BM-21 Grad

NOTE: This article is about the BM-21 Grad in ArmA 2. For Warsaw Pact BM-21s in ArmA 3's Global Mobilization - Cold War Germany Creator DLC, see BM-21 (Global Mobilization).

Grad
Faction	CDF Russian Armed Forces ChDKZ Takistani Army
Type	Self-Propelled Rocket Artillery
Seats	3 seats: 1× Driver 1× Gunner 1× Passenger
Item capacity	Max: 50× Weapons 200× Magazines 8× Backpacks
Top speed	~ 77 km/h
Fuel capacity	100 fuel units
Primary armament	Main: 1× 122 mm GRAD Rocket Pod
Secondary armament	None
Variants	None
Games

The BM-21 Grad is a wheeled self-propelled multiple rocket launcher vehicle vehicle used by several OPFOR and BLUFOR factions in ArmA 2.

Overview

• Role:
  • Indirect fire support

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The BM-21 Grad (in English: Hail) is a truck-based 122 mm multiple-launch rocket system made in Russia. It is used in over 50 countries and it is the most widely used rocket artillery system worldwide. It is equipped with 40 launch tubes, firing 2.87 m rockets. The effective range is about 30 km. Armoury Description

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Design

Mounted onto a modified Ural truck as its base, the BM-21 is a multiple launch rocket system that first entered service with the Soviet military in 1963.

Armament
It is armed with a 122 mm rocket artillery pod that is fixed onto the rear trailer which has 40 high-explosive (HE) rockets housed in it.

The gunner uses a panoramic telescope to aim that is connected to an artillery computer, and can provide fairly accurate fire support out to a maximum distance of 10 km.

Features
Thanks its combination of a large payload and ability to provide wide area coverage, the BM-21 is well-suited for use against troops or light vehicles in the open.

It can also be used to saturate heavily built-up cities or towns with powerful high explosives, easily reducing most structures into rubble.

Since it uses a wheeled truck as a base instead of relying on tracks like its American counterpart, the BM-21 has decent mobility and can hide within dense foliage, pop out to fire off a salvo or two, then quickly relocate elsewhere to launch another barrage.

A battery of CDF-operated BM-21s carry out a fire mission.

Drawbacks
The most obvious vulnerability to the BM-21 is its cabin, which is completely unprotected and leaves its crew vulnerable to small arms fire unlike the M270 MLRS or even the RM-70.

It also cannot defend itself from enemies that get too close since the rocket pod is unable to depress low enough to fire directly at enemies (while technically possible to do so, it's a waste of munitions regardless and is highly inaccurate).

Firepower-wise, the BM-21 carries a total of 28 more rockets than its American counterpart, which means that a single BM-21 can remain operational for longer periods of time before needing a resupply. The consequence of using more plentiful but smaller-sized rockets however, is that each rocket's warhead has significantly reduced destructive power and range.

For instance, a single indirect blast on a Main Battle Tank with the M270's rockets is usually capable of damaging the tank's external components or tracks. A direct impact on the turret can even inflict serious damage to the tank's hull integrity - assuming that it doesn't outright destroy it (in the case of older tanks like the T-72 for instance). On the other hand, the BM-21's rockets will deal little visible damage to the tank even with a direct hit.

Crew Capacity
The BM-21 has a maximum crew capacity of two that fits both the driver and the gunner. A third, optional seat is also available to carry an extra passenger. All three riders sit side-by-side in the truck's cab.

Camouflage

• Woodland
• Insurgent
• Desert
• Nakidka

1/4

• Woodland: Olive green paint scheme with dark brown camouflage blobs. Only used on CDF-operated BM-21s.
• Insurgent: Olive green paint scheme with spraypainted stroke patterns. Used by ChDKZ-operated BM-21s.
• Desert: Standard two-tone desert tan/olive green camouflage scheme. Used on BM-21s operated by the Takistani Army.
• Nakidka: Olive green paint scheme with black/tan camouflage blobs. Exclusively used on Russian BM-21s.

Protection

The BM-21 has a base armour value of 32.

Successful strikes to any of the following highlighted sections will inflict full damage to the component:

LEGEND
Green = Body
Orange = Engine
Violet = Fuel tank

Body

The vehicle's hull can incur up to 32 points of damage.

Engine

The engine can only take 12.8 points of damage before failure. Only 20% of damage will be transferred onto the BM-21's main "health" pool.

A damaged engine will prevent the BM-21 from attaining its top speed.

Fuel tank

The fuel tank can only survive 9.6 points of damage before rupturing. 50% of damage is always transferred onto the BM-21's main "health" pool.

A damaged fuel tank will cause the BM-21 to gradually leak fuel over time.

Wheels

Each wheel can only take 4.8 points of damage before the tyres burst.

Turret

The rocket pod can withstand only 25.6 points of damage. Only 30% of damage is shared with the BM-21's "health" pool.

Disabling this component will prevent the gunner from adjusting the pod's elevation and rotation.

Armament

The gunner controls the 122 mm GRAD rocket launcher pod:

122 mm GRAD

Base damage value	Damage type	Initial velocity (m/s)
340	High-Explosive	44

Multiple rocket launcher. Fires unguided 122 mm rockets with high-explosive (HE) warheads.

Rockets are always fired with an initial launch velocity of 44 m/s. Without a firing solution selected, the gunner can launch one rocket every 0.8 seconds, averaging 75 rockets per minute assuming a truck is constantly resupplying it. The warheads have a blast radius of 30 metres.

Capabilities

The BM-21 is capable of launching all 40 of its rockets in less than 32 seconds.

The overall range arcs of the BM-21 vary from:

• Minimum: 1,450 to 3,330 metres
• Moderate: ~3,129 to 5,000 metres
• Maximum: ~4,002 to 10,100 metres

Because the artillery computer is actually incapable of firing at distances of less than 3,300 metres (this is the upper limit of the BM-21's minimum range arc), its true minimum range begins at 3,300 metres instead of 1,450 metres.

Its maximum range on the other hand is shorter than that of the M270's, but makes up for it by being able to potentially land up to 20 rockets at the same location in a single volley by staggering its fire (the gunner must manually adjust the pod's azimuth to simulate MRSI).

Trivia

• The Grad is the only multi-faction rocket artillery vehicle in ArmA 2, as both the Czech RM-70 and American M270 MLRS are exclusive to their respective faction(s).

Gallery

External links

• Wikipedia: BM-21 Grad

See also

Vehicles of comparable role and configuration

• M270 MLRS (USMC/U.S. Army counterpart)
• RM-70 (ACR counterpart, ArmA 2: ACR)
• Zamak MRL (AAF/LDF counterpart, ArmA 3: Tanks only)

ChDKZ - Vehicles (ArmA 2)
Wheeled	BM-21 Grad • BRDM-2 • Motorcycle • Offroad • Pickup • UAZ-469 • Ural
Tracked	BMP-2 • T-72 • ZSU-23-4
Rotor-wing	Mi-8MT
Fixed-wing	Su-25
(Parenthesis) denote variants.

CDF - Vehicles (ArmA 2)
Wheeled	BRDM-2 • BM-21 Grad • Motorcycle • UAZ-469 • Ural
Tracked	BMP-2 • T-72 • ZSU-23-4
Rotor-wing	Mi-17 (Mi-17-IVA) • Mi-24D
Fixed-wing	Pchela-1T • Su-25
(Parenthesis) denote variants.