Artillery / Surface to surface missiles / 9K52 Luna-M
9K52 Luna-M
General Facts
- TYPE
Tactical missile - ORIGIN
USSR - NICKNAMES
FROG-7 (NATO reporting name) - DESIGNED
1960 - 1964 - DESIGNER
Barrikady - PRODUCTION
1964 - 1970's? - PRODUCERS USSR
- QUANTITY
Unknown - UNIT COST
Unknown - CHARACTERISTICS
Long range
Large warheads
Very mobile system
Inaccurate
Long preparation time
Low rate of fire
Introduction
The 9K52 Luna-M is an early Cold War era artillery rocket system of Soviet origin. In the West the 9K52 Luna-M is known best by the NATO reporting name FROG-7. It was developed in the Soviet Union as a replacement for the earlier FROG series artillery rockets.
Layout
The FROG-7 launch vehicle is based on the BAZ-135 8x8 truck chassis. It carries a single launch rail for the 9M21 rocket and is fitted with two outriggers. The 9M21 artillery rocket is unguided and features a solid propelland rocket motor. The 9T29 transloader vehicle on the same BAZ-135 chassis carries three rockets. A fire direction vehicle based on the GAZ-66 tows a trailer mounted meteorological radar.
Firepower
The FROG-7 fires the massive 9M21 artillery rockets with various types of warhead. These are unguided and spin stabilized. The range envelope is 12 to 68 km. The accuracy is limited with a CEP of 400 to 700 meters. Preparation time before firing is 15 to 30 minutes.
Protection
The FROG-7 is based on a softskin vehicle and during firing and reloading the crew is unprotected. There is no NBC system.
Mobility
The BAZ-135 8x8 vehicle allows for a reasonable cross country performance and good road speeds.
Users
The FROG-7 was widely employed as a tactical weapon by the USSR and Eastern Europe during the Cold War. It was also exported to many allies of the USSR. Nowadays in Eastern Europe and Russia it is mostly phased out or replaced by the newer SS-21.
9K52 Luna-M
The launch vehicle of the FROG-7 or 9K52 Luna-M system is based on the BAZ-135 8x8 chassis and is called the 9P113. The launch vehicles are accompanied by a fire direction vehicle on a GAZ-66 chassis and 9T29 transloaders based on the same BAZ-135 chassis carrying three missiles each.
9P113: Transporter erector launcher (TEL) based on ZIL-135LM 8x8 truck.
9T29: Transloader based on ZIL-135LTM 8x8 truck. Carries up to three 9M21 rockets side by side. Center rocket lies horizontal. Rockets on each side are tilted slightly upwards.
9T111M: Small long wheel base trailer for a single 9M21 rocket.
- Specifications:
- 9P113
| Type | Multiple rocket launcher |
|---|---|
| Crew | 7 (commander, driver, 5 operators) |
| Length | 10.69 m |
| Width | 2.8 m |
| Height | 2.86 m (without rocket), 3.35 m (with rocket) |
| Ground clearance | 0.48 |
| Weight | 17.6 t combat load |
| Ground pressure | ? |
| Wheelbase | Wheeled chassis 8x8, 2.30 m track |
| Turn radius | 12.5 m |
| Engine | 360 hp |
| Power ratio | 20.5 hp/t |
|---|---|
| Transmission | ? |
| Speed | 65 km/h |
| Fuel | ? |
| Range | 650 km |
| Wall | 0.7 m |
| Trench | 2.6 m |
| Gradient | ? |
| Fording | 1.2 m |
| Armor | No |
| NBC equipment | No |
| Night vision | No |
|---|---|
| Smoke | No |
| Remarks | - |
| Armament | FROG-7 missile |
| Weapon1 | FROG-7 missile 1 missile +15 to +65° elevation -7 to +7° traverse, non-stabilized |
| Weapon2 | - |
| Weapon3 | - |
| Weapon4 | - |
| Weapon5 | - |
| Weapon6 | - |
9M21 rockets
9M21F: Standard rocket with HE-Frag warhead. Export designation R-65.
9M21K: Rocket with air burst submunition warhead. Export designation R-70.
9M21B: Rocket with nuclear warhead. Warhead is stored in temperature regulated container until firing. The B1 model features an improved warhead.
9M21G: Rocket with chemical warhead.
9M21E: Training rocket similar to 9M21B with inert warhead.
| Type | Artillery rocket |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 0.54 m body, 1.7 m wingspan |
| Length | 8.96 m |
| Weight | 2.432 kg |
| Guidance | Unguided, ballistic flight |
|---|---|
| Warhead | 9N18F HE-Frag warhead with 200 kg HE and impact fuze |
| Propulsion | Single-stage solid propellant rocket motor |
| Speed | 1.200 m/s maximum |
| Range | 15 km minimum, 65 km maximum |
|---|---|
| Altitude | - |
| Engagement envelope | - |
| Remarks | Results in 16.000 splinters, penetrates 1 to 2 m concrete, results in 3.5 m deep crater with 12 m diameter |
| Type | Artillery rocket |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 0.54 m body, 1.7 m wingspan |
| Length | 9 m |
| Weight | 2.450 kg |
| Guidance | Unguided, ballistic flight |
|---|---|
| Warhead | 450 kg 9N18K warhead with 42x 7.5 kg submunition, each with 1.7 kg explosive |
| Propulsion | Single-stage solid propellant rocket motor |
| Speed | 1.200 m/s maximum |
| Range | 15 km minimum, 65 km maximum |
|---|---|
| Altitude | - |
| Engagement envelope | - |
| Remarks | Submunitions detonate at 1.0 to 1.4 km altitude |
| Type | Artillery rocket |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 0.54 m body, 1.7 m wingspan |
| Length | 9.40 m |
| Weight | 2.486 kg |
| Guidance | Unguided, ballistic flight |
|---|---|
| Warhead | 420 kg 9N32 warhead in 9M21B, 9N32M or 9N38 warhead in 9M21B1 |
| Propulsion | Single-stage solid propellant rocket motor |
| Speed | 1.200 m/s maximum |
| Range | 15 km minimum, 65 km maximum |
|---|---|
| Altitude | - |
| Engagement envelope | - |
| Remarks | Nuclear warhead detonates at altitude of 1.2 to 1.75 km |
Media
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OTR-21 Tochka
The OTR-21 Tochka was developed as a more potent and more accurate alternative to the 9K52 Luna-M.
MGR-1 Honest John
The American MGR-1 Honest John is an older and less potent artillery rocket system that remained a Western counterpart to the 9K52 Luna-M until the late 1980's.