BM-27

BM-27 Uragan (9P140)
BM-27 at the St Petersburg Artillery Museum
Type	Multiple rocket launcher
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1975 – present
Used by	See Operators
Wars	Soviet war in Afghanistan, First and Second Chechen Wars, 2008 South Ossetia war, War in Donbass,2016 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes
Production history
Designer	Splav State Research and Production Enterprise
Designed	1970s
Manufacturer	Splav State Research and Production Enterprise
Produced	1975 – present
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Weight	20 tonnes (44,092 lbs)
Crew	6
Calibre	220 mm (8.66 in)
Barrels	16
Effective firing range	35 km (22 mi)
Sights	PG-1 panoramic telescope
Engine	Two engines, with separate gearboxes and propeller shafts, that are longitudinally mounted, one on each side of vehicle immediately behind cab
Suspension	8×8 wheeled
Operational range	500 km (311 mi)

The BM-27 Uragan (Russian: Ураган, "hurricane"; GRAU index 9P140) is a self-propelled multiple rocket launcher system designed in the Soviet Union. It began its service with the Soviet Army in the late 1970s, and was its first modern spin and fin stabilized heavy multiple rocket launcher.

The BM-27 Uragan is capable of launching 220 mm rockets from 16 launch tubes mounted on the rear of a ZIL-135 8x8 chassis. This vehicle is extremely similar to that used in the FROG-7 free flight rocket system. It has two gasoline engines that power its 20 tonnes to a maximum speed of 65 kilometers per hour. One engine drives the four wheels on the left of the truck, while the other engine drives the four wheels on the right. The ZIL-135 has eight wheel drive, but only the front and rear axles are used for steering. It has a maximum cruising range of 500 kilometers.

The cab of the ZIL-135 is NBC protected, allowing the rockets to be fired without exposing the crew to possible contaminants. The four-man crew can emplace or displace the system in three minutes.

Before firing, stabilizing jacks must be lowered and the blast shield raised to protect the cab and its occupants. Indirect fire aiming is achieved with the use of a PG-1 panoramic telescope. Although there are no night vision sights, the driver of the launch vehicle is equipped with a night vision device.

The BM-27 can use HE-FRAG, chemical, explosive or scatterable mine (PTM-3 or PFM-1) submunition equipped rockets, all of which are detonated by electric timing fuses. Each rocket weighs 280.4 kilograms. The warheads weigh between 90 and 100 kilograms, depending on type. A full salvo of 16 rockets can be fired in 20 seconds and can engage targets within a range of 35 kilometers.