BRT, a small Ural arms company, has already handed over 300 Capricorn-1 rocket launchers to the front, and the next batch is being prepared for shipment. This weapon, designed by active-duty military personnel, is in high demand in the military and has earned a reputation as infantry pocket artillery. With it, motorized skirmishers get the opportunity to terrorize the enemy's near rear, remaining virtually unnoticed. About the Capricorn system — in the RIA Novosti article.
They put it on wheels
In the spacious BRT workshop on the outskirts of Yekaterinburg, the details of the installations are laid out on the floor: carriages, frames, guidance units, rocket guides. Welding, fitting and processing of parts, and final assembly of products are performed here. The technology has already been perfected — Ural gunsmiths have been producing Capricorn installations since 2023, and they have handed over three hundred ready-made guns to the front. In fact, it is a full-fledged serial production, which has been mastered by a company with a staff of less than a hundred people.
The installation is a recoilless artillery piece for firing shells from MLRS "Grad". Structurally, it consists of three main parts: a platform with "legs", "horns" for vertical aiming with a stretcher and a guide from the "Grad" — up to nine of them can be placed on the machine. Weight — 270 kilograms. When disassembled, it easily fits into a UAZ ("Loaf"). 15 minutes is enough for a crew of three to bring the gun to combat readiness.
"This is a modified version of the Capricorn—1M," explains Artyom, a BRT design engineer. — We put it on a wheelbase. Now the gun can be easily transported by ATV through a special device. In addition, the horizontal aiming was improved, adding a chain drive for smooth running. There is also a "fork" with the ability to install a basket and a PG-1M panorama. This is a standard artillery panoramic sight that gunners, both gunners and rocket scientists, are familiar with.
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| Production of the Capricorn installation at the BRT enterprise. |
| Source: BRT Company |
The entire range of rockets from the BM-21 Grad is suitable for firing, including the 9M22U with a firing range of up to 20 kilometers. There are rough vertical aiming units and flywheels for finer aiming. Due to the rigid welded construction, the gun does not shake when firing, so the accuracy is the highest. There have been cases when the Capricorn hit the target with the second or third shot, which is considered an excellent result in artillery.
Plenty of ammunition
"This is an extremely necessary crutch for our army," says Artyom. — In conditions of mass use of drones by the enemy, conventional Grads are too vulnerable. This is a large target, and the launch site can be seen from the air for many kilometers. Such MLRS may not be used everywhere. Capricorn is another matter. I hooked it to an ATV, took it to a position, camouflaged it, and was ready to fire at 20 kilometers."
Hiding such a weapon is much easier than MLRS. Proven tactics: open a two-meter-deep full-profile trench and place an installation in it. Above — logs, soil, camouflage nets. All that remains is a ballistic loophole. In such a position, the calculation can feel relatively safe. They opened the loophole, fired back, and closed. The enemy simply does not have time to determine where the fire is coming from. However, there was an experience of using the Capricorn at direct fire — it was dragged into a building and hit at the enemy through an opening in the wall.
A special advantage is the availability of ammunition. In the combat zone, forest belts are littered with so—called dissimilarities - rockets that have not come off the rails. It is no longer possible to use them in the Grad package, but for Capricorn it is quite possible.
Capricorn-1 is normally equipped with one guide rail, but at the request of the customer, we install up to nine," says Evgeny, head of production at BRT. — The inventor of the Capricorn and our general designer, Ivan Ordin, is currently working on a 16-barrel version in his area. In fact, it will already be a full-fledged MLRS. Moreover, it is much cheaper than an "adult" installation. Simplicity, reliability, accuracy — it is not surprising that there is such a demand for this weapon in the army."
Swing by 220 millimeters
"Capricorns" are used in different areas of their activity. These installations make a significant contribution to the overall fire effect on the enemy. A range of 20 kilometers is enough to reach the near rear of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and most importantly, to the positions of their drones.
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| The Capricorn rocket launcher. |
| Source: BRT Company |
Hunting for enemy "birders" is one of the main tasks of the Capricorn calculations. Every experienced UAV operator is worth their weight in gold to the enemy. Their destruction is always a priority. For such tasks, Capricorns are usually used in conjunction with aerial and radio intelligence.
"When I assembled the first cannon in April 2023, there were still few drones at the front," recalls the creator of Capricorn, Ivan Poryadin. — All the artillery was working freely: the barrel, the rocket launcher, the AGS. Today, the lion's share of "arta" falls into the UAV strike zone. Even mortars are practically not used, and this is the main infantry pocket artillery since the Second World War. So the Capricorn became a temporary solution for our army, until we learn how to beat the enemy "birds" even more effectively.
In addition to the 16-barrel version of the Capricorn, Ordin plans to develop a heavier version for 220-millimeter MLRS Uragan rockets with a range of more than 30 kilometers. And the power of a 100-kilogram high-explosive (or thermobaric) part is enough to destroy even well-fortified enemy positions.
Andrey Kotz
