SMERCH 300mm MLRS

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MLRS
Pinaka

300mm Multiple Launch Rocket System

The SMERCH system fires several different types of 300mm rockets. The rockets weigh approximately 800 kg and most have a maximum range of 70 km.

The basic rocket for the SMERCH 300 is the 9M55F, which carries a separable, unitary high-explosive warhead weighing 72 kg. (Warhead weight is 258 kg, explosive weight 95 kg, sub-munitions are 50 grams) The 9M55S variant carries 100 kg of fuel-air explosive. There is also an extended range rocket, the 9M528, which weighs 815kg and carries a 95 kg (243 kg warhead, 95 kg of explosive) unitary separable warhead to a maximum range of 95km.

Several different submunition carrying rockets are also available. The 9M55K carries 72 high explosive submunitions each weighing 1.75 kg. The 9M55K5 carries 646 combined effect submunitions (armor-piercing shaped charge and fragmentation). Each submunition can penetrate 120mm of steel armor. Where more precision is required, the 9M55K1 rocket can be used. It carries five sensor-fused submunitions weighing 15 kg each, which can penetrate up to 70 mm of steel armor.