Valkiri

The Valkiri (from the Valkyrie of Norse mythology) is a South African self-propelled multiple rocket launcher developed in the 1980s by Somchem, (now Rheinmetall-Denel Munitions).

The system is based on the Soviet BM-21 Grad, examples of which were captured during Operation Savannah in Angola in 1976. Development was completed in 1981, and it was fielded in 1987 and 1988 by the South African Defense Force (SADF) in southern Angola against Cuban supported FAPLA forces, specifically during operations Hooper and Moduler. An advantage the Valkiri has over other multiple-launch rocket systems is that it is easy to disguise on the battlefield. With the canopy down the Valkiri looks like any other Unimog 4x4 truck.

Variants

 * Valkiri-22 Mk 1 (original version): 24 launch tubes mounted on a Unimog light 4x4 truck.
 * Bateleur (current version): 40 launch tubes mounted on an armoured Samil 100 6x6 truck.
 * Valkiri-5 a shortened lighter trailer-mounted version for airborne use. It has 12 launch tubes and uses a shortened version of the 127 mm rocket that has a maximum range of 5500 metres.