BM-14 (Boyevaya Mashina 14) (2024)

BM-14 (Boyevaya Mashina 14) History

When the Soviets discovered the value of saturating battlefield missiles throughout the region during the battles of World War II (1939-1945), it was impossible for the Red Army to abandon the use of this valuable system. This led to a progressive series of "rocket launchers" that appeared throughout the Cold War era (1947-1991), each design increasing efficiency on the battlefield.

These rocket launchers were exported by the thousands to countries and countries allied with the Soviet Union, and ended up in service in various regional conflicts due to their ease of operation, limited training and maintenance requirements, and cheap procurement.

The BM-14 ("Boyevaya Mashima" = "Fighting Machine") continues the tradition of Soviet rocket launchers (the classic truck styling is still the WW2-era BM-13 "Katyusha"). It appeared in 1952 with a traditional design layout - the engine was in front of the sheltered cab and the launcher was above the truck's chassis section. The 4x4 wheel drive offers off-road mobility, taking advantage of Soviet doctrine, largely influenced by its anti-Axis action in World War II.

Design work on the BM-14 was carried out by the NII 303 and began in the early 1950s.

The launcher is available with 16 or 17 rounds and is fitted with a 140mm M-14 rocket. These are supplemented with high-explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG) warheads to maximize damage to specific target areas.

Alternatively, rockets are built to deliver chemical-based payloads (M-14-S) or smoke-producing white phosphorus payloads (M-14-D). Each missile has a range of 6 miles and an indirect line of sight (LoS) angle of attack - the launcher unit has inherent elevation and roll capabilities.

The original 1952 model became the BM-14 (designated "8U32" by the Soviet Army) and featured a 16-round launcher mounted on the rear of the ZiS-151 service truck (they were also known by the name "BM" -14-16 inches). Then came the improved BM-14M (2B2) of the ZiL-157 truck, which eventually evolved into the BM-14MM (2B2R) based on the ZiL-131 truck.

The towed version was called "RPU-14" (8U38) and was developed with the Soviet Airborne Forces in mind - portability was a key quality. These place the launcher on the existing D-44 field gun's two-wheeled stand, with 16 launch tubes arranged in a 4x4 set.

The Polish Army adopted a similar rifled gun in the 140mm "WP-8z", but this received only eight tubes. It came out in the mid-1960s and is believed to have produced fewer than 20 of them.

The 130mm "Type 63" is another towed model related to the BM-14, although it comes from China and is installed in the bed section of a Nanjing NJ-230/230A truck - these are just licensed copies of the Soviet GAZ-63/63A . The launcher assembly lasted nineteen shots.

The BM-14-17 (8U35) is equipped with a 17-round launcher assembly that is attached to the GAZ-63A series trucks. Development took place in the late 1950s, and the launcher was also used in several Soviet Navy ship designs.

The BM-14 was adopted by the Soviet Army and many allies from Algeria and Angola to Vietnam and Yemen. Soviet use ended with the fall of the Soviet Empire in 1991, and these existing properties fell into the hands of successor states, including Russia itself.

BM-14 systems in the Algerian Civil War (1991-2002), the Dhofar Rebellion (1962-1876), the Afghanistan War (2001-2014) and the Syrian Civil War (since 2011). These weapons were largely inaccurate (a common flaw in many early Cold War rocket launchers) and proved their worth by simply saturating their target range.

They have inherent lethality that simple cannons cannot replicate, and serve as psychological tools against the minds of soldiers, unfortunately caught by salvos.

The BM-14 system was (at least partially) replaced in the Soviet inventory by the updated 1963 BM-21 "Grad" model. Many of them are still in use by carriers around the world.

BM-14 (Boyevaya Mashina 14) Specification

Basic

Year:

1952

Staff:

2

Manufacturing:

State Factory - USSR

Production:

10,000 units

Roles

- fire support/attack/damage

Dimensions

Production model)

Performance

Depends on implementation - can be towed as artillery or mounted on various truck beds and naval warships as needed.

Performance

Production mode;

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Armor

16 x missiles in the launcher assembly.

Ammo:

16 x missiles; heavy load depends on supply vehicle.

Changes

BM-14 - Base Series Name