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9A52-4 / 9K51M Tornado-G

In 2014, the Grad was replaced by the 9K51M Tornado-G in the Russian army. The Tornado-G is a 122mm multiple launch rocket system derived from the Grad MLRS. The launch pad of MLRS Tornado-G includes forty launch tubes. The system’s caliber is 122 mm, which enables using both Tornado-G rockets and Grad ones. The new system can conduct fire from unprepared positions in an automated mode. This allows quickly opening fire, after which the gunner can switch the system’s artillery gun into a travel mode directly from the vehicle’s cab and change the position.

The system has been developed by the Splav Research and Production Association integrated into the Tecmash Group within Rostec. As its major advantages, the system features better fire efficiency, more powerful shells and automated guidance, sighting, topographic positioning and navigation systems. MLRS "Tornado-G" is designed for 122 mm ammunition and is designed to destroy and suppress enemy manpower, armored vehicles, artillery and mortar batteries, and command posts. The MLRS will be produced in three versions - G, U and S, calculated, respectively, for ammunition of caliber 122, 220 and 300 millimeters.

The Tornado-G MLRS is an upgraded version of the Grad system. The new system differs from its predecessor with an increased firing range, more powerful ammunition, as well as the presence of automated guidance, aiming, topographic and navigation systems. Thanks to such innovations, the Tornado-G can carry out combat missions completely autonomously. Work to increase the efficiency of this MLRS is being carried out at the famous Tula enterprise NPO Splav (part of the Tekhmash concern of the Rostec state corporation). It is here that world-class weapons are created, thanks to which Russia remains the best developer of multiple launch rocket systems in the 21st century.

Since the time of the famous "Katyushas", the designers of domestic MLRS have been able to achieve the power of their use, practically comparable to the force of strikes of nuclear warheads. That is why the modified installations "Tornado-G" and "Tornado-S" received their "names" in honor of one of the most destructive natural elements. Without any exaggeration, they can be considered the pinnacle of the rocket artillery of the army.

In 2016, the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Yuri Borisov, who was then responsible for the supply of new weapons in the military department, on the air of the Zvezda TV channel called domestic multiple launch rocket systems one of the most effective and demanded MLRS in the world. "In terms of mass and export opportunities, after the Kalashnikov assault rifle, this is one of the most massive weapons that are bought practically all over the world and are used in all known recent military campaigns," he said. In 2017–2018 alone, the Techmash concern signed contracts for the supply of MLRS worth about $ 300 million.

The 9A52-4 "Tornado-G" was the first of the MLRS to receive an automatic guidance and fire control system, which allows continuously determining the location of a combat vehicle during marches and after arriving at a position to open fire as soon as possible. Also, a monoblock high-explosive fragmentation projectile was created for it, in which a fuse with an altimeter is used, which allows adjusting the height and detonate the ammunition either at a height of several meters, or in a collision with the ground.

The "Tornado-G" combat vehicle has a much greater maneuverability in comparison with the old model ("Grad"), but the main difference is in the modern navigation system. Using satellite navigation and computer calculation of ballistic indicators, the system can be guided to targets in an automated mode.

Now the crew of the combat vehicle, which has decreased from three to two people, can, without leaving the vehicle, enter the flight mission data into the fuses and launch. In this case, the fire can be conducted even from an unprepared position, without a topographic reference. All this allows, if necessary, to quickly open fire, after which, directly from the cockpit, transfer the artillery part of the system to the stowed position and change position.

"Such a speed of maneuver is extremely important in the conditions of modern combat operations and against a serious enemy, in whose arsenal there are modern reconnaissance means capable of very quickly calculating the coordinates of the point from which the strike is being delivered. "Tornado-G" can get out of return fire much more effectively than "Grad", and its survivability on the battlefield, according to experts, has grown 4-5 times", according to Vladimir Lepin, General Director of "Techmash".

The digital control system and modern communication systems allow the new MLRS to use unmanned aerial vehicles for target reconnaissance, guidance and adjustment of firing. This significantly increases the combat effectiveness of using such a multiple launch rocket system. However, despite such a quantity of electronics, Tornado-G has retained the reliability characteristic of the Grad - the machine can be operated at temperatures from –40 ° C to + 50 ° C with almost 100% humidity.

According to the developers, the MLRS is almost four times more powerful than the Grad's potential. Improved shells also made it possible to achieve this. The "Tornado-G" guide package consists of forty launch tubes. The weapon was developed in a caliber of 122 mm, which also allows the use of standard rockets from the Grad system. However, three new 122 mm projectiles were created for this vehicle , which are striking in their innovativeness. All ammunition is already being supplied to the troops.

1. An unguided missile with a detachable high-explosive fragmentation warhead of increased efficiency (index 9M539) is designed to destroy open and sheltered manpower, unarmored vehicles, command posts and other targets. According to the developers, it allows you to effectively hit targets behind the folds of the terrain (reverse slopes, gorges) and in the mountains with a firing range of 5 to 20 km. The effectiveness of destruction is, on average, six times higher than that of the 9M22U unguided high-explosive fragmentation projectile, the standard Grad system projectile.
2. An unguided rocket with a cluster warhead with cumulative fragmentation submunitions (index 9M541) hits armored targets at a distance of up to 20 km and penetrates 140 mm thick armor. The effectiveness of its defeat is 10 times higher compared to its predecessor.
3. Another unguided rocket with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead of increased power (index 9M538) is twice as effective as the standard Grad projectile. The mass of the warhead is 34.5 kg, and the number of finished 6-mm striking elements in it reaches 1312 pieces, 9-mm - 2660. By the way, this projectile was first presented abroad at the Indo Defense 2018 International Defense Exhibition in Jakarta.

Development of this artillery rocket systems commenced in the 1990s. It was first revealed in 1998.

The Russian Ministry of Defense intends to conclude a contract for the purchase of 36 Tornado-G multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) in 2012 immediately after the completion of state tests, which are to take place in April or May. This was announced on 08 February 2012 by Interfax with reference to Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. According to Serdyukov, the Tornado-G systems should have already entered service with the Russian Ground Forces, but the delivery had to be postponed due to the fact that the new MLRS did not pass state tests. At the end of December 2011, a representative of the Russian Ground Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Vlasov, stated that in 2011 the troops adopted over 30 units of the Tornado-G MLRS. "I think the question is to conduct state tests as soon as possible. In our opinion, this can happen in April - early May. Accordingly, after that we will conclude a contract for the purchase of 36 combat vehicles MLRS" Tornado-G ", - explained the minister.

By November 2018 the Western and Southern military districts had already received the Tornado-G. "Also, the Armed Forces receive command posts 1?198, associated with this MLRS: for example, an artillery unit in southern Russia received 1?198 in early March 2018," a source in the military-industrial complex told Janes. At the end of October 2018, as part of the state defense order, 15 Tornado-G systems were delivered to the motorized rifle unit of the Central Military District, stationed in the Samara region.

Russia’s Defense Ministry has received the final batch of the latest Tornado-G multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) this year under the defense procurement plan, the press office of RT-Capital (part of the state hi-tech corporation Rostec) reported on Tuesday12 November 2019. "The Special Design Bureau integrated into the Motivilikha Plants (within Rostec) has dispatched the final batch of combat vehicles of Tornado-G multiple launch rocket systems to units of Russia’s Defense Ministry under the defense procurement plan," RT-Capital said in a statement.

The work to repair and upgrade combat vehicles of Grad multiple launch rocket systems to the Tornado-G level under the 2019 program has been implemented in full and on time, the statement says. The Motivilikha Plants are Russia’s sole manufacturer of combat and transporter-loader vehicles for Grad and Smerch multiple launch rocket systems and also of their upgraded Tornado-G and Tornado-S versions, the press office informed.