A video of a Mi-24 helicopter using American unguided Zuni rockets has been posted online.

An Instagram user posted the video.

The video captures a Mi-24 helicopter launching unguided Zuni rockets at Russian positions.

The launch is conducted from four LAU-10 rocket pods mounted on the Mi-24 attack helicopter.

The video shows that the rocket is equipped with a Mk.24 HE warhead, with the weight of the rocket being 4.3 kg and the diameter being 127 mm.

The LAU-10 rocket pod can be used by both helicopters and planes, provided that the appropriate mounts are available.

According to the January 2023 aid package, the United States handed over about 4,000 missiles of this type to Ukraine, which are actively used by helicopters of the army aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Russian invaders.

In addition, Zuni air-to-ground rockets are used by Su-25 attack aircraft of the Air Force of Ukraine against the positions of the invaders.

The closest equivalent of the Zuni rockets in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the Soviet-era 122-mm S-13 unguided rocket. However, the S-13 is significantly inferior to the Zuni in terms of range.

The engineers of the Naval Ordnance Test Station China Lake developed the rocket in the 1950s. Since 1958, it has been mass-produced by the Hunter-Douglas division of the Bridgeport Brass Company. In 1966, the rocket was licensed by the Belgian company Forges de Zeebrugge, now owned by Thales.

The missile was most actively used by the United States Navy and Marine Corps aviation in a number of military campaigns in the 1960s and 1970s, including Vietnam. Zuni’s operation in the United States ended in the 1980s.

In addition to Zuni, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are firing S-13 rockets from Su-25 attack aircraft and Mi-8 helicopters in the war against Russia.

The main characteristics of the Zuni rocket are as follows:

Diameter: 127 mm
Length: 2790 mm
Weight: 46.3-61.6 kg (depends on the type of motor and warhead)
Warhead weight: 20,7-25,6 kg
Warhead types: HE, HE-Frag, ATAP, Illumination, Smoke
Maximum velocity: 725 m/s
Range: 8 km.