What are the advantages to an MRLS-system?
MLRS basic load – 12 M26 tactical rockets loaded in two pods.
Full 12 rocket load is fired with in 60 seconds.
MLRS is a self-loading, self-propelled launcher/loader designed to launch 12 tactical M26 in 60 seconds. 12 rockets are loaded in two pods. As a
tactical weapon system, its main purpose is shoot and scoot in order to avoid detection/counter strike by the enemy forces.
Under optimum conditions, M270 loads, arms and ripple fires 12 rockets every 5 minutes.
Basic M-26 rocket holds 644 DPICM bomblets designed to defeat soft and lightly armored targets.
MSTA rof is 8 rounds per minute from 50 on board rounds, which = to 40 rounds every 5 minutes.
Of the ground rof is 6-7 rounds per minute, or 30-35 rounds every 5 minutes sustained for as long as there is ammunition.
Ammo varies from laser guided, HE-FRAG, cluster, jammers, etc. Auto loader can load projectiles up to 45kg.
A single MSTA continuously puts 2 tons of munitions on target every 5 minutes.
MLRS loaded with M26 puts 2.4 tons during the same 5 minutes, but each rocket weights 296 kg verses 45 kg for each 152mm shell.
Main advantage of MSTA to MLRS is higher sustained rate of fire, larger ammunition capacity, and MUCH cheaper ammunition which can be continuously
delivered/loaded by conventional transportation (trucks). All this amounts to firm battle ground presence and dense fire density, while MLRS releases
all of its firepower and then relocates out of the area of operations to rearm.
Some links on MSTA;
www.army-guide.com...
www.army-technology.com...
www.rbs.ru...
Since there were question about its speed and mobility, here’s a great video of this thing tearing it up all over the place. As they say, a picture
tells a thousand words;
www.youtube.com...
I loved how this thing forged a river. Unbelievable.
Also great shots of the autoloader in action, both internal and of the ground.
Considering twin barrels of Koalitcia-SV, it is reasonable to think that its rof will be twice that of the MSTA-S, and if it is actually so, then it
will be able to put over 3 tons of a shells on a target in 5 minutes continuously, or deliver 2 tons in two and a half minutes.
That’s twice as fast as MLRS.
Sure as hell worth the extra weight in my opinion.
[quote]How have any of these 'artillery' pieces, modern ones, mind you, been proven in battle? I wouldn't exactly call Chechnya 'proven', since
that'd be the equivalent of the United States saying, 'Our MLRS has managed to blast a hole in the Al Qaida Camp! It has proven effective against
camels and men armed with AK's!'
Proven in battle means that any given weapon meat design specifications under full combat conditions.
MSTA did just that in Chechnya, it performed just as it was designed to.
It got where it needed to, and provided continues fire power with out malfunctions.
MLRS did the same in Iraq. They successfully fired their missiles.
Considering the current stage of evolution, M109A6 paladin on the other hand did not perform well. It suffers from misfires, heavy contamination of
the crew compartment with sand from gun blast during sustained fire, and being a semi-auto loader, sand contamination requires heavy maintenance and
down time, all of which greatly reduces effectiveness do to crew fatigue.
Another video to make a point;
www.youtube.com...
While putting aside stupid antics of the guys firing the gun, note the difference in automation between MSTA and Paladin.
Manual priming of the Paladin is what casing the misfires.
All Russians have to do is take care of the automated firing sequence until the 50 rounds are up, and from that point loading is done by throwing
shells and charges right on the conveyor chain.
Gun loading, priming, etc is done completely automatically.
Paladin is completely outdated, while Koalitcia-SV is promising to become the hardest hitting self-propelled piece.