What are artillery rockets that the US is sending over to Ukraine?
For those of you who have been out of touch with world affairs, Russia-Ukraine war is still continuing and has currently taken the shape of an artillery duel around eastern Ukraine. Wondering what an artillery duel is? Well, for starters, it is an arranged combat between two opposing groups with artillery, a large cannon-like weapon that is easily transportable and often use projectiles. Considering the struggle that Ukraine has been going through, USA has recently decided to come forward and lend them help, by sending their most advanced artillery rocket launcher (HIMARS) along with other ammunition. Here is all you need to know about artillery rockets.
What is an artillery rocket, actually?
In case you’re thinking that artillery rockets are a new discovery, they aren’t, actually. Their origin can be traced back to medieval China when fire arrows were in use. However, a close cousin of the modern-day artillery rocket is said to have been first developed in the 19th century India in the regime of Mysore king Hyder Ali. Back then, it used to be known as metal-cylinder artillery rocket.
The artillery rockets, as we see them today, actually came into being during World War II. Back then, they were unguided and. often imprecise. However, the modern-day artillery rockets are potent weapons that operate on solid-fuel and carry a range of warheads (rocket explosives as projectiles in this case). Apart from being less expensive, they are also easy to use and inexpensive to produce.
Types of artillery rockets
Over the years, the US has pioneered a wide range of artillery rockets. In 1970s, they developed a Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) that was solely designed to defend against contemporary Russian armoured vehicles. Their M270 MLRS soon gained popularity for it could carry two pods of ammunition, each of which had the capacity to hold either six small-sized rockets (with a flying capacity of 20 miles) or a single, large missile named Army Tactical Missile System or ATACMS (with a flying capacity of up to 100 miles).
With the onset of the 21st century, the US decided to further upgrade their artillery rocket system and developed a better and more mobile version called High Mobility Artillery Rocket System ((HIMARS). This is currently being sent to Ukraine. Unlike its predecessor, HIMARS is light-weight and comes in the form of a wheeled truck. Although it carries only a single pod of ammunition, HIMARS can move way more rapidly. But wait, we haven’t told you the best part yet: This artillery rocket can easily be shipped on a medium-sized cargo plane.
How powerful are these artillery rockets?
Well, when used alone, these artillery rockets such as HIMARS are semi-destructive. However, when used together with MLRS, they can cause significant damage, almost similar to that of an airstrike. While HIMARS can give a mission its much-needed speed and can easily be moved around, the currently in-use MLRS has a potent amount of firepower.