S-5 rocket
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/S-5M_57_mm_rocket.jpg/220px-S-5M_57_mm_rocket.jpg)
The S-5 (first designated ARS-57) is a
It is produced in a variety of sub-types with different warheads, including HEAT anti-armour (S-5K), high-explosive fragmentation (S-5M/MO), smoke, and incendiary rounds. Each rocket is about 1.4 meters (4 feet 7 inches) long and weighs about 5 kg (11 lb), depending on warhead and fuze. Range is 3 to 4 kilometres (1.9 to 2.5 mi).[2]
Development
In 1946 the Soviet Nudelman Precision Engineering Design Bureau (then designated OKB-16) undertook technical research of unguided air to air missiles in aircraft armament. As part of the bureaus research, captured examples of the German
Apart from the Soviet Union and then Russia, S-5 rockets were produced among others in Poland.[4] As of 2013, the only producers remained Belarus and Bulgaria.[4]
S-5U
In late 2019, Russia announced it would resume production of the S-5 rocket for the first time since production ceased in 1990. The improved S-5U is 1,090 mm (3.58 ft) long and weighs 6 kg (13 lb), making it longer and heavier than the previous S-5M, though it is compatible with older rocket pods. It runs on composite propellant rather than a solid fuel motor and is spin-stabilized through four curved fins wrapped around the rocket nozzle to match its diameter when stored. Effective range remains between 0.5–4 km (0.31–2.49 mi), but lethality is increased by a heavier 0.8 kg (1.8 lb) warhead. It features a universal warhead that can penetrate 150 mm (5.9 in) of armor, explode into 500 2 g (0.071 oz) splinters, and has incendiary elements; combat efficiency is claimed to be comparable to the
Description
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/F-6_fighter_underwing_rocket_pod.jpg/220px-F-6_fighter_underwing_rocket_pod.jpg)
The S-5 is a 55 mm (2.2 in) calibre unguided rocket fired from a 57 mm calibre tube. It is used by
The S-5 is carried in rocket pods, with between four and 32 rockets. The first were ORO-57
In Poland, the Mars-2 launcher for 16 rockets was developed in variants for Lim-6bis aircraft and Mi-2URN helicopters.[5] In Romania, the LPR 57 launcher for 16 rockets was developed.
Operational history
Afghanistan
S-5 rockets were used extensively by
Chechnya
S-5 and
India
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/1971_IAF_MiG-21FL_S5_rockets.gif/220px-1971_IAF_MiG-21FL_S5_rockets.gif)
During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, four of the Indian Air Force's MiG-21FLs led by Wing Commander Bhupendra Kumar Bishnoi fired its S-5 rockets on the East Pakistani Governor's mansion in Dhaka, leading to the governor resigning immediately thereafter the attack. On 13 December, an IAF MiG-21 shot down a Pakistani F-104 Starfighter from its Ub-16 rocket pods, which fired its S-5 rockets.[8]
Israel
On Sunday, 6 January 2009, The Israel Defense Forces claimed they identified a rocket fired at Israel earlier in the day by Al-Qassam Brigades in the Gaza Strip as a Russian-made S5K.[9]
According to the IDF, the rocket fired at Kibbutz Alumim in the
Although the weapon is intended to be launched aerially, Al-Qassam forces chose to launch their rocket from ground-based launchers. Unlike a Qassam rocket, the S5K contains more explosives, but is less precise.[9][dubious – discuss]
On Friday, 8 December 2017, two S-5 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip landed on Sderot.[citation needed]
On May 16, 2024, Hezbollah fired an S-5 rocket from a UAV on an Israeli military base.[10]
Libya
The S-5, along with
Pakistan
The 57mm S-5 rockets were used by the
Syria
The S-5 has seen use by the Syrian Air Force against opposition forces in the Syrian civil war.[13] It has also been used as an improvised ground-launched rocket, fired from UB-16 or UB-32 pods.
Ukraine
The 57mm rockets were used during Russian invasion of Ukraine as improvised ground-launched MLRS (multiple launch rocket system) by the Ukrainians.[14][15] On 18 June 2023, a Russian BTR-80 APC that had two UB-32 rocket pods attached to it was sighted and damaged by loitering drones. As multiple other Russian ground vehicles had been modified in similar ways around the same time, it was speculated that the choice to attach the rockets to the APC had been out of desperation, as Russian vehicle losses had been intensifying at that time.[16]
Launcher characteristics
ORO-57K[17]
- rockets: 8
- length × diameter: 1,447 × 220 mm
- weight, empty: 33 kg
- weight, loaded: 74 kg
- launch platform: F-6
UB-16-57[17][18]
- rockets: 16
- length × diameter: 1,880 × 335 mm
- weight, empty: 57 kg
- weight, loaded: 138 kg
- reusable: yes
- launch platforms: Su-7, Mi-8, improvised mountings on armoured vehicles and technicals(various variants of UB-16-57)
UB-32[17][18]
- rockets: 32
- length × diameter: 2,080 × 481 mm
- weight, empty: 103 kg
- weight, loaded: 264 kg
- reusable: yes
- launch platforms: Mi-24, improvised mountings on armoured vehicles and technicals
Rocket specifications
Designation | Type | Length overall | Launch weight | Warhead weight | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
S-5/ARS-57 | GP | 0.915 m | 3.99 kg | 1.16 kg | Impact fuze. 3.5 mrad dispersion. |
S-5M | HE-FRAG | ? | ? | ? | Produces 75 splinters |
S-5M1 | HE-FRAG | 0.882 m | 3.86 kg | 0.8 kg | Produces 75 splinters |
S-5MO | Frag | 0.998 m | 4.82 kg | 0.8 kg | Warhead has 20 notched steel rings generate 360 fragments. |
S-5K | HEAT | ? | ? | ? | Shaped charge warhead, 130 mm versus RHA. |
S-5K1 | HEAT | 0.83 m | 3.64 kg | 1.1 kg | Shaped charge warhead, 130 mm versus RHA. |
S-5KO | HEAT / FRAG |
0.987 m | 4.43 kg | 1.36 kg | Warhead has 11 notched steel rings, 220 fragments. |
S-5KOB | HEAT / FRAG |
0.987 m | 4.43 kg | 1.36 kg | Warhead has 11 notched steel rings, 220 fragments. Code "B" for uses new type BN-K low smoke motor powder. |
S-5KP | HEAT / FRAG |
1.079 m | 5.01 kg | 1.8 kg | Shaped charge with wound wire fragmentation jacket and sensitive piezoelectric impact fuze. Improved warhead with 250 mm RHA penetration.
|
S-5KPB | HEAT / FRAG |
1.079 m | 5.01 kg | 1.8 kg | Shaped charge with wound wire fragmentation jacket and sensitive piezoelectric impact fuze. Improved warhead with 250 mm RHA penetration. Code "B" for uses new type BN-K low smoke motor powder.
|
S-5S | Flechette | ? | ? | ? | Warhead contains 1,000 to 1,100 40 mm long flechettes. |
S-5SB | Flechette | ? | ? | ? | Warhead contains 1,000 to 1,100 40 mm long flechettes. Code "B" for uses new type BN-K low smoke motor powder. |
S-5P (PARS-57) | Chaff |
? | ? | n/a | Chaff rocket |
S-5P1 | Chaff | 1.073 m | 5.04 kg | n/a | Chaff rocket. |
S-5-O | Flare | ? | ? | ? | Flare / illumination |
S-5-O1 | Paraflare | 0.948 m | 4.94 kg | 1.73 kg | Parachute flare. |
S-5Kor | Guided | 1.100 m | 5.85 kg. | - | 200 mm RHA penetration. 0.8–1.8 m CEP accuracy. |
See also
- RS-82 rocket
- S-8 rocket
- Ugroza, a proposed upgrade of "dumb" rockets to salvo-fired laser-guided precision missiles
References
- ^ a b Comeback for Russia’s Unguided Rockets. Aviation International News. 24 October 2019.
- ^ "S5 rocket (KOM/KOE)/ARS-57". Yugo import. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- ^ a b c (in Russian) C-5 at Ugolok Neba site
- ^ a b 17 tys. S-5 dla WP, altair.com (in Polish) published 2013-05-29 [access 2017-10-13]
- ISSN 1230-1655.
- ^ Lyamin & Jenzen-Jones 2014, p. 11 & 12
- ISBN 978-1909384774.
The recoil threw him backward and the rocket didn't fly straight. It started to do all sorts of zigzags. Either it was damaged or I don't know.
- ^ "How MiG-21 tilted the 1971 war in India's favour with its 13/1 success ratio". Firstpost. 2021-12-16. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
- ^ a b "IDF: Gaza Militants Fired New Kind of Rocket at Israel". Haaretz. December 6, 2009. Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
- ^ Senior Hezbollah official killed after group claims missile-firing UAV attack
- ^ a b Lyamin & Jenzen-Jones 2014, p. 19
- ^ Kaiser Tufail. "1971 Air War Assessed". DefenceJournal.com.
A total of 188 S-5 57-mm rockets were fired by the F-6s, all in Shakargarh Sector; since each ORO-57K rocket launcher had a capacity of eight rockets, at least 12 sorties are likely to have been flown with these rockets.
- ^ Lyamin & Jenzen-Jones 2014, p. 22
- ^ @OSINTtechnical (April 21, 2023). "57mm improvised towed MRL in Ukrainian service" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 April 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ @OSINTtechnical (April 30, 2023). "Improvised light MRL in Ukrainian service, salvoing off 24 57mm S-5 rockets" (Tweet). Retrieved 30 April 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ Axe, David. "Take A BTR Vehicle, Bolt On A Pair Helicopter Rocket Pods—Then Open Fire And Hope For The Best". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
- ^ ISSN 1230-1655
- ^ a b Lyamin & Jenzen-Jones 2014.
Bibliography
- Soviet/Russian Aircraft Weapons Since World War Two, Yefim Gordon, ISBN 1-85780-188-1
- Mil Mi-24 Hind Attack Helicopter, Yefim Gordon and Dimitri Komissarov, ISBN 1-84037-238-9
- Jane's Air Launched Weapons Issue 36, Duncan Lennox, ISBN 0-7106-0866-7
- Lyamin, Yuri; Jenzen-Jones, N.R. (2014). Improvised Employment of S-5 Air-To-Surface Rockets in Land Warfare: A Brief History and Technical Appraisal (PDF). Armaments Research Services. ISBN 978-0-9924624-0-6.
External links
- "Libya Conflict". PPrune Forum. 2011-04-10.
- Libya rebels make weapons from scraps on YouTube
- War Time Inventions Pt 3 - Shoulder-Fired S-5 Missiles on YouTube
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