Confirmed – Ukraine is already using Vilkha systems in combat
It’s been confirmed that Ukraine has used its own multiple rocket launcher called Vilkha in combat (also called Olkha). Vilha fires missiles very quickly and its effective firing range is significantly greater than the HIMARS used by Ukraine. This is partly because HIMARS with the missiles supplied by the Western allies can only reach targets 70 km away.
Vilkha was introduced back in 2018. It was then claimed that the system would soon enter Ukraine’s arsenals, but due to production difficulties and other reasons its actual deliveries took some time.
In the autumn of 2021, the last tests of the Vilkha complex were carried out and in 2022 it was supposed to enter service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. There was no information about this system in the media, but the defenders of Ukraine are already using it.
Olkha-M or, as Ukrainians call ir, Vilkha. It is a highly capable system, officially used since 2018, but coming into action just now.
Ivan Vinnik, deputy head of Ukraine’s National Defense Industry Association, says
that the range of the Vilkha system currently in use is 110 km, and the warhead weighs 220 kg. According to its creators,
the system does not lack accuracy – the missiles fly to the programmed target. On March 1, Vinnik confirmed that Vilkha was used in combat in this war.
HIMARS can have a longer range –
ATACMS missiles fly up to 300 km. However, t
he Ukrainian Vilha can destroy targets further than the HIMARS that are being used in Ukraine.
The Vilkha’s accuracy is increased by so-called gas rudders used to direct the missiles to the target. Wikipedia notes that the system does not use GPS (probably because it is relatively easily jammed). It is noted that the operational range of Vilkha can be increased to 150 km. In fact, it was already foreseen.
Vilkha (or Olkha) has several intended modifications.
Standard Vilkha shoots at a distance of 70 km, Vilkha-M – up to 130 km (probably this is what we are talking about, just that the tested range is 110 km), Vilkha-M2 – 141 km. The weight of the warhead is between 170 and 250 kg.
Vilkha was tested in 2018 and is ready for use in combat, even though it is quite rare.
Vilkha may look familiar, even though it’s brand new. This is due to the fact that
it was developed on the basis of the Soviet system BM-30 Smerch. Vilkha is said to weigh 33 tons and can reach 100 km/h. speed. The eight-wheel drive chassis should provide decent off-road handling, but the Vilkha is more than 3 meters wide.
Vilkha fires all 12 of its missiles in just 45 seconds. It takes a couple of minutes to set up for a volley as you have to stop, lower the stabilizing legs, raise the rocket launcher, etc., but overall the Vilkha is a very fast and efficient system.
Ukraine probably has just a couple of them. Vilha is a well-guarded secret. However,
some deep shots in the occupied territories can probably be explained through the usage of Vilka in combat. For example, some explosions in the occupied Mariupol come to mind – those targets were out of HIMARS’ range.
