2K6 Luna (FROG-3) Russian Medium-Range Artillery Rocket System

The Russian FROG-3 [Free Rocket Over Ground], FROG-4, and FROG-5 are three variants of a single unguided, spin-stabilized, solid-fuel rocket. The 2K6 Luna (English: moon) is a Soviet short-range artillery rocket complex. Luna rockets were solid-fuel, unguided, and spin-stabilized. "2K6" is its GRAU designation. Its NATO reporting names are FROG-3 (with 3R9 missile) and FROG-5 (with 3R10 missile). From 1965, the 2K6 Luna was replaced by the far more successful 9K52 Luna-M, which was known in the West as the FROG-7. One of the first Soviet tactical missile systems with unguided missiles equipped with nuclear warheads. Intended for manning missile divisions of the tank and motorized rifle divisions, was to be used as a means of clearing in the offensive zone of the compound. It has been developed since 1953, launched in full-scale design in 1956, and has been tested since 1958, and entered service in 1960. The developer was the Moscow NII-1 (now the Moscow Institute of Heat Engineering, the creators of Topol, Yars and Maces). The Luna system was developed in NII-1 in 1953, under the supervision of N. P. Mazurov. Luna followed the earlier designs 2K1 Mars and 2K4 Filin. While NII-1 was responsible for the rocket, the launch and transporter-loader vehicles were designed by TsNII-58. The initial system name was S-125A "Pion". In 1957 the prototypes of the launch vehicle (SPU S-123A on Ob'yekt 160 chassis), the transponder (TZM S-124A on Ob'yekt 161 chassis), and the 3R5 rocket were ready for evaluations. These were carried out in 1958 in Kapustin Yar and in 1959 in the Transbaikal Military District. As a result of these evaluations, it was decided to abandon the TZM, to improve the SPU and to redesign the rocket. This led to the development of the 3R9 and 3R10 rockets. The decision to start series production was taken on 29 December 1959. The first 5 systems were ready in January 1960 after which the state acceptance trials were carried out until March of that same year. In 1960 the Luna system entered service with the Soviet Army where it remained until 1982. From 1960 till 1964, a total of 432 SPU 2P16s was produced. In the first year alone, 80 launch vehicles and 365 rockets were finished. The missile complex consisted of the launch vehicle SPU 2P16 (Ob'yekt 160), based on a modified PT-76B chassis with return rollers and fitted with a launch rail, elevation mechanism, stabilizing jacks, and a generator. Combat weight was 18 t; the rocket 3R9 with conventional HE warhead 3N15 and with a range of 12 to 44.6 km, the rocket 3R10 with a 400 kg nuclear warhead 3N14 and with a range of 10 to 32.1 km; a missile transporter 2U663 based on the ZiL-157V with 2 missiles; a vehicle 2U662 to transport and store nuclear warheads; a mobile crane ADK K52 (on MAZ-502), ADK K61 (on MAZ-200) or 9T31 (on Ural-375); sets of maintenance vehicles PRTB-1, 2U659, etc.; control and command vehicle PU-2 and a training set with training rocket PV-65 or 3R11 with training warhead 3N16.