#

Ukrainian Border Guards Release Rare Footage of Croatian RAK-SA-12 128mm MLRS

1276
Croatian light RAK-SA-12 artillery multiple-launch rocket system / Photo: State Border Guard Service of Ukraine / Petro Zadorozhny, Markiyan Lyseiko​
Croatian light RAK-SA-12 artillery multiple-launch rocket system / Photo: State Border Guard Service of Ukraine / Petro Zadorozhny, Markiyan Lyseiko​

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine first showed these Croatian MLRS in the spring of last year; they can destroy invaders at a range of over 8 km

The press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has released a new video in which Ukrainian border guards recount how they stepped up to defend their land. Among other things, the video features rare footage of the Croatian multiple launch rocket system in action.

"The enemy does not surrender and continues to advance in the Kharkiv direction, but the border guards are thwarting all their plans. Thanks to the RAK-12 multiple launch rocket system, Ukrainian soldiers are reducing the number of russian vehicles every day," says the SBGS post.

Read more: RBU-1200 Uragan Combined With ZU-23-2 Carriage is New russian Nebelwerfer Analog

It was reported in May of last year that the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine had received Croatian multiple launch rocket systems. The RAK-SA-12 systems from the company Madlerd were revealed in a photo report from the service on Border Guard Day. The total number of these systems received by Ukraine has not been disclosed.

The declared range of these MLRS is 8,540 meters. The system has 12 launchers, and it can fire them in salvo mode in just under 10 seconds or in single shots at a rate of one rocket per second. Remote control is possible, with a cable length of 25 meters.

Defense Express
Ukrainian President Zelensky oversees new weapons of the border guards, including the RAK-SA-12 launchers, April 30, 2023 / Photo credit: Office of the President of Ukraine

In the context of receiving the Croatian RAK-SA-12, one can speak of a revival of rocket mortars, and such weapons can be effective against russian infantry assaults.

In June 2023, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine demonstrated the system with M63 HE rockets.

Earlier, Defense Express reported that russia decided to mount the RBU-1200 Uragan naval bomb thrower on a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft twin-gun, creating a sort of analog to the German Nebelwerfer rocket mortar from World War II.

The russian hybrid of a RBU-1200 Uragan launcher and a ZU-23-2 gun mount, Defense Express
The russian hybrid of a RBU-1200 Uragan launcher and a ZU-23-2 gun mount / Open-source photo

The weight of the RBU-1200 launcher is 620 kilograms, while the ZU-23-2 guns weigh 920 kilograms. The declared firing range of the RBU-1200 Uragan is 1,200 meters, with a rate of fire of 2.5 rounds per minute. Thus, it takes approximately 2 minutes to fire a full volley of 5 rockets.

Read more: How the Vepr Robotic Platform Surprised russian Forces and Helped the Ukrainian Soldiers Hold Their Position for Two Weeks