After the Russian full-scale invasion in February 2022, the quantity of Ukrainian Defense Forces personnel rapidly increased due to replenishing existing military units and forming new ones.

Subsequently, the need to provide fire support for the military units also rose.

In particular, the war boosted a need for mobile MLRS to strengthen Ukrainian units at the company and battalion levels.

Therefore, some Ukrainian units began to use DIY multiple launch rocket systems of various calibers on the chassis of cars, tracked vehicles, and even towed ones.

Ersatz-MLRS in war since 2014

The Ukrainian military began to use DIY-made MLRS during the first stage of the Russian war, when hostilities were limited to Donbas territory.

It is known from open sources that in 2015-2016 at least five experimental ersatz-MLRS were created on the MT-LB chassis. In this case, the chassis from the Strela-10 SAM was used. They were in operation with the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces. In 2017, there were reports on such systems’ testing.

At that time, the MLRS looked like an MT-LB chassis with a rotary platform at the rear of the hull, on which two B-8 20-barrel aircraft pods were installed for launching S-8 80mm unguided rockets. Those pods were attached to anti-aircraft missiles instead of rails. The firing range of that DIY-made multiple rocket launcher was estimated to be about 2 km. At the maximum distance, the dispersion was about 6 meters from the aiming point. Later, the further use of such MLRS in the Ukrainian army was abandoned, probably due to their low combat efficiency.

DIY-made MLRS during the great war with Russia

With the beginning of large-scale hostilities with the Russian invaders, the Ukrainian military returned to the use of such MLRS. However, later, they started using rails from Grad MRL of 122mm caliber, as well as from aircraft pods of 80 and 57mm caliber. Recently, they also began using launchers for American Hydra 70 unguided rockets.

Such improvised multiple rocket launchers are mounted on the SUVs, small trucks and tracked vehicles. They are used for fire support of the Ukranian military small groups.

Use of aircraft rockets for MLRS

#Ukraine: An interesting improvised weapon was spotted in the hands of Ukrainian troops – a MT-LBu APC modded with two B-8M1 jet rocket pods – each pod is loaded with 20 S-8 80mm aircraft rockets. Such a system is basically a makeshift MLRS with shorter range and worse accuracy. pic.twitter.com/bonS4LY1oH

— ?? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) May 1, 2022

A video showing Ukranian military using such MLRS on the MT-LB chassis was published on the web in the spring of 2022. Two pods were installed on the roof at the rear of the vehicle to launch Soviet S-8 unguided aircraft rockets, caliber 80 mm.

It should be noted that ground installations for launching S-8 missiles have low accuracy and high scattering, so the platforms on which they are installed need additional stabilization.

Ukrainian units use multiple rocket launchers with S-8 rockets mounted on pickups. Such MLRS received additional stabilization to improve the accuracy of fire on enemy positions. The launcher was made by Ukrainian specialists.

Ukrainian defenders also use other installations on SUVs for the use of S-8 rockets. In particular, with a HEAT warhead, which is designed to defeat armored vehicles.

In particular, one of these DIY-made rocket launchers can fire 12 unguided aircraft rockets of 80mm caliber in a salvo.

Ukrainian military engineers have converted the B-8V20А launch pod for helicopters into a makeshift ground-based multiple launch rocket system. The launcher for this installation was taken from a downed Russian helicopter.

The B-8V20А pods each have 20 launch tubes to launch S-8 80mm unguided aircraft rockets.

The improvised MLRS was made by soldiers of the maintenance battalion of the 28th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The MRL was given the name “Hroza.”

The Ukrainian military also received mobile rocket launchers for S-5 57mm aircraft rockets on an SUV. At the beginning of the year such launchers strengthened the defense of the Sumy region.

One such DIY-made MRL with a crew of three can fire 32 unguided aircraft rockets in a minute and a half.

For such tasks a standardized UB-16-57 pod with 16 S-5 rockets. This pod is usually installed on aircraft.

Control is carried out through a special remote control and the shooting process itself is as automated as possible.

In September 2023, a video with the Ukrainian military using an improvised multiple rocket launcher, which was made from a LAU-131 launch pod for American unmanaged Hydra 70 rockets, appeared on the web. These Hydra’s Ukraine receives within the framework of military assistance.

Ukrainian soldiers installed the LAU-131 pod, which has 7 launch tubes for rockets of 70 mm caliber, in the aft part of a conventional SUV.

Previously, launch pods for Hydra 70 rockets were spotted on Ukrainian Su-25 attack aircraft and Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters, which were used to strike Russian ground targets on the front line.

The military also uses mobile ground systems with APKWS missiles, which are a guided version of the Hydra 70 rockets. Each launcher has a module for 4 missiles.

DIY-made MLRS of 122mm caliber

Both military and volunteers are involved in the creation of such ersatz-MLRS in Ukraine. There are even workshops specialized on such tasks, working at the expense of patrons and active citizens.

Rails for launches of 122mm rockets from BM-21 Grad MRL can also be installed on the pickups. The MRL on the Mitsubishi chassis received retractable stops to stabilize during the salvo.

Three tubes of 122 mm caliber were located on the rotary platform in the aft part of the car, just behind the crew cabin. The rear wall of the cockpit received a metal shield to protect against hot jets from the flames of rocket shells during launch.

This improvised MLRS was created from the destroyed Russian MRL by the soldiers of the 129th Territorial Defense Brigade.

In battles with the invaders, the Defense Forces use an improvised multiple launch rocket system, which was installed on the chassis of the Unimog medium-duty truck.

It received four tubes for the launches of 122 mm unguided rockets from the BM-21 Grad. The passability of a four-wheel drive truck makes it possible to quickly change the position after a fire.

The soldiers of the 53rd Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, by their own hands, made a mobile 122mm MLRS. It’s made of three tubes, mounted on a UAZ car, and is still used against the Russian invaders. The military named this rocket launcher “Smart HIMARS.”

In October 2023, at the request of the military, Vinnytsia volunteers installed a compact 122mm multiple rocket launcher on the American HMMWV.

Previously, technicians equipped such installations with three or six tubes, but in this case, nine tunes were installed on HMMWV for the first time.

MLRS is controlled by a remote panel with 20 m long wire.

Ukrainians also created an improvised towed multiple rocket launcher, called the “Witcher.”

This MRL received 9 122mm tubes from the BM-21 Grad MLRS. Presumably, the tubes were taken from damaged multiple rocket launchers, possibly captured from the Russians. Due to its structure, the trailer installation can be towed by light vehicles.

The Russian invasion army in Ukraine also uses handmade MLRS.

In particular, such rocket launchers were seen on the battlefield. They consisted of launchers of S-5 57mm unguided rockets. One or two such units, each of which has 16 tubes, are usually installed on wheeled and tracked armored vehicles.

Photos with examples of two different approaches in usage of aviation pods were published on social media. The first implied installation of two pods for S-5 rockets on the BTR-80 wheeled armored personnel carrier. The second — installation of the one unit in the nose of the MT-LB tracked tractor together with the Vasilek 82mm automatic mortar.

The most exotic improvised Russian MLRS are installations that combine naval MRL on ground equipment.

This summer, images of Russian MT-LB, which were equipped with Soviet А-22 Ogon’ naval multiple rocket launchers, appeared.

This naval MRL was designed to arm river and landing craft, including hovercraft. The system is capable of damaging coastal targets, equipment and manpower in the coastal zone, surface targets (boats, watercraft), as well as cause fires.

To perform such tasks, the А-22 Ogon MRL uses Soviet OF-45 fragmentation and ZZh-45 incendiary shells with a range of 4.5 km. It is also possible to use new Russian OFD-45 fragmentation unguided missiles with a firing range of 9.5 km.

In September, a photo of one such Russian destroyed installation appeared on social media. Subsequently, a video was published showing how a Ukrainian FPV kamikaze drone hit such a vehicle.

The Russians installed the naval RBU-6000 Smerch-2 MRL on the MT-LB.

RBU-6000 is a Soviet anti-submarine rocket launcher with a fixed dual-plane gun installation with twelve radially located barrels.

The bombs have a mass of 113.6 kilograms and a flight speed of up to 300 meters per second. The maximum range of fire reaches 5230 meters.

“Snezhinka” and “Cheburashka”

Back in 2022, Russian propaganda asserted that the invasion forces of Russia began to use the DIY-made Snezhinka and Cheburashka multiple rocket launchers. The so-called occupation authorities in the Donbas demonstrated these MLRS on May 9, 2018.

The Cheburashka rocket launcher has 64 tubes for 240mm rockets with a declared fire range of up to 9600 meters. It is made on the KrAZ-260 chassis (6×6).

At the same time, the DIY-made Snezhinka rocket system has two 324mm missiles with a declared fire range of up to 9600 meters. The launcher is mounted on a KrAZ-260 truck (6×6).

Summary

Ukrainian military have to create and use of ersatz-MLRS, since it is necessary to increase the firepower of military units at the level of company-battalion, or even smaller ones. However, the effectiveness of the use of such rocket launchers raises questions, due to the low accuracy and large circular spread of rockets. The use of two or three rockets in the salvo also does not always have the desired effect.

As for the Russian invaders, they use rather exotic naval MRL on ground bases and also try to give their forces increased firepower, in particular when assaulting Ukrainian positions.