it, so it’s super fast. That’s why it is a modernized version."
