S-8 (rocket)

The S-8 is a rocket weapon developed by the Soviet Air Force for use by military aircraft. It remains in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces and various export customers.

A S-8 KOM HEAT/FRAG rocket.

80mm Rocket Pods of a SLAF Mi-24.

Developed in the 1970s, the S-8 is an 80 mm (3.1 in) rocket used by fighter bombers and helicopters. The system entered service in 1984 and is produced in a variety of subtypes with different warheads, including HEAT anti-armor, high-explosive fragmentation, smoke, and incendiary, as well as the specialized S-8BM runway-destroying munition and the S-8DM fuel-air explosive variants. Each rocket is between 1.5 meters (4 ft 11 in) and 1.7 meters (5 ft 7 in) long and weighs between 11.3 kg (25 lb) and 15.2 kg (33.5 lb), depending on warhead and fuse. Range is 2 to 4 kilometers (1.3 to 2.6 mi).

The S-8 is generally carried in the B series of rocket pods, carrying either seven or 20 rockets.

In 2018, the Russian Aerospace Forces took delivery and completed state tests of several batches of the S-8OFP Broneboishchik, successor to the S-8. While both rockets are unguided, the S-8OFP has greater range, a heavier warhead, and a digital fuse. The rocket is intended for armament of Su-25 type aircraft and Mi-8 helicopters, depending on the settings of the fuse, is able to penetrate obstacles facing the set targets, it can also explode in front of the obstacle and behind the obstacle.^[1][2][3] The S-8OFP entered service and put into serial production in May 2023.^[4]

An armored self-propelled 80-tube MLRS vehicle using S-8 rockets has been developed by Belarusian industry. Relatively short range of the rocket (3 – 5 km cross-ground) compared to Grad rockets is compensated for by lower cost and greater beaten area from a high number of rockets.^[5] Serbia has developed the helicopter pod L80-07.^[6] The S-8 has been used in ground-to-ground mode against Ukrainian positions at Pavlopil by pro-Russian forces during the war in Donbas on 4 May^[7] and 20 June 2020. Two unexploded rockets were defused by the Ukrainian army in the later incident.^[8]

Rocket specifications

Designation	Type	Length overall	Launch weight	Warhead weight	Range	Notes
S-8	HEAT	1.56 m	11.5 kg	3.6 kg (0.9 kg of Hecphol-5/A-IX-10 explosive)	1.3 to 4 km	Basic variant. 350 mm versus RHA. Velocity 692 m/s. N-26A fuze. VIK-2D motor powder. During launch of this model may have black smoke.
S-8KO	HEAT	1.57 m	11.3 kg	3.6 kg (1.1 kg of Hecphol-5/A-IX-10 explosive)	1.3 to 4 km	400 mm versus RHA. Velocity 610 m/s. Improved fuze V-5KP1. Low smoke motor with powder BN-K.
S-8KOM [9]	HEAT	1.57 m	11.3 kg	3.6 kg (1.1 kg of Hecphol-5/A-IX-10 explosive)	1.3 to 4 km	400 mm versus RHA. Velocity 700 m/s. Used improved BNK-P low smoke motor powder with twice burn time.
S-8B	Penetrating	1.5 m	15.2 kg	7.41 kg (0.6 kg of explosive)	1.2 to 2.2 km	800 mm versus reinforced concrete.
S-8BM[10]	Penetrating	1.54 m	15.2 kg	7.41 kg (0.6 kg of explosive)	1.2 to 2.2 km	800 mm versus reinforced concrete. Velocity 450 m/s.
S-8D	FAE	1.66 m	11.6 kg	3.8 kg (2.15 kg of explosive)	1.3 to 3 km
S-8DM	FAE	1.7 m	11.6 kg	3.8 kg (2.15 kg of explosive)	1.3 to 3 km	5.5–6 kg TNT equivalent. Velocity 590 m/s
S-8DF[11]	FAE	1.68 m	13.4 kg	5.5 kg (3.3 kg of explosive)	1.3 to 4 km	6 kg TNT equivalent. Velocity 500 m/s
S-8 O	Illuminating	1.63 m	12.1 kg	4.3 kg	4 to 4.5 km	2 megacandela flare warhead
S-8 OM[12]	Illuminating	1.63 m	12.1 kg	4.3 kg	4 to 4.5 km	2 megacandela flare warhead burns for 30 seconds. Velocity 545 m/s.
S-8T [13]	Tandem-HEAT	1.68 m	15 kg	6.6 kg (1.6 kg of explosive)	1.3 to 4 km	Tandem HEAT 360–400 mm versus RHA after ERA, 440 mm versus RHA. Velocity 470 m/s
S-8P	Chaff	1.63 m	12.3 kg	4.5 kg of chaff	2 to 3 km
S-8PM[14]	Chaff	1.63 m	12.3 kg	4.5 kg of chaff	2 to 3 km	545 m/s velocity.
S-8S	Flechette	1.612 m	13 kg	4.3 kg	1.2 to 3.5 km	2,000 flechettes in 5 bundles
S-8TsM[15]	Target marking	1.605 m	11.1 kg	3.6 kg	1.3 to 2 km (heli) 1.3 to 3 km (plane)	target/route marking smoke visible 6 km away
S-8OFP1	HE-Frag-Penetrating	1.428 m	16.7 kg	9.2 kg (2.8 kg of explosive)	up to 6 km	improved motor with twice energy; pre-fragmented body; dual-mode fuzes allow to detonate after penetration of concrete or light armor; nicknamed "Broneboyshchik"

S-8OFP was already deployed in mid-late 2018 and have been seen at operational launch with Mi-35M helicopter.^[16][17][18]

See also

• S-5 rocket
• S-13 rocket
• Ugroza, a proposed upgrade of "dumb" rockets to salvo-fired laser-guided precision missiles
• Hydra 70