Ukrainians have identified a new Russian TOS-2 thermobaric missile in Ukraine for the first time. This weapon has been produced since 2020 and has not yet been seen on the front lines. We explain the capabilities of this weapon.
“For the first time, the Russian 220 mm TOS-2 Tosochka heavy flamethrower was captured in the lens of a Ukrainian drone in the Luhansk region,” says the Ukrainian front profile on the X platform. This weapon is a development of TOS. 1 launcher has long been used at the front, known for its powerful destructive power – the weapon vaporizes everything in the path of the bullet, including people.
Delivered in 2020 (as a prototype), the TOS-2 is a lighter and cheaper alternative to the TOS-1A mentioned above. Since the start of the war, no 100% corroborating photographs or records have surfaced. The use of TOS-2 on the Ukrainian front. Until now, when the Tosochka organization appeared in the Luhansk region.
TOS-2 Tosoczka Heavy Flamethrower
The appearance of the mentioned TOS-2 prototypes in 2020 is the result of the start of research and development work on the project in 2016. A multi-thrust rocket launcher manufactured by NPO Spław is mounted on a wheeled tractor, and its The weapon is an 18-rail 220 mm rocket launcher.
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The system is placed on the chassis of the Ural-63706 truck (6×6 drive), which provides the launcher. High mobility not only on pavement surfaces but also in the field. This makes it much easier to transport equipment by air. To increase safety, the cabin of the vehicle is additionally armored to withstand fragments of small arms and small bullets. Like the TOS-1A, The missile can fire at enemy positions using missiles with thermobaric warheads and flammable.
The range of the TOS-2 is estimated to be 10 km maximum (may be less if different effectors are used). However, the Russians need to improve the weapon's firing range. Compared to the TOS-1A, the new Tosochka launcher has a self-loading system, which eliminates the problem of its predecessor, namely the need to use an additional ammunition vehicle. The manufacturer also modernized the fire control system Helps increase shooting accuracy.
Norbert Garbarek, journalist for Virtualna Polska