Tornado (MLRS)

The MLRS "Tornado" was developed in Russia by specialists of the FSUE SRNP "Splav". ^[8] The Tornado-C is a deep modernization of the 9K58 Smerch. It is intended for destruction on the distant approaches of group targets (manpower, unarmored, lightly armored and armored vehicles), tactical missiles, anti-aircraft complexes, helicopters at parking sites, command posts, communications centers, military-industrial infrastructure.

The 9A54 combat vehicle is equipped with onboard control and communications equipment (ABUS), an automated guidance and fire control system (ASUNO), ground navigation equipment for satellite navigation system users (NAP SNS), which allows: to automatically receive and transmit information protected from unauthorized access, to display information on the scoreboard and store it; autonomously perform topographic location, navigation and orientation of the combat vehicle on the ground with the display on an electronic map; automatic aiming of the package of starting guides without leaving the crew from the cabin with the possibility of manual guidance if necessary (to protect personnel from powder gases during firing, compressed air from cylinders is provided to the cabin).

Equipped with a system of autonomous correction of the flight path of missiles at pitch and yaw angles , carried out by signals from the gas dynamic control system (adjustable ammunition). The projectiles are stabilized due to their twisting along the starting rails, and supporting in flight by the opening feathering blades. When firing by volley, the dispersion of projectiles does not exceed 0.3% of the firing range. To ensure target designation, a UAV can be used (also launched from a combat vehicle - a missile projectile 9M534). Missiles can be equipped with a monoblock head or cassette type. A salvo of one combat vehicle with 300 mm caliber missiles equipped with a cassette warhead with 72 cumulative fragmentation elements strikes an area of ​​up to 67.2 hectares . The firing range is up to 120 km, in perspective with the possibility of increasing to 200 km.

The time of coagulation and abandoning of the firing position by the combat vehicle of the BM 9A54 complex after a salvo is about 1 minute. The crew of the combat vehicle is reduced to 3 people.

It can hit targets with both volley and single high-precision missiles, and in fact, has become a universal tactical missile system. Also Tornado-S can use adjustable ammunition.

The composition of the RSZO 9K515 "Tornado-S" :

• combat vehicle (BM) 9A54;
• transporting-charging machine (TZM) 9T255;
• training center, automatic fire control system (ASUNO), topographic reference vehicle (topprivate) and meteorological machine.

Developer: NPO Splav JSC (Tula), SKB CJSC PJSC Motovilikhinskie Zavody (Perm). Manufacturer (overhaul and modernization) BM and TZM: PJSC "Motovilikha Plants" (Perm).

On service began to arrive from the end of 2016. In November 2016, tests were conducted at the Kapustin Yar test site .

Variants of combat vehicles

9А52-2Т MLRS on the Tatra chassis in the parade of the Armed Forces of India (decorative conical caps installed on the rails)

• 9A52 - the basic version of the chassis MAZ-79111
• 9А52Б - combat vehicle of automated control system of formations of the MLRS 9K58B
• 9A52-2 - combat vehicle on the chassis of the MAZ-543M complex MLRS 9K58
• 9A52-2K - commander combat vehicle on the chassis of the MAZ-543M upgraded complex MLRS 9K58
• 9А52-2Т - combat vehicle on Tatra chassis of the upgraded complex of the RSZO 9K58
• 9А52-4 - lightweight combat vehicle MLRS "Kama" on the chassis KAMAZ
• 9A53 - the combat vehicle of the RSZO 9K512 “ Uragan-1M ” complex with an installed transport and launch container with 300-mm rocket projectiles.
• 9A54 - combat vehicle upgraded system 9K515 "Tornado-S"

Variants of transporting machines

• 9T234 - the transporting and loading machine BM 9А52 on the chassis MAZ-79112
• 9T234-2 - transport loading car BM 9А52-2 on chassis MAZ-543A
• 9Т234-2Т - transport loading car BM 9А52-2Т on Tatra chassis
• 9T234-4 - the transport loading car BM 9А52-4 on the KAMAZ chassis
• 9T255 - transport loading car BM 9А54

• 9K51M "Tornado-G" ( G - Grad) - upgraded MLRS 9K51 "Grad" . The system includes a modernized combat vehicle equipped with an automated guidance and fire control system (ASUNO) and new unguided 122 mm caliber missiles ^{[3] [5]}

• 9K515 Tornado-S ( S - Smerch) - upgraded MLRS 9K58 Smerch . The system includes a modernized combat vehicle equipped with ASUNO and new unguided rockets of 300 mm caliber with a maximum flight range of up to 120 km, as well as a 9M542 adjustable missile with detachable high-explosive fragmentation or cluster head with a range of up to 120 km. In the future, it is possible to increase the range to 200 km ^{[3] [5]} .

Sometimes the 9A54 combat vehicle of the MLRS "Tornado-S" is confused with the combat vehicle of the 9A53 MLRS Uragan-1M , mistakenly calling the latter as the MLRS Tornado-S or even the MLRS Tornado-U, although the Tornado-U is an elevated truck carrying capacity Ural-63704-0010 production UralAZ .

In November 2012, it was reported that Tornado-G and Tornado-S are undergoing state tests, and up to 30 MLRS Tornado-Gs have already entered the Russian Army ^[3] .

According to IISS experts in the MilitaryBalance 2017, the MLRS Smerch-M and its improved version of the Tornado-C exceed those of the US-made MLRS.

The report of Armament Research Services indicates that some sources indicate that separatists in eastern Ukraine have Tornado systems, most likely Tornado-G, and not Tornado-S, which has not yet been put into service. The authors of the report note that the organization cannot independently verify these reports ^[9] . Tornado-G, Tornado-U "and" Tornado-S "are mentioned in the Minsk Protocol among the artillery systems that the parties must take from the contact line of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine ^[10] . In the package of measures for the implementation of the second Minsk Agreement , only Tornado-S was mentioned ^[11] . According to the staff of the Finnish Foreign Policy Institute, Tornado-S entered service in 2012, and the Minsk agreements turned out to be a fact of Russian aggression. This, in their opinion, indicates the involvement of Russia in the conflict on the basis of the fact that "Russia and pro-Russian separatists approved this text" ^[12] .

•   Russia : 1 Brigade "Tornado-S", as of May 2019 ^[13] and more than 15 units of "Tornado-G" as of October 2018 ^[14]

• Hurricane-1M

• Tornado video is a new salvo fire system.
• ““ Smerch ”to the enemy” - release of the program “Military Acceptance” of 04/18/2016, the TV channel “STAR”
• "Rocket artillery" - the release of the program "Hour" from 05/28/2017, the TV channel "FIRST CHANNEL"