During a presentation of material by the Russian Ground Forces, the public’s attention was captured by the exhibition of the new version of the heavy flamethrower system, the TOS-3 Dragon. The new variant of the formidable Russian multiple rocket launcher system features a new, more compact rocket launching system based on photographs that went viral on social media, presumably incorporating lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. Although no official data is available, various Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) specialists have provided some preliminary characteristics of the new MRLS capable of deploying thermobaric rockets.
Officially designated as a “heavy flamethrower system,” the TOS family represents one of the most powerful multiple rocket launcher systems in the inventory of the Russian Ground Forces. Utilizing the chassis of T-72 tanks, these systems become the mobility platform for launching various types of rockets. The most renowned and propagandistically employed for their devastating battlefield effects are the 220mm thermobaric rockets. Over the years, these MRLS have been refined in terms of design and capabilities, and have been used on new platforms like trucks.
To give a brief description, the TOS-1 Buratino and TOS-1A Solntsepek used BM-1 vehicles (based on the T-72 tank chassis) as their mobility platform. Incorporated into the Red Army in the late 1980s and inherited by the Ground Forces, each new version has introduced improvements while showing a reduction in rocket launch capacity. Specifically, the original TOS-1 had a 30-cell rocket launcher, while the TOS-1A introduced in the early 2000s had a 24-cell launcher; the latest version, called the TOS-2 Tosochka, which changes its mobility platform to a Ural-63704-0010 6×6 truck, has an 18-rocket launcher. A distinguishing feature of the MRLS family is that all can use the same types of rockets.
Focusing on the new version, called the TOS-3 Dragon, this variant once again changes its mobility platform, featuring the T-90 tank chassis. It also continues the trend of reducing the system’s launch capacity, now equipped with 15 220mm rockets. The Ground Forces seem to have committed to reducing the number of shots in favor of greater precision and range, which, according to OSINT sources, reaches up to 15 kilometers.
Another characteristic, also seen in the TOS-2, is the incorporation of drone cages into the rocket launching system. These have become mandatory equipment for armored and artillery vehicles due to experiences from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and were even observed in the conflict between HAMAS and Israel on Merkava tanks. Additionally, there are extra supports connecting the launch system to the T-90 chassis to address balance issues noted since the introduction of the original TOS.
You may also like: For the Deputy Chief of the United States European Command, the Western defense industrial base will surpass the Russian capacity
