BM-14

The BM-14 (BM for Boyevaya Mashina, 'combat vehicle'), is a Soviet-made 140mm multiple rocket launcher, fielded by the Soviet Union.

The BM-14 can fire rockets fitted with chemical (MS-14), smoke (M-14D) or high-explosive fragmentation (M-14-OF) warheads. It is similar to the BM-13 "Katyusha" and was partly replaced in service by the 122 mm BM-21 Grad.

The rocket has a range of about 9.8 km and can carry a warhead of 8 kg weight. Launchers were built in 16 and 17-round variants.

The weapon is not accurate as there is no guidance system, but it is extremely effective in saturation bombardment.

Algerian armed forces used BM-14 rocket launchers in 1993 during the Algerian Civil War.

Variants

 * BM-14 (8U32) - 16-round model (two rows of 8), launcher mounted on the ZiS-151 truck. Entered service in 1952. Also known as BM-14-16.
 * BM-14M (2B2) - modified model, mounted on the ZIL-157.
 * BM-14MM (2B2R) - final upgrade, mounted on the ZiL-131.
 * BM-14-17 (8U35) - 17-round (8+9 launch tubes) launcher, mounted on the GAZ-63A. Developed in 1959. This launcher was also used on naval vessels, for example Project 1204 patrol boats.
 * RPU-14 (8U38) - towed 16-round version, based on the carriage of the 85mm gun D-44 and used by Soviet Airborne Troops, where it was replaced by the 122mm BM-21V "Grad-V".

Operators

 * - 50
 * - 10
 * - Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) operates 24 BM-14-17 launchers.
 * 🇷🇺 - 50 BM-13, BM-14.
 * - 200 BM-14
 * 🇸🇾 - 200 BM-14 purchased in 1967
 * - Passed on to successor states in 1991.
 * - 700
 * 🇾🇪 - 30
 * 🇷🇺 - 50 BM-13, BM-14.
 * - 200 BM-14
 * 🇸🇾 - 200 BM-14 purchased in 1967
 * - Passed on to successor states in 1991.
 * - 700
 * 🇾🇪 - 30

Similar designs

 * The Type 63 130mm multiple rocket launcher (not to be confused with the towed Type 63 of 107mm) is the Chinese version of the BM-14-17. It has a slightly smaller calibre but is fitted with 19 instead of 17 launch tubes. The Type 63 MRL is based on the Nanjing NJ-230 or 230A 4x4 truck, a licence-produced version of the Soviet GAZ-63/63A.
 * The WP-8z (Wyrzutnia Pocisków rakietowych) was a Polish towed rocket launcher that was developed in 1960. The weapon was subsequently produced between 1964 and 1965. It fired the same rockets as the RPU-14 but had only 8 launch tubes. The main operator was the 6th Pomeranian Airborne Division (6 Pomorska Dywizja Powietrzno-Desantowa). with 12-18 WP-8s in its inventory.