Taliban Mounted BM-27 Uragan MLRS Launcher on BMP Chassis

Taliban militants have created an improvised multiple rocket launcher by mounting the artillery unit from 220 mm BM-27 Uragan multiple rocket launcher onto the tracked chassis of a BMP-1 or BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle.

A video published by the Ministry of Defense of Afghanistan shows the homemade combat vehicle being transported on a wheeled semi-trailer towed by a tractor.

Judging by the footage, the standard turret with its armament has been completely removed from the BMP’s tracked chassis, and in its place, a rotating platform has been installed with the MLRS artillery unit, which includes a cluster of 16 launch tubes.

To ensure the vehicle’s stability while firing, two retractable jacks are installed at the rear of the hull; these rest on the ground and relieve the load on the running gear.

Historically, the Soviet Union actively supplied armored vehicles and artillery to Afghanistan in the 1970s and 1980s. In total, the Afghan army received over 1,000 BMP-1 and BMP-2 units, as well as approximately 50 BM-27 Uragan launchers.

A significant portion of this equipment was lost or rendered inoperable during years of combat, but the remaining vehicles fell into the hands of the Taliban after they seized power in the country in 2021.

BM-27 Uragan

The BM-27 Uragan multiple rocket launcher is a Soviet 220 mm multiple rocket launcher system developed in the 1970s to engage enemy personnel, armored vehicles, command posts, and fortifications.

The standard chassis for the BM-27 is the ZIL-135LM wheeled vehicle with an 8×8 wheel configuration.

The primary ammunition for the Uragan consists of 9M27F rockets with a 100-kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead, as well as 9M27K cluster rockets containing fragmentation, anti-personnel, and anti-tank mines.

The maximum firing range of the Uragan MLRS is 35 km, and a full salvo of 16 rockets is fired in 20 seconds.

By mounting the launcher on a tracked chassis, the Taliban sought to improve the system’s mobility in the mountainous and off-road terrain of Afghanistan.

At the same time, this modification significantly increases the load on the BMP’s running gear and suspension, which could negatively affect its reliability and firing accuracy.