Victory's Arsenal: It’s HIMARS O’Clock

As with conventional artillery on the eve of the war, the balance of power in terms of rocket artillery systems was far from being in favour of the Ukrainians. Of course, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had a certain number of Soviet MLRS (multiple launch rocket systems) at their disposal, but their condition and, most importantly, the stockpile of missiles for them did not give any hint of at least some parity. And despite the fact that since 2014, Ukraine has been trying to develop this area by modernising the Soviet Smerch and Uragan systems, the number of new Vilkha and Bureviy MLRS in the army and the stock of missiles for them was insufficient, to put it mildly. And given the fact that after three months of the war, Ukraine's total losses in military equipment and weapons reached 50%, the issue of receiving long-range weapons from the allies became critical. 

There had been talks about providing Ukraine with long-range missile systems since the beginning of the Great War, but the Allies had certain reservations about addressing this issue. First and foremost, they were concerned about the risks of an even greater escalation, as well as the fear of advanced military technology falling into Russian hands. In the end, they took into account the convincing arguments of the Ukrainian military and political leadership, as well as the sharp deterioration of the situation on the Eastern Front, where the Russians concentrated their main offensive efforts after retreating from Kyiv.

In the operational space of the steppe east, the aggressor was able to fully exploit its advantages in armoured vehicles and, most importantly, in artillery. It was during this period that the Russian armed forces actively used the tactics of the Second World War - the firewall - massive artillery attacks that preceded the arrival of the main forces. The Russians were able to implement this tactic due to an almost unlimited supply of 152 mm ammunition, as well as the extensive railway infrastructure in the eastern regions of Ukraine. 

Obviously, in such circumstances, the Ukrainian command was in dire need of defeating the enemy's logistics hubs that fed its artillery power. That is why, at the end of May, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny wrote: "We are grateful for the international technical assistance provided. At the same time, we are in great need of weapons that will allow us to hit the enemy at a great distance. And this cannot be delayed, because the price of delay is measured in the lives of people who have defended the world against ruscism." 

This call was heard in Washington, which, as part of the next aid package, decided to provide Ukraine with the first 4 M142 HIMARS systems on 1 June 2022, albeit with the political condition that they would not be used to strike targets within Russia.

M142 HIMARS 

The M142 HIMARS is a highly mobile multiple launch rocket system developed in the late 1990s as a lightweight wheeled version of the M270 and manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The system is designed to destroy areas where enemy weapons, air defence systems, and freight transport are concentrated, as well as to provide fire support to its units and support assets.

The vehicle is based on the chassis of the M1140 FMTV 6-wheeled tactical truck. It weighs 16 tonnes, of which 5 tonnes is ammunition. 

The launcher can be used as a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) with ammunition of various ranges and as an operational and tactical missile system. Preparation for firing takes 1 minute due to the fact that standard rockets are delivered to the launcher immediately loaded in special cases containing 6 MLRS rockets, or 2 PrSM ballistic missiles or 1 ATACMS missile.

HIMARS has a variety of munitions in its arsenal: from conventional unguided to GPS-guided precision ballistic missiles. Given the above-mentioned concerns and restrictive conditions, initially, the Ukrainians were provided with guided missiles from the GMLRS family (M30, M31) with a limited range of up to 84 km, and only in the autumn of this year did the Ukrainian Defence Forces receive and successfully use ballistic missiles of the operational and tactical level ATACMS.

The 227 mm GMLRS missiles use a guidance system with an inertial measurement and GPS receiver. They are controlled by four small auxiliary rudders located in the nose. Depending on the modification, the missile is capable of carrying a unitary high-explosive warhead or a cluster warhead. 

Photo: The M142 HIMARS Capabilities. Source: Infographic The Gaze/Leonid Lukashenko

From the very moment they arrived at the front, the systems became a real "game changer". They were used to hit command posts, ammunition depots and personnel locations. Among the high-profile examples of the system's operation are the destruction of warehouses in Zymohiria, Ilovaisk, Nova Kakhovka, as well as a precise strike on the enemy's concentration of personnel in Makiivka, which resulted in at least 700 occupants' casualties. 

The use of HIMARS in the first month allowed the Ukrainians to stabilise the frontline and significantly disrupt Russian logistics. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the occupiers were now forced to locate brigade-level warehouses at a distance of 100-150 km from the front line, which greatly complicated offensive operations. This type of MLRS played a significant role in the Kherson and Slobozhanska offensives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the autumn of 2022. The long-range missiles hit bridges across the Dnipro River, which significantly disrupted the occupiers' supply and forced them to retreat from the Kherson bridgehead.

In September 2022, former Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley stated: "We see real and measurable benefits to Ukraine in the use of these systems. For example, the Ukrainians have hit more than 400 targets with HIMARS, and they have had a devastating effect."

This high efficiency of the system has turned HIMARS into a top priority target for the Russians. There have even been funny cases where the number of US MLRS virtually destroyed, according to the Russian General Staff, exceeded the actual number of systems delivered to Ukraine. This embarrassment can be partly explained by the fact that Ukrainians have successfully used and continue to use replicas of Western missile systems. It is even known that a Czech company specially produces inflatable models of HIMARS and M270 for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The Russians' obsession with the HIMARS problem is also evidenced by the number of Russian intelligence agents detained in Ukraine, who were specifically tasked with hunting down the locations of Ukrainian missile units using this system. Be that as it may, there is no visual evidence that the Russians have managed to hit at least one system.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces currently have about 30 HIMARS in service. It is worth noting that, in addition to them, the Ukrainian army has other Western multiple launch rocket systems of 227 mm calibre. 

The United Kingdom provided Ukraine with M270 launchers, Germany with MARS II (a German version of the M270), and France with LRU, an upgraded version of the M270 for use with M31 GMLRS missiles.

In addition to modern MLRS, the allies provided Ukraine with standard and upgraded Soviet-type systems.  These are Czech and Polish BM-21 Grad systems, Czech RM-70 and RM-70 Vampir systems. The latter deserves special attention in terms of technology.

RM-70 Vampir 4D

The RM-70 Vampire 4D is an upgraded version of the RM-70 multiple launch rocket system, which was developed and has been manufactured by the Czech company Excalibur Army since 2015. A number of these systems have been transferred to the Ukrainian Defence Forces by the Czech government since May 2022. 

Vampir is based on the platform of the Tatra T-815-7 heavy tactical truck with a 8x8 wheelbase. The artillery part consists of 40 tubular guides, a swivel frame, guidance mechanisms, a rack with additional ammunition (40 rockets) and a hydraulic device for mechanical reloading. 

The weapon is fired by 122-JROF unitary high-explosive fragmentation rockets with a maximum range of 40 km. The effective area of destruction of one rocket projectile is 3000 m2, and one full salvo - up to 3 hectares.

Photo: The RM-70 Vampire 4D Capabilities. Source: Infographic The Gaze/Leonid Lukashenko

Unlike the Soviet BM-21 Grad, the Vampir is equipped with an automatic fire control system and advanced targeting and navigation equipment that allows it to fire at targets at greater distances and with greater accuracy. 

The system combines a computer, a digital ballistic calculator, a combined inertial and satellite navigation system, and a digital encrypted communication system. The system automatically (even in motion) calculates the position of the installation and transmits this data to the ballistic computer for appropriate calculations. This significantly reduces the time required for target detection and destruction.

The transfer of the above-mentioned systems has significantly enhanced the capabilities of Ukrainians in a highly mobile war. Moreover, it is safe to say that it has changed the very course of the war. And although the Russians have systems that are as long-range as HIMARS, their accuracy and, most importantly, their mobility is incomparable.  

In the next article, we will continue with the topic of long-range weapons provided to Ukraine by the allies, which significantly influenced the course of hostilities in the theatre of the Russian-Ukrainian war. 

Earlier, The Gaze wrote about artillery systems supplied by the countries of the anti-Putin coalition and anti-tank missile systems that helped the Ukrainian Armed Forces stop Russian troops near Kyiv in the spring of 2022. We also explored the "armoured fist" of the Ukrainian army - tanks and other armoured vehicles provided by Western partners. In addition, read our articles on light and heavy air defence systems protecting Ukrainian cities and "drone killers".