Belarus to develop new long-range MRL

Date Posted: 24-May-2017
Author: Nikolai Novichkov, Minsk
Publication: Jane's Defence Weekly

The Belarusian defence industry is developing a multiple rocket launcher (MRL) with a range of up to 300 km, an official spokesperson for the State Military Industry Committee (GKVP) told Jane's at MILEX 2017, which took lace in Minsk from 20-22 May.

"In accordance with an order by GKVP, the Precision Electro-Mechanics Plant [ZTEM] has started the development of an MRL with a firing range of up to 300 km within the framework of the established co-operation. The localisation of its manufacturing is supposed to reach 85%," the spokesperson said. He added that the first live-firing trials of the new system are scheduled for October.
The official pointed out that deliveries to the Belarusian armed forces of the B-200 Polonez MRL, which has a 200 km range, had been among the pivotal achievements of the country's defence industry in 2016. The system was produced in Belarus with assistance from China and is based on the Chinese A200 MRL.

The upgraded 300-km-range variant will be designated the B-300. Offered for export by state-owned foreign trading enterprise Belspetsvneshtekhnika, the system might also be tested and certified for the Belarusian military.
The Polonez system, which was unveiled at MILEX 2017, incorporates the B-200BM combat vehicle, the B-200TZM transporter-loader vehicle, and the B-200BMU mobile command-and-control (C2) post vehicle. The system is designed to engage mechanised units, infrastructure, signal hubs and other weapon systems. The B-200 has a firing range of 50-200 km and a combat readiness time of 10 minutes. A division of Polonez MRLs has an ammunition load of 144 rockets.
The B-200BM combat vehicle is armed with eight ready-to-launch 301 mm missiles in two containerised pods. The missiles are mounted on an MZKT-7930-300 8x8 heavy truck produced by Minsk Wheeled Tractor, which has a fully laden weight of about 46 tonnes, a crew of three and a maximum road speed of 70 km/h.
The B-200TZM transport-loader, which carries another eight missiles in two pods of four, is also based on the chassis of the MZKT-7930-300 heavy tractor. It has a full weight of about 44 tonnes and a crew of three.
The B-200BMU mobile C2 post is based on the MAZ-631705-262 6x6 truck. This has a signal range of 10 km on the move and up to 30 km when deployed. The vehicle, which is fitted with four automated workstations, has a fully laden weight of 26 tonnes, a crew of four and can operate continuously for 48 hours.
In late August 2016 the Belarusian Ministry of Defence announced that an MRL division of the Belarusian Army's 336th Rocket Artillery Brigade had received the Polonez system.

COMMENT
At MILEX 2017 the Belarusian defence industry also unveiled another approach to further upgrading the olonez system, in which it would be adapted to fire the 750 mm M20 guided missile, which has a range of 100-280 km, a length of 7,835 mm and a 480 kg warhead.