A video of Russian forces’ truck-mounted rocket launcher has begun to circulate on social media.
Russian soldiers have built a Frankenstein-like artillery system on the UAZ Patriot pickup truck platform equipped with a UB-32 57mm aviation rocket pod in the back of a truck.
A video circulating online shows at least one such system that fires S-5 unguided rockets somewhere in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The S-5 is a rocket weapon developed by the Soviet Air Force and used by military aircraft against ground area targets. It is in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces and various export customers.
Improvised Russian multiple rocket launcher with an UB-32 rocket pod installed on pick-up somewhere on the Zaporizhzhia front.
UB-32 rocket pod can carry up to 32 S-5 55mm rockets. pic.twitter.com/ks2gcdRiSS
— Status-6 (@Archer83Able) July 5, 2023
Such rocket is used by fighter bombers and helicopters. It consists of a steel body containing a solid fuel rocket, and a high-explosive warhead with a mechanical impact fuse. At the rear of the rocket is an elongated exhaust nozzle, with eight attached forward folding fins.
The fins fold around the rocket when it is stowed in its launch tube; they spring back as soon as the rocket leaves the launch tube. In flight, the very slightly angled fins exert a stabilizing spin to the rocket, turning at approximately 750 rpm. The solid rocket motor burns for just 1.1 seconds, during which time it covers about 300 meters (980 feet).