Rocket (weapon)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Katyusha rocket launcher, one of the earliest modern rocket-artillery weapons

In military terminology, a rocket is a self-propelled, unguided or guided, weapon-system powered by a rocket engine. Though used primarily as medium- and long-range artillery systems, historically rockets have also seen considerable use as air-to-surface weapons, some use as air-to-air weapons, and even (in a few cases) as surface-to-air devices. Examples of modern surface-to-surface rocket systems include the Soviet BM-27 Uragan and the American M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System.

In military parlance, a rocket differs from a

GMLRS, and these generally retain the term "rocket" instead of becoming "missiles".[1]
Rockets or missiles that travel underwater, like the
torpedoes
", whatever their propulsion system.

Early development

An Edo period wood block print showing samurai gunners firing bo-hiya with hiya-zutsu (fire arrow guns).

The use of rockets as some form of

medieval China where devices such as fire arrows were used (albeit mostly as a psychological weapon), and gradually spread to Europe and the Middle East
. Rockets became a significant weapon during the 20th century when precise manufacturing processes made relatively accurate rockets possible.

Basic roles

Artillery

M270 MLRS

Rockets have been used as an artillery weapon for centuries, and continue to be used in the modern age after being extensively modernized in

field guns, being superior in some ways and inferior in others. Rocket artillery tends to be simpler, lighter and more mobile than guns or howitzers, most of which must be emplaced. Guns tend to have better accuracy, consistency, and range, while rocket artillery is light enough to be employed closer to the front lines and excels at saturation fire, expending its entire ammunition load in a single barrage on a target. The saturation fire produced by rocket artillery is only somewhat approximated in effectiveness with gun artillery via the time on target
barrage method.

Time-sensitive soft target interdiction (such as personnel or unarmored vehicles moving in large groups) is where rocket artillery is particularly useful. This allows for the shoot-and-scoot method, avoiding the enemy counter-battery fire that is the greatest risk to emplaced artillery pieces, while maximizing damage to the target before it can find better cover. (see Rocket artillery vs gun artillery)

Portable anti-tank

German Army Panzerfaust 3.

With the invention of the

guided weapons to fulfill the anti-tank role. Most modern armies now use guided missiles for long-range engagements and rockets for close-range or emergency use; disposable weapons such as the RPG-26
are popular for this.

The use of anti-tank weapons to attack buildings and other targets has led to the development of weapons and

SMAW
.

Air-launched

AH-64
firing rocket pods

Unguided rockets are a widely used weapon-system and have been launched from

Even after the development of guided missiles, rockets remain useful for short-range attacks – typically for close air support missions.

The standard NATO calibre is 70 mm and is considered[citation needed] the international calibre. The rockets can be fired from a variety of rotary and fixed-wing platforms and from combat aircraft of many nations worldwide by means of a rocket launcher. The 70 mm rocket system offers several warhead configurations that fulfill a wide range of special mission-requirements to defeat soft- to lightly-armored targets.

See also

References

  1. ^ "GMLRS". British Army. 18 October 2012. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  2. ^ Guttman, Jon (20 May 2013). Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1. Aircraft of the Aces, volume 66. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 9–12. . Retrieved 31 August 2023. In mid-1916, French fighters were also equipped with a set of air-to-air rockets, also called rocket torpedoes, developed by naval Capitaine Yves Le Prieur. [...] The first operational use of Le Prieur anti-balloon rockets was a wholesale affair. In the spring of 1916, the command of the French IIe Armée in the Verdun sector , under Général Robert Nivelle, laid plans for a counterattack that would retake Fort Donaumont from the Germans. The assault was scheduled for 22 May [...].