HM 20
Hadid
Notes: The Hadid
is based on the Russian BM-21 Grad MRL; however, the Hadid fires
purpose-designed rockets instead of Grad rockets.
The chassis of the Hadid is an older, refurbished Mercedes-Benz 2624 6x6
truck, which were originally sold to the Shah’s regime in the early 1970s.
The truck is a surprisingly heavy-duty vehicle; normally, as a standard
truck, it has a capacity of 12 tons. The engine is a direct-injection diesel
developing 280 horsepower, coupled to a synchromesh manual transmission. Though
the commander, driver, and gunner stay in the cab, the rest of the crew (mostly
the reloading crew) sit in seats at the rear of the cab, and take cover in front
of the truck when the launcher is firing.
The launcher is
obviously derived from the Grad.
Four types of rockets may be loaded into the launcher, the extended-range Arash
4, the short-range Arash 3 (also called the Noor), the medium-range Arash 2, and
the long-range Arash 1. These
Iranian rockets do not have the flexibility of warheads that the Grad has, nor
do they have the range, but they have the advantage of being domestically-built
and can be built in small facilities.
The Hadid uses tha same telescopic and panoramic sights as the BM-21.
The launcher has a traverse of 102 degrees left of center and 72 degrees
right. The elevating and traverse mechanism are electrical, manual, and mounted
on the launcher; the AG operates them with instructions from the gunner, and the
gunner can also make fine adjustments to the launcher’s elevation and traverse.
The launcher does not operate in the same manner as most other Grad-based
systems and it cannot use Grad rockets. The Hadid is essentially a simple MRL
that has average accuracy and is used primarily against area targets.
Hadids have seen
action since the Iran-Iraq War, and continues to this day, lending aid to ISIS
insurgents in Iraq. Certain Iranian
Army units remain in Iraq, and they are backed up by many combat vehicles,
including the Hadid.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$254,676 |
D, A |
607 kg |
13.15 tons |
6 |
13 |
Headlights |
Enclosed* |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
165/83 |
46/23 |
300 |
104 |
Trtd |
W(3) |
TF1 TS1
TR1 HF1
HS1 HR1 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
None |
None |
40-Round Hadid Rocket Launcher |
40xArash 1, 2, 3, or 4 rockets |
*Only
the cab has an Enclosed radiological rating; the rest of the truck has a
Radiological level of Open.