During a recent online stream, official media outlet ArmyTV published a short report about the combat work of a BM-27 Uragan multiple launch rocket system belonging to the 40th Artillery Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
This MLRS rarely gets attention in the public media, and the fact one of these systems is being actively deployed in combat operations means it has enough ammunition to operate — a topic that deserves a closer look since the 220mm ammunition it uses is not easy to come across. In fact, only a select few countries have Uragans in service.
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First off, Ukraine. The report shows video clips of a Ukrainian BM-27 Uragan firing at various targets of the russian invasion forces, crew commander also mentioned his team even destroyed one of the enemy's command posts.
As for the shortage of 220mm rockets for the Soviet-designed BM-27 Uragan, notably, even the russian army struggles to keep their MLRS properly fed. There's an interesting paradox in numbers: based on data from The Military Balance 2024 study by IISS, russians had a total of 220 BM-27 Uragan systems in service and as many as 550 more in storage. Most probably, the low rate of recommissioning Uragans back from the mothballed condition is precisely due to the shortage of 220mm rockets for these systems.
According to public data, in 2023, the russian military-industrial complex was able to produce only 2,800 rockets for the Uragans, but nonetheless, they set a goal to make 14,000 rockets in 2024. The progress in that regard is unknown.
Another detail to take note of is the Uragan-1M modernization, currently represented by 10 or fewer units in russian military service. The main feature of this modification is its dual-caliber launch tubes that can use either 220-mm or 300-mm rockets, further accentuating the ammunition dilemma.
Other countries operating the BM-27 Uragan are:
- Turkmenistan – 60 units;
- Uzbekistan – 48 units;
- Belarus – 36 units;
- Moldova – 11 units;
- Eritrea – nine units
- Kyrgyzstan – six units;
- Angola and Guinea – three units each.
Theoretically, Belarus, Eritrea, and Central Asia countries should be ruled out as potential donors of ammunition to Ukraine for close ties with Moscow. Still, the list of benefactors looks exotic, the rockets could flow from the distant corners of Africa or secretly from a close neighbor.
Earlier Defense Express also drew attention to the fact that Syrian rebels in December 2024 captured an Uragan system loaded with ammunition from Bashar al-Assad's forces. Although the possibility is slim, it was among the trophies that would be great to get from Syria to the Ukrainian frontlines.
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