BM-21

The BM-21 "Grad" is a Soviet-Built Multiple Rocket Launcher System (MRLS). In the West, it was first classified as the M1964. BM stands for Boyevaya Mashina, meaning combat machine while Grad is Russian for hail.

Description
The BM-21 consists of 40 122mm launch-tubes arranged in a rectangular shape, mounted on the back of either a Ural-375D or Ural-4320 six-by-six military truck. The system requires a crew of five. The rocket platform can be rotated to fire away from the largely unprotected truck chassis, the rockets triggered to fire either by controls inside of the truck or at the end of a 63 Meter-Long cable. It takes, on average, 10 minutes to reload the rocket-launcher once the ammunition is expended. The rocket tubes are manually reloaded. The BM-23 can be set up in three minutes and if required the truck and launcher can be "packed up" and move away in at least two minutes. A PGM-1 panoramic scope and K1 collimator can be used for sighting.

The 2.87-meter rockets themselves are spun by the tube, which is rifled. Once the rocket leave the tube, it continues to spin and deploy it's fin stabilizers. The BM-21 can fire a variety of ammunition including standard high-explosive rockets, fragmentation, incendiary, chemical and anti-tank/personnel mine cargo rockets. Rockets armed with these warheads have a range of around 20 kilometers, with newer warheads in the 30 kilometer range.

The BM-21 is not designed for pinpoint accuracy, but volume of fire. All of its munitions are "dumb" and can not be guided. This said, the BM-21 can fire its 40 rockets within 20 seconds and one battalion of eighteen launchers can fire over 700 rockets.

History
The BM-21 is one of the most prolific MRLS in the world, serving well over 50 nations. Originally developed in the 1960s, it was exported to several client states and has seen countless conflicts across the globe.

In Game
The BM-21 is used by Russian Ultranationalists during the mission Blackout. The Ultranationalists are using the rockets to target civilian positions and by the time of the mission have caused immense civilian casualties. The Loyalist forces operating with a British SAS team have been tasked with eliminating the Ultranationalist position, including the BM-21s. The Loyalists and SAS eliminate the BM-21s and the SAS continue with their mission to rescue an informant: Nikolai. The BM-21 in game is however inaccurately portrayed, as there are 36 tubes instead of 40.