Multiple launch rocket systems based on the RBU-6000 ship-based bomb launcher
One of the first photos of an improvised MLRS - RBU-6000 on an MT-LB during transportation on a trawl. Photo Telegram / "Military informant"
To combat enemy submarines within a radius of several kilometers, domestic ships and boats of various types are equipped with rocket-propelled bomb launchers. Last year this weapon They were also tested on land against ground targets. Unusual self-propelled combat vehicles based on accessible chassis and equipped with ship-mounted units have appeared in units of the Russian army. Such equipment complements the existing rocket artillery and increases the firepower of the troops.
Non-standard solution
Last year, in units and formations of the coastal forces of the naval fleet, involved in the Special Operation to protect Donbass, combat vehicles of an unusual appearance appeared. On the existing chassis, ship weapons were mounted - artillery mounts of various calibers, etc. Some of these samples were of particular interest.
In September 2023, in the Special Operation zone, a curious “modification” of the old and honored MT-LB tractor with non-standard weapons was noticed. A ship's rocket launcher, presumably of the RBU-6000 "Smerch-2" type, was mounted on the armored hull. Later, the same machine or similar products were captured again.
A similar idea was developed. In November, it became known about the existence of another version of the “land self-propelled bomb launcher.” It was built on a Ural-4320 chassis and equipped with a ship-mounted installation. Another similar sample became famous in January. At first, only photographs of such products appeared in the public domain, and then some details appeared. It is unclear whether we are talking about the same combat vehicles or about different installations from different units.
RBU-6000 on a Ural chassis, January 2024. Photo Telegram / "Chariot"
RIA wrote about a bomb launcher on a truck chassis on January 28 News. According to him, such a vehicle belongs to the artillery unit of the North-V volunteer corps from the South group. The unit conducts combat work in the area of Artemovsk and is responsible for the destruction of various enemy targets.
One of the combat crew numbers, quoted by RIA Novosti, said that the idea of creating such a combat vehicle came spontaneously. For installation on a vehicle chassis, the RBU-6000 installation was slightly modified. Ammo changes are also mentioned. Explosives and destructive elements were added to standard depth charges.
The artilleryman highly praised the resulting product: “effective, powerful, scary for the enemy.” According to him, the installation terrifies the enemy along the entire front.
Also at the end of January, it became known about the existence of another version of a similar combat vehicle. A short video was published showing two new bomb launchers at once in a firing position; one of them attacked a distant target. Unlike previously shown products, these machines were made on a chassis tank T-80.
MLRS based on the T-80 tank. Photo Telegram / "Panzerwaffles"
Thus, units of coastal troops and volunteer formations not only use standard weapons, but also engage in a kind of technical creativity. They roll out onto the battlefield unusual samples of their own making with special characteristics and capabilities. Due to this, they manage to increase their firepower only at the expense of the available resource.
Naval weapon
The unusual multiple launch rocket systems seen on the Special Operations fronts are united by the use of the RBU-6000 Smerch-2 rocket launcher. This product, together with similar systems, was designed in the late fifties at NII-1 (now the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering). In 1961, it was adopted by the USSR Navy, put into production and began to be mounted on surface pennants of various types.
The Smerch-2 system is structurally divided into several elements. The most noticeable is a bomb launcher mounted on the deck of the carrier ship. Underneath it, inside the ship's hull, there is a cellar with mechanized stowage and a loading mechanism. Also on the ship there are control devices that provide target designation reception and generation of data for firing.
The bomb launcher is made on a stand and has a moving part with 12 guides for ammunition. The design of the installation provides horizontal guidance within 180° of the front hemisphere and vertical guidance from -15° to +60°. Electric drives ensure movement of the device at speeds of up to 30 degrees/sec. For reloading, the guides move to a vertical position and are sequentially brought to the loading mechanism.
Launcher RBU-6000. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
RBU-6000 uses RGB-60 reactive depth charges. This product has an oblong body with a diameter of 213 mm, weighing 113,6 kg, equipped with a jet engine and a 23-kg warhead with a remote impact and integrated acoustic fuse. When fired, the bomb moves along a predictable ballistic trajectory and lands in the target area; it is then submerged and detonated at a predetermined depth. The flight speed does not exceed 300 m/s, the range is approx. 5,2 km.
Initially, the “Smerch-2” used a bomb launcher fire control device (PUSB) “Storm” or “Blizzard”. Such devices could receive data from the sonar system and fire. In addition, they had a weapon stabilizer function to compensate for pitching. A separate device from the control systems ensures installation of the fuse.
On a ground platform
For obvious reasons, a complete transfer of a ship's bomb-throwing system to a land chassis is impossible. Nevertheless, the creators of the unusual technique managed to cope with objective limitations and obtain an interesting result.
The mobile version of the RBU-6000 differs from the original ship version, first of all, in its reduced configuration. Only the launcher and control devices are installed on the land chassis. At the same time, they are connected to the standard electrical system of the carrier to ensure operation. There is no ammunition magazine or loading mechanism. Reloading has to be done manually or using third-party mechanization.
Small anti-submarine ships Project 1124M launch jet depth charges. Photo by the Russian Ministry of Defense
How fire control is organized is unclear. It is possible that sighting devices typical of ground artillery are used, as well as remote control of the launcher. Such a combination of devices is fully consistent with the tasks being solved, although it imposes some restrictions.
Reportedly, modifications to the shells were required. The standard charge is reinforced and supplemented with ready-made submunitions. In addition, a new contact fuze is probably required, which is activated when it hits the ground. The resulting ammunition has a sufficiently large mass and charge, which give it the appropriate power. At the same time, in terms of firing range, the RSL-60 is significantly inferior to other domestic MLRS ammunition.
The RBU-6000 is mounted on a vehicle or tracked armored chassis, the type of which determines the running, combat and operational capabilities of the combat vehicle. Thus, the use of an armored chassis increases the safety of the crew and reduces the risks associated with a limited firing range. At the same time, the bomb launcher on the Ural is much more mobile and easier to operate.
From sea to shore
Improvised multiple launch rocket systems based on ship-based bomb launchers are of great interest. They show how a new combat vehicle with the necessary capabilities can be made from available components in military workshops. The resulting samples are used in units and solve combat missions, complementing the “full-fledged” MLRS, originally created for the ground forces.
It is important that we are talking mainly about using existing technical capabilities in order to improve the performance of parts and connections. In general, our army does not lack rocket artillery and is quite capable of making do with standard systems of the Tornado family or equipment of the previous generation. However, strengthening artillery units with combat vehicles of an unusual appearance also makes sense and can further increase firepower and combat effectiveness.
Information