August 5, 2023:
Ukrainian artillery units have recently been receiving a large number of North Korean 122mm rockets captured from Russian stockpiles in Ukraine. These rockets apparently were delivered via a ship that smuggled rockets to Russia. The Ukrainian artillerymen were warned that the rockets were old (manufactured in the 1980s and 1990s) and some might perform erratically because rocket propellant does not age well and after about 30 years deteriorates to the point that normal range and accuracy are degraded. That means some of the rockets will not go as far or as accurately as usual. Plus some might explode on launch.
Both Ukraine and Russia manufacture these 122mm rockets and the GRAD MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) truck mounted launcher for the rockets. The current GRAD-K version was introduced in 2012 and received its first combat experience in eastern Ukraine during 2016. This 6x6 truck mounted system weighs 15 tons when all forty launcher tubes contained a BM-21 rocket. The three man crew can fire all 40 rockets in two seconds using a computerized fire control system that uses satellite navigation. The launcher can be reloaded in seven minutes and it takes less than three minutes for the truck to stop and be ready to launch on a target. Ukraine initially used an older model of the GRAD vehicle and was able to capture one of the GRAD-K models in early 2022.
The BM-21 122mm rockets each weigh 68.2 kg (150 pounds), are 2.9 meters (9 feet) long, and have a 20.5 kg (45 pound) warhead. The BM-21 rockets have a maximum range of 20 kilometers. Again, because they are unguided, they are only effective if fired in salvos or at large targets like cities, large military bases, or large groups of troops or vehicles on the battlefield. There are now variants that have smaller warheads and larger rocket motors, giving them a range of about 40 kilometers.
BM-21 was introduced in 1962 and replaced the World War II era BM-13 132mm rocket. That weapon entered service in 1939 and each rocket weighed 23 kg (50 pounds), was 600mm (24 inches) long, had a 4.9 kg (15 pound) warhead and a max range of 11.8 kilometers. The BM-21 was a big improvement.
An improved Chinese version of Grad-K entered service in during 1989 as the PR50. This replaced a Chinese Type 81 launcher vehicle that used a copy of the BM-21 rocket. The PR50 launch vehicle used an improved version of the BM-21 rocket that weighed 74 kg (163 pounds), is 2.9 meters (9 feet) long, and has a 21.5 kg (47.3 pound) warhead. Minimum range is 20 kilometers, while max range is 40 kilometers in a version that uses a lighter warhead. The PR50 is a complete system, including a truck mounted launcher that holds four rocket launcher boxes, each with 20 122mm rockets. The truck has an automated aiming and reloading system. The PR50 rocket is interchangeable with the older BM-21 type rockets. The main difference between the PR50 and Grad-K is the Chinese system uses a longer 6x6 truck which carries 40 rockets ready to launch and two 20 rocket pods as reloads. The truck carries a crane that makes it easy to reload.
Many nations manufacture the 122mm rockets and North Korea is one of them. North Korea also manufactures the M2008 launch vehicle, which is a copy of the Russian GRAD launcher vehicle. North Korea stockpiles a lot of these rockets and must dispose of them when they get too old and unreliable to be useful in combat. North Korea has sold Russia a lot of artillery munitions, including staples like 152mm artillery shells and 122mm rockets. North Korea sold and shipped its older shells and rockets first because the Russians planned to use them soon after getting them to Ukraine.
