📍 Event:
Russia has unveiled its newest multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) "Sarma" — a heavy 300-millimeter launcher mounted on an armored KamAZ-63501 chassis. The system was demonstrated by representatives of Motovilikha Plants during Vladimir Putin's recent visit.
According to the information presented at the event, the Sarmat MLRS was developed as an evolution of the earlier "KAMA" project. It is equipped with six launch tubes for guided 300-mm rockets, providing a range of 20 to 90 kilometers with an accuracy of about 0.21%. Developers stated that the launcher can deliver a full salvo in less than 19 seconds.
🔗 Sources:
Sources
🚀 What is "Sarma"?
"Sarma" is the newest heavy multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), developed by Motovilikha Plants (part of Rostec) and first publicly presented during Vladimir Putin's visit to the enterprise in April 2025. This is an evolution of the "KAMA" project, but with serious improvements in mobility, accuracy, and firepower.
🛠️ Technical Specifications (Declared Data)
- Caliber: 300 mm — same as the legendary "Smerch", but with new capabilities.
- Launch tubes: 6 (vs. 12 in "Smerch") — fewer, but more powerful and accurate.
- Chassis: KamAZ-63501 — 8x8, armored, high cross-country capability, with active protection system and likely stealth elements against thermal imagers and radar.
- Range: 20–90 km — covers the entire tactical depth of the modern battlefield.
- Accuracy: ~0.21% CEP — means a deviation of about 190 meters at maximum range (90 km). For unguided rockets, this is fantastic, indicating guided missiles (GLONASS/INS, possibly terminal guidance).
- Salvo time: less than 19 seconds — high rate of fire for a heavy MLRS.
- Combat weight: estimated at 30–35 tons.
- Crew: 3–4 people (likely with an automated loading cycle).
⚔️ Tactical Purpose
"Sarma" is not a replacement for "Smerch", but an evolution and complement. It is designed for:
- Destruction of high-value targets — command posts, communication nodes, depots, airfields.
- Suppression of enemy artillery systems and MLRS — including HIMARS and M270.
- Operation within network-centric systems — receiving targeting data from UAVs, satellites, ground reconnaissance groups.
- High mobility and "fire-and-scoot" tactics — approach, fire salvo, retreat — classic MLRS doctrine, but with a new level of protection and automation.
Key advantage: combination of 300-mm projectile power, precision of a guided missile, and survivability on the battlefield due to armored chassis.
🔄 From "KAMA" to "Sarma": What's the Evolution?
The "KAMA" project (Kolomna-Motovilikha) was an experimental system with a similar layout, but "Sarma" appears to be a serial, combat-ready version with:
- Improved fire control system.
- Enhanced crew protection.
- Compatibility with new types of ammunition (including cluster, thermobaric, high-precision unitary).
- Integration into the Unified Artillery Command System.
🌍 Geopolitical Context
The appearance of "Sarma" is a direct response to Western HIMARS/M270 systems, which have shown high effectiveness in Ukraine. Russia is focusing on:
- Accuracy — to avoid wasting hundreds of rockets on a single target.
- Survivability — armor and camouflage against artillery reconnaissance and UAVs.
- Autonomy — ability to operate without constant logistical support.
This is also a signal: Russian defense industry can create new systems even under sanctions.
🆚 Comparison with Analogues
| Characteristic | "Sarma" MLRS (Russia) | "Smerch" (Russia) | HIMARS (USA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caliber | 300 mm | 300 mm | 227 mm |
| Launch Tubes | 6 | 12 | 6 |
| Range | up to 90 km | up to 90–120 km* | up to 80–150 km (GMLRS-ER/PrSM) |
| Accuracy | ~190 m at 90 km | 100–500 m | <10 m (GMLRS) |
| Chassis | Armored KamAZ | MAZ-543 | FMTV (light truck) |
| Crew Protection | Yes | No | Minimal |
| Salvo Time | <19 sec | ~38 sec | ~60 sec (reloading — 5–10 min) |
* — with 9M544/9M542 missiles (guided).
Conclusion: "Sarma" is a heavy, protected, precise medium-range system, combining the best of "Smerch" and HIMARS, but with an emphasis on survivability and autonomy.
💡 Forecast and Significance
- "Sarma" will enter service in 2025–2026, likely first in army artillery brigades and groupings in border regions.
- It will not replace "Tornado-S" or "Smerch", but will occupy a niche between them and "Iskander" — as a system for precise but massive strikes on rear targets.
- An export version is possible — especially for countries needing "Smerch" power but with less visibility and greater survivability.
🧭 Conclusion: "Sarma" — Fire, Armor, and Precision
"Sarma" is the new standard of Russian heavy artillery: fewer launch tubes, but more "brains", armor, and precision. It is designed for a war where every rocket counts, and crew survival is not a luxury, but a necessity.
This is not just an MLRS. This is artillery special forces: fast, precise, deadly, and with the ability to retreat before a counterstrike.
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