Indian Army issues RFI for life extension of Smerch rockets

The Indian Army seeks to extend the life of 300 mm rockets used with the BM-30 Smerch Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS). In the image, the employees of Russian arms company Splav can be seen loading a 300 mm rocket in Smerch MLRS. (Splav)

The Indian Army has released a tender to support its programme for the life extension of 300 mm rockets used with the BM-30 Smerch Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS).

According to a request for information (RFI) by the Indian Army, the service seeks to identify private Indian vendors for participating in the proposal for life extension of all variants of Smerch ammunition, and facilitate the preparation of request for proposals (RFP).

The Indian Army proposed the life extension of four variants of 300 mm Smerch rockets, the RFI added. The four variants are 300 mm 9M55S fuel-air explosive (FAE) warhead, 300 mm 9M55F high explosive (HE) fragmentation significant wave height (SWH)-70 km, 300 mm 9M528 HE fragmentation SWH-90 km, and 300 mm 9M55K cluster warhead.

The Indian Army said that the life-extension methodology of any ammunition depends on its design configuration, composition and quantity of explosives , and electronic/electrical components.

The extension is based on visual inspections, climatic tests, static proof in the laboratory, disassembling, and testing of components including safety and arming mechanism, warhead/submunitions including their chemical analysis, and so on, and thereafter, dynamic firing of selected ammunition, the Indian Army added.

“Based on results of the tests conducted, repair and sentencing of ammunition are carried out for the duration the shelf-life is to be extended,” the RFI added.