The RIA Novosti news agency reported on June 1, 2023, that Russia is creating a new 300-millimeter MLRS "Sarma" of increased mobility, capable of firing guided munitions. This was reported to RIA Novosti by an informed source.
A variant of the 9A52-4 combat vehicle of the 9K58-4 "Kama" multiple launch rocket system with a 300-mm launcher MZ-196 and a 9T234-4 transport-loading vehicle, made on a KamAZ-63501 (8x8) automobile chassis, during factory tests, 2010 (from) JSC "Motovilikha Plants"
"Enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex are developing a promising 300 mm MLRS Sarma, which will be a continuation of the Kama MLRS project, which was created on the KAMAZ chassis. The new MLRS will have increased mobility and security and will be able, among other things, to use guided precision-guided munitions," the agency interlocutor noted.
He added that the car will be equipped with an "advanced automated fire control and guidance system."
On the part of bmpd, we recall that the lightweight 300-mm MLRS 9K58-4 "Kama", using 300-mm MLRS 9K58 "Smerch" rockets, but made on a KamAZ-6350 or KamAZ-63501 (8x8) automobile chassis, was developed by the SCB JSC "Motovilikhinsky Plants" (Perm) in 2000-e years. The first version of the combat vehicle 9A52-4 MLRS "Kama" was presented at the Moscow Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2007 and was equipped with one unified quick-release transport and launch container 9YA295 with six 300-mm missiles. The dimensions of the sealed container 9Y295 are 7512 x 1130 x 996 mm, the weight of the curb is 6.2 tons, empty - 1.42 tons. The total combat weight of the combat vehicle in this version was 23.6 tons. The crew is two people, the car on the march was disguised as an awning truck.
However, this Kama MLRS machine has not been developed. Unified 9Y295 transport and launch containers with six 300-mm missile guides were also used on the 9A53 bi-caliber (220 and 300 mm) MLRS 9K512 "Hurricane-1M" combat vehicle, formally adopted in 2016, but until now remained in piece copies.
At the REA-2009 Arms Exhibition in Nizhny Tagil (Sverdlovsk region) a new version of the combat vehicle 9A52-4 MLRS "Kama" was demonstrated, now equipped with a rotary 300-mm six-shot tubular launcher MZ-196 instead of the transport and launch container 9YA295. Accordingly, a special transport-loading vehicle (TZM) 9T234-4 was introduced into the MLRS, carrying six 300 mm caliber missiles and also made on the KamAZ-63501 (8x8) chassis. Tests of prototypes of the Kama MLRS in this version were conducted for several years, but were eventually discontinued due to lack of interest on the part of the Russian Ministry of Defense, which decided to purchase an upgraded version of the Smerch MLRS in the 9K515 Tornado-S version.
The reasons for the current reincarnation of the Kama MLRS in a "new look" and with guided missiles are quite obvious and are well described by Stalin's legendary phrase addressed to aircraft designer A.N. Tupolev about copying the American B-29 bomber: "Don't do better, do this!".
Sarma is a river flowing into Lake Baikal and a strong Baikal wind.
The first version of the 9A52-4 combat vehicle of the 9K58-4 "Kama" multiple launch rocket system equipped with one unified 9YA295 quick-release transport and launch container with six 300 mm rockets, is on display at the MAKS-2007 Moscow Aviation and Space Salon. Zhukovsky, August 2007 (with) Gurov S.V.
Unified quick-release transport and launch container 9YA295 with six 300-mm missiles (c) Gurov S.V.
