BM-14

Infobox Weapon
name= BM-14


caption= The BM-14's rocket tubes :Photo Courtesy of [http://www.ddrafg.com www.ddrafg.com]
origin= USSR
type= Multiple rocket launcher
service= 1945-1965
used_by= The Soviet Union, Indonesia, Cuba, Algeria and others.
wars=Algerian Civil War, War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
designer=
design_date=
manufacturer=
production_date=
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The Soviet made 140mm BM-14 (BM for "Boyevaya Mashina", 'combat vehicle') Katyusha (Russian "Катюша" meaning 'little Katy') type multiple rocket launcher was built and fielded by the Soviet Union following World War II.

It has range of about 10km and can carry a warhead of about 8 kg weight. Launchers are built in 16 and 17-round variations.

The BM-14 can fire chemical rounds as well as high-explosive fragmentation (M-140F). It is similar to the BM-13 Katyusha and was replaced by the 122 mm BM-21 MRL system by the Soviet Army in 1963-4.

The weapon was not accurate, as they have no guidance system but are extremely effective in saturation bombardment.

Algerian armed forces used BM-14 Rocket launchers as of 1993, during the Algerian Civil War as part of their Major Army inventory. As of 1999 the multiple rocket launcher were in active use in the Cuban Armed Forces. The BM-14 has also been used by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Operators

*CUB
*IDN - Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) operates 24 BM-14.
*YEM - 30
*RUS - 50 BM-13, BM-14 and BM-15. [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/army-equipment.htm Russian Army Equipment ] ]

Former Operators

*USSR - Passed on to successor states.

References

* [http://www.fas.org/terrorism/str/index.html Use of BM-14 by the Taliban]
* [http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/row/rpu-14.htm Description of BM-14]
* [http://www.cubapolidata.com/cafr/cafr_army.html Use of BM-14 by Cuban Armed Forces]
* [http://english.pravda.ru/hotspots/conflicts/07-08-2006/83771-Katyusha-0 Range and Payload]
* [http://www.country-data.com/frd/cs/algeria/dz_appen.html Algerian use of BM-14 as of 1993]

See also

* Katyusha WWII multiple rocket launchers (BM-13, BM-8, and BM-31)
* BM-21 Grad 122mm multiple rocket launcher
* BM-27 Uragan 220mm multiple rocket launcher
* BM-30 Smerch 300 mm multiple rocket launcher
* Multiple Launch Rocket System, U.S. multiple rocket launcher