RM-70 multiple rocket launcher

RM-70
RM-70 of the Czech Land Forces, mounted on Tatra 813 truck
Type	Self-propelled multiple rocket launcher
Place of origin	Czechoslovakia
Service history
In service	1972–present
Used by	See users
Wars	Western Sahara War [1] Russo-Georgian War Sri Lankan Civil War First Libyan Civil War Afghanistan conflict (1978–present) 2013 Kivu Offensive Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war Russian invasion of Ukraine 2025 Cambodian–Thai clashes [2]
Specifications
Mass	33.7 tonnes (74,295 lb)
Length	8.75 m (28 ft 8 in)
Width	2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Height	2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Crew	6
Caliber	122.4 mm (4.8 in)
Barrels	40
Maximum firing range	40 km (25 mi)
Armor	Steel
Secondary armament	Universal machine gun vz. 59
Engine	T-903-3 V12 multi-fuel 250 hp (184 kW)
Suspension	8×8 wheeled
Operational range	400 km (250 mi)
Maximum speed	85 km/h (53 mph)

The RM-70 (Raketomet vzor 1970) multiple rocket launcher is a Czechoslovak Army version and heavier variant of the BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, providing enhanced performance over its parent area-saturation rocket artillery system that was introduced in 1971 ^[3] (the NATO designation is M1972).

Overview

RM-70 was developed in Czechoslovakia as a successor for the RM-51, achieving initial operational capability with its Army in 1972. The launcher was being produced in Dubnica nad Váhom (Slovakia). Originally, it was sold to East Germany. After the Soviet Union collapse and the split of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, it was sold to several countries in Africa, America, Asia and Europe.

RM-70 replaced the Ural-375D 6x6 truck by a Tatra T813 "Kolos" 8x8 truck as carrier platform for the 40-round launcher. The new carrier vehicle provides enough space for carrying 40 additional 122 mm rockets pack for automatic reload. Nevertheless, RM-70 performance remains near the same as Grad even in terms of vehicle's speed and range. This rocket launcher can fire both individual rounds and volleys, principally by means of indirect fire. It is designed for concentrated fire coverage of large areas (up to 3 hectares (30,000 m²) in one volley) by high explosive fragmentation shells. The fire is robust with almost 256 kg of explosives used in one volley of 40 rockets. The rockets used are either the original Soviet 9M22 and 9M28, or locally developed models. These are the JROF with a range of 20.75 km, the JROF-K with a range of 11 km, the "Trnovnik" with 63 HEAT-bomblets and a range of 17.5 km, the "Kuš" with five PPMI-S1 anti-personnel mines or the "Krizhna-R" with four PTMI-D anti-tank mines and a range of 19.45 km. Ukraine has also used the RM-70 to fire Serbian G-2000 rockets with a range of 40.5 km. ^{[4] [5]} RM-70 systems have been used by Ukraine to attack the Russian city of Belgorod. ^{[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]}

The vehicle is provided with a central tyre pressure regulation system (to allow its adaptation to the nature of the traversed ground), a headlight with white light on the forward cab roof and, if necessary, with a snow plough SSP 1000 or a dozer blade BZ-T to arrange its own emplacement or to remove obstacles.

Variants

RM-70 Vampire 4D

Czech Republic and Slovakia

• RM-70 - Basic model, as described. ^[12]
• RM-70/85 - Unarmored version of the RM-70, based on the Tatra T815 VPR9 8x8.1R truck with 265 hp engine T3-930-51. Combat weight: 26.1 t. Sometimes called RM-70M. ^[13]
• RM-70/85M - Modernised vehicle with new fire control and navigation equipment, can use a new type of rocket with a range of 36 km. Slovakia has ordered 50 upgrade packages. ^[14]
• RM-70 Modular - In December 2000, the Slovak Ministry of Defense and Delta Defence started the RM-70 Modular German-Slovak modernization project. RM-70 Modular allows this artillery system to launch either twenty-eight 122 mm rockets, or six 227 mm rockets as used on the M270 MLRS. This way the system became fully NATO interoperable. The truck cabin is entirely armored. The Slovak Republic signed for 26 upgraded artillery systems with the first one delivered on May 20, 2005. RM-70 Modular is being offered as an upgrade for RM-70 owners. ^[15]

• Vz.92 "Križan" VMZ (velkokapacitní mobilní zatarasovač) - Engineer vehicle, based on the Tatra T815 36.265 with a lightly armoured cabin. The vehicle comes in different configurations, the standard being a 40-round rocket launcher (for "Kuš" and "Krizhna-R" rockets), a mechanical mine layer for anti-tank mines (PT Mi-U or PT Mi-Ba-III) and two dispensers for anti-personnel mines (PP Mi-S1). ^[16]
• RM-70 Vampire - Upgraded version with digital fire control. Tatra 817 truck chassis powered by a Tatra T3C V8 engine ^[17] with 270 kW of output, coupled with a Tatra 10 TS 210 N gearbox, with semi-automatic Tatra Norgen drive system and an additional gearbox Tatra 2.30TRS. It has a range of around 1,000 km (620 mi) and a top speed of 90 km/h (56 mph) with an armored and NBC-protected crew cabin. ^[18]

Operators

Map of RM-70 operators in blue with former operators in red

RM-70 Slovak army.

Indonesian Korps Marinir RM-70 unit firing

Current operators

•   Angola − 40 as of 2023 ^{[update] [19]}
•   Azerbaijan − 18 RM-70 Vampire as of 2023 ^{[update] [20]}
•   Cambodia − In active service. 20 RM-70 as of 2023 ^{[update] [21]}
•   Democratic Republic of the Congo ^[22]
•   Ecuador − 6 as of 2024. ^[23]
•   Finland − 34 RM-70 as of 2023 ^{[update] [24]}
•   Georgia − 18 RM-70 as of 2023 ^{[update] [25]}
•   Greece − 108 RM-70 as of 2023 ^{[update] [26]}
•   Indonesia − 9 RM-70 and 8 RM-70 Vampire used as of 2023 ^[update] . Used by the Marines ^[27]
•   Nigeria − 7 RM-70 as of 2023 ^{[update] [28]}
•   North Korea − Unknown number purchased from second-hand sources during the Cold War and domestically produced ^{[29] [30]}
•   Poland − 29 RM-70 as of 2023 ^{[update] [31]}
•   Rwanda − 5 as of 2023 ^{[update] [32]}
•   Sahrawi Republic ^[33]
•   Slovakia − 4 RM-70 and 26 RM-70/85 Modular as of 2023 ^{[update] [34]}
•   Sri Lanka − 22 RM-70 as of 2023 ^{[update] [35]}
•   Turkmenistan ^[36]
•   Uganda − 6 as of 2023 ^{[update] [37]}
• Ukraine − 20 RM-70 Vampire as of 2023 ^{[update] [38]} At least 5 destroyed or damaged as of april 27th 2025. ^[39]
• Uruguay ^[40]
•   Zimbabwe − 60 RM-70 as of 2023 ^{[update] [41]}

Former operators

•   Bulgaria − 12 imported in 2009 ^[42] (re-export, not commissioned in the Bulgarian Army)
•   Czech Republic − 60 RM-70 (decommissioned as of end of 2011 without replacement)^{[ citation needed ]}
• Czechoslovakia − Passed on to the Czech Republic and Slovakia after its dissolution^{[ citation needed ]}
•   East Germany − 265 RM-70 received between 1975 and 1989; ^[43] 158 delivered to Greece after the collapse of East Germany and 36 sold to Finland in 1991 ^[43]
•   Germany − Inherited from East Germany, donated to Greece. ^[44]
• Libya − 36 (delivered by Czechoslovakia between 1981 and 1982). ^[43] Estimated 100 RM-70 in service prior to the 2011 Libyan civil war ^[45]

Unknown operational status

•   Algeria – Unknown number observed at Mers Al-Kebir Naval Base in the early 1980s. Operational status unknown. ^[1]

See also

• BM-21 Grad
• WR-40 Langusta
• M-77 Oganj
• T-122 Sakarya
• Fajr-5
• RS-122

Bibliography

• International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2023). The Military Balance 2023 (1st ed.). Routledge. pp. 201−204. ISBN   978-1032508955.

References

1. RM-70 MULTIPLE ROCKET LAUNCHES WITH POLISARIO FORCES AAIN UM SERUSA POLISARIO CAMP, WESTERN SAHARA (SANITIZED) (Report). Central Intelligence Agency. March 26, 1982. Archived from the original on January 23, 2017.
2. "Thailand and Cambodia exchange fire in deadly border clashes". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
3. "Československé vojenství - Vaše dotazy - Odpovědi na dotazy 1231. - 1245". Vojenstvi.cz. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
4. "Ukraine Is Arming Its Grad Systems With Serbian Rockets - Technology Org". 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
5. "Ukrainian gunners use Serbian ammunition". Militarnyi. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
6. "Ukraine war briefing: 15 killed in Belgorod after Ukrainian missile shot down, officials say". The Guardian. 2024-05-13. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-08-31.
7. Times, The Moscow (2024-05-09). "Ukrainian Attacks on Russia's Belgorod Injure 8 as Moscow Marks Victory Day". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
8. 代艳. "7 killed, 18 injured in Ukrainian rocket attack on Russia's Belgorod". global.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
9. "Zelensky government intensifies shelling of Russia's Belgorod region in wake of Moscow terror attack". World Socialist Web Site. 2024-03-28. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
10. "6 people killed in missile strike in Russian city of Belgorod near Ukrainian border, 18 injured, officials say". PBS News. 2024-02-15. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
11. Krasteva, Gergana (2024-02-15). "Ukraine's 'Vampire' projectiles strike Russian shopping centre, killing six". Metro. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
12. "CZK - vz. 70 (122mm raketomet) :: Československo / ČR / SR (CZK/CZE/SVK) :: Raketomety a taktické raketové systémy". Forum.valka.cz. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
13. "CZK - vz. 70/85 (122mm raketomet) :: Československo / ČR / SR (CZK/CZE/SVK) :: Raketomety a taktické raketové systémy". Forum.valka.cz. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
14. "SVK - RM 70/85M (122mm raketomet) :: Československo / ČR / SR (CZK/CZE/SVK) :: Raketomety a taktické raketové systémy". Forum.valka.cz. 26 May 2004. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
15. "SVK/DEU - RM 70/85 Modular (122mm / 227mm raketomet) :: Československo / ČR / SR (CZK/CZE/SVK) :: Raketomety a taktické raketové systémy". Forum.valka.cz. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
16. "CZK - VMZ vz.92 Križan (velkokapacitní mobilní zatarasovač) :: Československo / ČR / SR (CZK/CZE/SVK) :: Speciální nástavby". Forum.valka.cz. 9 June 2004. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
17. "TATRA engine :: Tatratrucks.com". www.tatratrucks.com.
18. Excalibur Army offers a modern version of the RM-70 rocket artillery system - Armyrecognition.com, 13 April 2016
19. IISS 2023, p. 433.
20. IISS 2023, p. 173.
21. IISS 2023, p. 236.
22. IISS 2023, p. 447.
23. International Institute for Strategic Studies (February 13, 2024). The Military Balance 2024 (1st ed.). Routledge. p. 432. ISBN   978-1032780047.
24. IISS 2023, p. 88.
25. IISS 2023, p. 177.
26. IISS 2023, p. 98.
27. IISS 2023, p. 256.
28. IISS 2023, p. 470.
29. Analysis: New combat vehicles and tanks at military parade in North Korea by Army Recognition Archived 2017-04-18 at the Wayback Machine - Armyrecognition.com, 17 April 2017
30. "N.Korea's 'conservative' display contrasts with past WPK celebrations | NK News". 10 October 2015.
31. IISS 2023, p. 121.
32. IISS 2023, p. 472.
33. Cooper, Tom; Grandolini, Albert; Fontanellaz, Adrien (2019). Showdown in Western Sahara, Volume 2: Air Warfare Over the Last African Colony, 1975-1991. Warwick, UK: Helion & Company Publishing. p. 66. ISBN   978-1-912866-29-8.
34. IISS 2023, p. 131.
35. IISS 2023, p. 289.
36. IISS 2023, p. 200.
37. IISS 2023, p. 485.
38. IISS 2023, p. 202.
39. Oryx. "Attack On Europe: Documenting Ukrainian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine". Oryx Blog. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
40. "UNROCA (United Nations Register of Conventional Arms)". www.unroca.org.
41. IISS 2023, p. 488.
42. "Bulgarian arms imports, 2009 calendar year". UNODA . Retrieved 14 June 2013.
43. "Trade Registers". armstrade.sipri.org. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
44. Military Balance 2016, p. 104.
45. International Institute for Strategic Studies (2011). The Military Balance 2011. Routledge. p. 320. ISBN   978-1-85743-606-8.

External links

• Diehl BGT Defence RM-70 Modular
• RM-70 M1972 122mm MLRS Multiple Launch Rocket System on armyrecognition.com
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (February 2016). The Military Balance 2016. Vol. 116. Routlegde. ISBN   9781857438352.
• Deagel, RM-70 Archived 2006-12-07 at the Wayback Machine
• Army Recognition, RM-70
• Ministry of Defence of Czech Republic, Rocket Launcher 122 mm type 70