The Astros II has kept the title of being one of the best multiple-launch rocket systems,
MLRS for short, for 40 years.
It is indeed a splendid achievement for the Brazilian defence industry.
This MLRS has proved its combat value in many wars.
As the Weapon Detective, we are now investigating the Astros II, the first modular artillery
rocket system.
The Astros II takes its name from the acronym for Artillery SaTuration ROcket System.
It also neans “stars” in Portugese.
By constantly evolving according to the modern battlefield requirement, this 40-year MLRS
is among the bests.
In the 1970s, Argentina's initiation of the Condor programme with German and Italian technical
assistance to develop long-range rockets caused the Brazilian Army to determine a similar
requirement.
Yet, the programme progressed slowly.
This situation changed in 1981 when Iraq decided to fund the project.
This country needed a new MLRS, which would have better range and accuracy than the BM-21,
in its war against Iran.
Later, Libya also decided to finance the project, especially for the long-range artillery rocket
development phase.
The first version of the MLRS, called Astros II, was mounted on a Brazilian licence production
variant of the 6x2 Mercedes-Benz L-2013 truck.
After the first trials, the producer, Avibrás, decided to move on with the Mercedes-Benz
2028-based 6x6 Tectran VBT-2028 all-terrain vehicle to improve mobility.
Also, it armoured the cabin to increase survivability.
The Astros II was officially presented in 1982, and serial production began one year
later.
Many sources claim that 1983 was also the year that the Astros II entered the service
of the Brazilian Army.
It is partly true.
Brazilia acquired the early examples of the MLRS for evaluation purposes.
The Army waited for its first operational Astros IIs until the early 1990s.
The first user of the MLRS was Iraq.
This country also produced the Astros II under license.
The early variants are based on the 6x6 Tectran VBT-2028 all-terrain vehicle, which offers
good cross-country mobility.
The cabin is lightly armoured, and it can resist only non-armour-piercing small arms
rounds, shell splinters coming from at least 100 metres distance, and the explosion of
anti-personnel mines.
A typical Astros II battery comprises six firing units and six ammunition resupply vehicles.
Since it can launch different calibres of artillery rockets, the firing unit is called
the universal multiple rocket launcher or AV-LMU.
The ammunition resupply vehicle, AV-RMD, can carry up to two complete reloads and has an
onboard crane.
The radar fire control vehicle, AV-UCF, was optional when the Astros II was initially
marketed.
However, it is now a standard integrated part of the battery composition.
The battery also contains one AV-PCC command vehicle, one or two AV-OFVE field repair/workshop
vehicles, and one AV-MET mobile weather station vehicle.
The battalion-level headquarters provides coordination and fire-control direction for
up to three batteries.
Except for the 4x4 AV-PCC and AV-MET, all vehicles are in a 6x6 configuration, and all
have suitable size and weight to be transported by a C-130 Hercules or a C-390 Millennium.
All launching procedures are controlled via a fire control computer, located inside the
launcher vehicle.
But, the early production variants of the Astros II do not have an automatic laying
capability.
The launcher can manually be elevated and traversed via hydraulic lever backups.
The 70mm SS-09TS has a range of 10 kilometres.
It was developed for training purposes.
While the 40-tube launcher of the SS-09TS is reusable, all other calibre rockets have
disposable containers.
The 127mm SS-30 with 30 kilometres range has a kill-zone radius of 57 metres.
An Astros II can carry and launch 32 of them.
The 180mm SS-40 can reach a distance of 40 kilometres.
Besides one with a high-explosive warhead, it has a variant, which carries 20 70mm dual-effect
anti-armour/anti-personnel bomblets with electronic timer fuze.
The SS-40s are fired from a 16-tube launcher.
The 300mm SS-60 with 60 kilometres range also has high-explosive and cargo warhead options.
The second one carries 65 70mm bomblets.
The SS-60s are fired from a four-tube launcher like the SS-80 rockets.
The 300mm SS-80 has a range of 90 kilometres.
It can carry only 52 70mm bomblets.
In 1991, Avibrás introduced new rocket variants with cargo and high-explosive incendiary warheads.
The cargo type can deploy different kinds of mines.
The anti-personnel mines of the rocket have an effective radius of 30 metres.
The anti-matériel mines can penetrate more than 100 millimetres of armour, which is for
120 millimetres anti-armour mines.
Also, this rocket can deploy heavy TNT-filled delayed action-fuzed submunitions, capable
of penetrating more than 400 millimetres of reinforced concrete for airfield denial missions.
The modernized MK-3M variant of the Astros II can fire GPS-guided SS-40G and SS-80G rockets.
They have a range of 33 and 90 kilometres, respectively.
Avibrás delivered the first improved Astros II MK-6 in 2014.
This version, also known as Astros 2020, is based on the 6x6 Tatra T815-790R39 truck with
the 402 horsepower Tatra T3C-928-90 Euro 3 diesel engine, which provides a maximum road
speed of 110 kilometres per hour.
It has several other basic improvements, including an improved armoured cabin, modern digital
communications and navigation systems.
Also, the Astros 2020 can launch the new guided rocket and missiles, which are currently under
development.
One of them, the SS-150, is a 450mm GPS-guided rocket with 150 kilometres range.
The AV-TM 300 cruise missile has a range of 300 kilometres.
Avibrás is also working on the fibre optics guided FOG MPM multi-purpose missile, which
will be effective against tanks, fortifications and helicopters.
Its range is 20 kilometres.
The AV-UCF radar fire control vehicle of the Astros 2020 has new advanced radar.
Also, the AV-PCC command and AV-MET vehicles mobile weather station vehicles in the battalion
composition are based on the 4x4 Tatra T815-7A0R59 truck.
Due to financial problems, the previous Astros III variant based on the 8x8 Mercedes-Benz
Actros truck has been suspended since 1999.
Brazil is also considering the air defence variant of the Astros II, called the AV-MM,
with the CAMM missiles of the MBDA.
Angola, Brazil, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia are the current users
of the Astros family MLRS.
Even though many sources mention Bahrain as a user, we could not find any visual confirmation.
The Astros II has a three-person crew consisting of a commander, operator and driver.
The MLRS has a length of 8 metres, a width of 2.4 metres, and a height of 2.6 metres.
Its combat weight is 20,000 kilograms.
The 280-horsepower Mercedes OM422 diesel engine provides a road speed of up to 90 kilometres
per hour.
Its range is 480 kilometres.
The Astros II can negotiate 2.3-metre trenches and can be ford to a depth of 1.1 metres.
During the Iran-Iraq War, the Iraqi Astros IIs proved their combat value repeatedly.
So, in the 1991 Gulf War, the Allied Forces prioritized destroying the Iraqi Astros IIs.
Also, Saudi Arabia used its Astros II against the Iraqi forces.
But, it was seen that a significant number of submunitions of the Astros II rockets fired
by the Saudis failed to explode during the Battle of Khafji.
The Saudi Army also used this MLRS in Yemen.
Angola successfully deployed its Astros IIs against the UNITA.
The MLRS served its own country during anti-smuggling and anti-narcotic operation Ágata 10.
Many assume the modular Astros II is in the same class as the HIMARS.
It is true to some degree.
To better understand the differences, we should look at the creation of the M270.
Until the early 1970s, the USSR was the country that invested in artillery rockets the most.
The Soviet Army had two types of MLRS.
The first had a relatively short range for the front-line duties.
The best example of this type, the low-cost BM-21, could send its rocket to a distance
of 20 kilometres, which was enough for the counterbattery missions against the short-ranged
NATO artillery of the time.
Also, the Grad was a perfect saturation weapon to destroy the enemy's strong points.
The second type had a long range.
The best example of this type, the expensive BM-27 Uragan, used cluster munitions to destroy
the target behind the front line, such as air defence batteries, communication lines,
depots, and rallying areas.
When the U.S.A. returned to the artillery rocket business in the 1970s, the Army staff
still considered an MLRS like the BM-21 invalid in the doctrines.
The towed and self-propelled howitzers were better solutions than a Grad-type rocket artillery
system.
But, a BM-27-type system offered many advantages.
So, the M270 was designed with the same principles as the Uragan.
Of course, the U.S.A. took a step further with the guided ATACMS missiles with 300 kilometres
range.
The M270 was never created to supplement the towed and self-propelled howitzers.
It had a different job.
The HIMARS is only a wheeled variant of the M270.
On the other hand, Brazilia and the financier of the Astros II Programme, Iraq, had a different
agenda.
They wanted to have an M270-type artillery system, but they also needed a BM-21-type
MLRS.
So, Astros II was designed as a hybrid, and it combined the superior features of both
types of MLRS.
So, many countries, which needed such a hybrid system, preferred the Astros II.
Total sales of this MLRS between 1982 and 1987 reached 1 billion U.S. dollars.
The Astros II became the most profitable weapon system produced by Avibrás.
Until the 2000s, the Astros II was unrivalled in its class.
Then Israel, Slovakia, Turkey, and South Korea began to offer such systems.
But, these self-propelled artillery systems featured only better trucks, fire-control
systems, rockets, and communication equipment.
They never had an additional innovation.
So, Avibrás mounted the launcher on a better truck, integrated better electronics, and
developed new longer-ranged GPS-guided rockets.
This way, the Astros II has kept the competition hot.
Today, Spain is considering the acquisition of the Astros II after retiring its locally-produced
Teruels retired in 2011.
Even the United Arab Emirates, which recently added the HIMARS to its inventory, is still
among the potential customers of this Brazilian MLRS.
We may soon see the Astros II in Ukraine while adding new pages to its saga.
Some Brazilian sources claim Kyiv was interested in this MLRS in 2022, but the previous Bolsonaro
administration rejected the possible sale.
The U.S.A. is now trying to persuade the new Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da
Silva, to unblock the deal.
As you may see, the Astros II is one of the best in its class.
Thanks to its successful modular design, it can continue to answer the demands of many
different customers.
That's why many countries are still considering acquiring this 40-year-old MLRS.
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