The widespread use of the Soviet 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS has led to the development of numerous variants and modifications around the world. It is logical that the Taliban, which now controls Afghanistan, has developed its own system based on the American Navistar truck.
This vehicle was seen in several videos, according to John Dounga on X social media. Evidence suggests that several units of this type were produced, indicating limited series production of this variant.
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It is evident that the Taliban built these MLRS from existing Grad launchers that had been stored or abandoned for decades. The launch tubes are not difficult to maintain, so restoring them is not a significant challenge.
On the other hand, equipment requires both maintenance and spare parts for normal use. Even if this isn't equipment that's merely been stored for a long time, it could still be in poor condition.
Wheeled trucks abandoned by the U.S. during their withdrawal from Afghanistan proved useful here, as did those seized from the pro-American Afghan army. This provides the Taliban with a capable fleet of relatively new vehicles for military use.
By mounting the launchers on newer chassis, the Taliban not only brought additional firepower back into service but also made them easier to operate. Judging by its appearance, aside from the replaced platform, this remains Grad lacking digital guidance systems.
It should be noted that Afghanistan also has a number of conventional BM-21s, which were actively used during recent clashes with Pakistan. It can be concluded that 122mm rockets for such weapons are available.
This illustrates the ingenuity and practicality of the Taliban, which, despite U.S. efforts, managed to return various weapons, including helicopters, to service. So, it was only a matter of time before they developed their own variant of the world's most common MLRS.
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