AFV Edition nations who always preferred dealing with Prague
rather than the politically pushy Moscow.
After the earlier RM-51 rocket launcher based
on Praga and Zil trucks, the designers in Dubnica
nad Váhom were under pressure to come up with
a machine that was not only truly modern but was
an improvement on the simple and robust Soviet
BM-21, itself based on the Ural 375D. To this end,
the Czechoslovakians mated their 8x8 Tatra T815
with an armoured cab, a reload of 122mm rockets
and the Soviet BM-21 MLRS unit.
The truck chassis had a central tyre pressure
regulation system, while the launcher could
fire a range of Soviet rockets and indigenous
Czechoslovakian projectiles. The first sales were to
then fraternal East Germany in 1972. Other sales
quickly followed to the likes of Colonel Gaddafi's
Libya seeing action in Chad in the 1980s, only to
end up being turned into 'Mad Max' trucks or burnt-
out wrecks by NATO air strikes during the revolutionwhen getting rid of Gaddafi decades later during the
2011 Arab Spring. While ideologies and conflicts
come and go, the now separated Czech Republic
and Slovakia continue to find new customers for
their deadly wears, including their now nearly five
decades old RM-70. Panzershop still produces this
important kit in resin (1:35) and with any luck, a
Chinese company like Hobbyboss – who have the
similar chassis'd DANA 152mm in production – may
release it in polystyrene in the near future. UA righthand side profile of the RM-70 showing the size of this
large 8x8 unit with BM-21 122mm launcher and space between
the front cab and launcher for forty reload rockets
Above; Detail shot of the BM-21 multiple launch rocket system, showing the sighting unit in folded down position.
Of interest, the North Korean forces displayed a number of RM-70s but an earlier double 122mm launcher pod on
their variants
Below; In front of the BM-21 launch tubes is the rear holder of the spare load of the 122mm rockets
Above; Detail shot of the BM-21 launcher pod on its hinged base. Of note are the spiralling outer rims on the
individual 122mm tubesBelow; The rear section of the RM-70 has a series of stowage boxes which may contain the screw-in
detonator warheads, attached before launch