The SLAM (Sistema Lanzacohetes de Artillería Múltiple, or Multiple Rocket Launcher System) "Pampero" is an Argentinian

multiple rocket launcher A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a volle ...

(a type of

rocket artillery Rocket artillery is artillery that uses rocket explosives as the projectile. The use of rocket artillery dates back to medieval China where devices such as fire arrows were used (albeit mostly as a psychological weapon). Fire arrows were also ...

) from

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

and modern eras.

Development

The SLAM "Pampero" MRL was developed by

CITEFA The Institute of Scientific and Technical Research for Defense ( es, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas para la Defensa, also known for its acronym CITEDEF), is an Argentine federal agency in charge of research and development i ...

in 1980–1983, and was subsequently manufactured during the early 1980s by the

DGFM Fabricaciones Militares, the full name is Fabricaciones Militares Sociedad del Estado (Spanish for Military Industries State Corporation), is a state-owned Argentine arms manufacturer based in Buenos Aires. The company was a government agency un ...

“Fabrica Militar Fray Luis Beltran” in Rosario, Argentina. It is composed by a 16-tube launcher mounted on an Unimog 416 4x4 truck. The ammunition consists of 105mm "Pampero" artillery rockets, also developed by CITEFA, which can be armed with a variety of warheads. A total of five "Pampero" launchers on UNIMOG 416 chassis were built for the Argentine Army in 1983 (one of them the prototype and the others four for actual use).

Service history

The self-propelled variant is currently in service with the

Argentine Army The Argentine Army ( es, Ejército Argentino, EA) is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander- ...

artillery branch. CP-30 127 mm

Production progressed to the CP-30 MRL, which is able to use either the 105mm rockets from the Pampero or the new 127mm rockets, also called CP-30. This MRL is mounted in

IVECO Trakker The Trakker is a truck produced by Iveco for use in construction. It is available with a total mass (gross vehicle weight) of . It has a strong frame, off-road capability, different axles, and an optional all-wheel drive. Motors The Trakker i ...

6x4 trucks, in a similar way to the soviet Katyushas.

Variants

* Surface-Surface: self-propelled 16-tube MRL, mounted on top of a

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...

Unimog 416 The Unimog (, ) is a range of multi-purpose tractors, trucks and lorries that has been produced by Boehringer from 1948 until 1951, and by Daimler Truck (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler AG) since 1951. In the United States and ...

chassis. * Air-Surface: 4 or 6-tube "Yaguareté" pod. 6-tube pod "Microbio".

Specifications

Rocket

* Caliber: * Length: * Motor: Solid-fuel rocket * Weight: * Maximum range: * Dispersion: 68% of projectiles within an area of 300 m by 200 m * Warhead: ** Types: Rocket Types: HE, HE-I (HE-Incendiary), Inert (for training). ** Weight: (NOTE: some specifications differ slightly from source to source)

Launcher

* Entered service: 1980s (

) * First used in action: ? * Chassis: Mercedes-Benz Unimog 416 4x4 truck * Crew: ? * Weight loaded: 6110 kg * Length: ? m (? Ft ?? in) * Width: ? m * Height (stowed): ? m * Height (max elevation): ? m * Max road speed: ? km/h * Cruise range: ? km * Engine: ? * Transmission: ? * Number of tubes: 16 * Launch Rate: 16 rockets in 7.5 seconds * Reload time: 10 minutes * Loader Type: Manual * Launcher Drive: Electric * Launcher Traverse: 90° * Launcher Elevation: 0 to +52° * Average unit cost: ?

Users

References

Notes

Sources

External links

Official Argentine Army website - Artillery Branch, field artillery equipment webpage
(specifications and picture).

(page with picture and basic specifications)
Official CITEFA website
(Air-Surface version pictures with some specifications)

(providing Description, Pictures and Specifications)

(with organization and equipment of the Argentine Army, including details on the “Pampero”)

(providing Specifications, with some differences) *
Description and specifications, Fabricaciones Militares website
(accessed 2016-10-27) {{DEFAULTSORT:Pampero Mrl Rocket artillery Salvo weapons Self-propelled artillery of Argentina Multiple rocket launchers Fabricaciones Militares