The BM-14, is a Soviet-made 140mm multiple launch rocket system, normally mounted on a truck. The BM-14 can fire 140mm M-14 rockets with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead, a smoke warhead or a chemical warhead. It is similar to the BM-13 "Katyusha" and was partly replaced in service by the 122mm BM-21 Grad. Launchers were built in 16 and 17-round variants. The rockets have a maximum range of. The weapon is not accurate as there is no guidance system, but it is extremely effective in saturation fire.
Variants
BM-14 - 16-round model, launcher mounted on the ZiS-151 truck. Entered service in 1952. Also known as BM-14-16.
* BM-14M - modified model, mounted on the ZIL-157.
* BM-14MM - final upgrade, mounted on the ZIL-131.
BM-14-17 - 17-round launcher, mounted on the GAZ-63A. Developed in 1959. This launcher was also used on naval vessels, for example Project 1204patrol boats.
* BM-14-17M - modified model, mounted on the GAZ-66.
The BM-14 launcher and its variants can fire 140mm rockets of the M-14-series. They have a minimum range of and a maximum range of. The M-14 series consist of three known types:
M-14-D - an M-14 rocket with a smoke warhead containing white phosphorus.
M-14-S - an M-14 rocket with a chemical warhead containing of sarin.
Use
During the Syrian Civil War, a rocket engine from a 140 mm M-14-series rocket was identified on 26 August 2013 by the U.N. fact-finding mission in the Muadamiyat al-Sham district southwest of Damascus, allegedly originating from the chemical attack on Western Ghouta on 21 August 2013. The rockets nozzle assembly had 10 jet nozzles ordered evenly in a circle with an electrical contact plate in the middle. The bottom ring of the rocket engine had the lot number "Г ИШ 4 25 - 6 7 - 179 К" engraved, which means it was produced in 1967 by factory 179. However, no warhead was observed at the impact site and none of the 13 environmental samples taken in the Western Ghouta area tested positive for sarin, although three had "degradation and/or by-products" possibly originating from sarin. On 18 September, the Russian Presidential Chief of StaffSergei Ivanov commented on the U.N. missions findings. He said "these rockets were supplied to dozens of countries", but that "the Soviet Union never supplied warheads with sarin to anyone". Another type of rockets was used in the Eastern Ghouta attack.
Operators
Current operators
- 48 BM-14/16 as of 2016
- 20 BM-14-16 as of 2016
- 32 as of 2016
- 200 BM-14 purchased in 1967. Still in service as of 2016
The Type 63 130mm multiple rocket launcher is the Chinese version of the BM-14-17. It has a slightly smaller calibre but is fitted with 19 instead of 17 launch tubes. The Type 63 MRL is based on the Nanjing NJ-230 or 230A 4x4 truck, a licence-produced version of the Soviet GAZ-63/63A.
The WP-8z was a Polish towed rocket launcher that was developed in 1960. The weapon was subsequently produced between 1964 and 1965. It fired the same rockets as the RPU-14 but had only 8 launch tubes. The main operator was the 6th Pomeranian Airborne Division. with 12-18 WP-8s in its inventory.
