Click to see full-size image. (Rostec)
Russia’s sole state weapons importer and exporter Rosoboronexport is set to showcase multiple advanced systems on the sideline of the World Defense Show 2026 exhibition, which will open its doors in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh from February 8 to 12.
Among the systems that will be showcased by the company for the first time will be the Sarma, a high-mobility multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) with capabilities overshadowing those of the United States’ M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
Russia’s state tech corporation Rostec, which developed the Sarma, was the first to announce that the MLRS will be showcased on the sideline of the upcoming expo, issuing a press release after the launcher was spotted in a desert color scheme being unloaded from a cargo plane in an airport near Riyadh on January 30.
Click to see full-size image. (Rostec)
Click to see full-size image. (Rostec)
Rosoboronexport on February 2 confirmed that the first official unveiling of the highly mobile launcher will take place during the expo.
“The World Defense Show is one of the largest arms and military equipment exhibitions in the world. For ROSOBORONEXPORT, it has become a platform for showcasing the latest developments in the Russian defense industry to partners in the Middle East and other key regions of our operations,” said Alexander Mikheev, Director General of Rosoboronexport in a statement.
“In 2026, Riyadh will host the world premieres for Russian weapons developed on the basis of experience gained in battle. For the first time, we are showcasing the full-scale versions of the Sarma multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) with new guided rockets, the BTR-22 APC, the Ballista remote-controlled weapon station, the RUS-PE reconnaissance and strike system with a loitering munition, the RPG-29M grenade launcher. We will hold public presentations of new products and negotiations on cooperation with countries friendly to Russia,” he added.
The Sarma is based on the KamAZ 63501 armored 8×8 chassis, and boasts six 300 mm launch tubes, in addition to a new automated fire control and guidance suite.
The MLRS has a crew of just three, and can also be remotely controlled from a shelter. Despite being armored, the launcher can reach road speeds of up to 95 kilometers per hour and has a range of 1,000 kilometers.
While the HIMARS have a comparable road speed, its operational range is less than a half of that of the Sarma, at just 480 kilometers.
The exact weight of the Sarma is not yet known, as the development of the system was kept under tight warps. However, it is believed to be significantly lighter than the most advanced 300 mm MLRS currently in service with the Russian military, the Tornado-S, with a total mass under 25 tons. This puts the launcher at around the same weight class as the HIMARS.
In its latest statement, Rosoboronexport described the Sarma as a “next-generation MLRS” that utilizes “advanced Russian-made electronic components” with “significantly improved” performance compared to legacy launchers, including a reduced ready-to-fire time and a better target engagement accuracy at ranges of up to 120 kilometers.
“One of the Sarma’s key advantages is its mobility. The vehicle can be emplaced and displaced in just three minutes, and a full salvo of six missiles can be fired in 18 seconds. These are among the best indicators in the global MLRS market segment, demonstrating the vehicle’s survivability in counter-battery fire conditions. The vehicle can reach 95 km/h on roads. The Sarma’s armored cabin protects the crew against mine and shell fragments, as well as 7.62 mm armor-piercing bullets,” the statement reads.
The HIMARS, which is typically armed with a pod made up of six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) 227 mm rockets, needs upwards of 45 and even 60 seconds to fire a complete salvo. The latest M31 rockets of the GMLRS series have a maximum range of 92 kilometers with a warhead weighing 23 kilograms.
Meanwhile, the Sarma, as Rosoboronexport noted, will be able to fire guided artillery rockets from the 9М54-series, which feature a GLONASS-aided inertial navigation system and have a minimum range of 40 kilometers and a maximum range of up to 120 kilometers.
Three rockets from the series, the 9M543, 9M544, and 9M549, will be exhibited for the first time outside Russia along with the Sarma at the World Defense Show 2026.
The 9M543 carries a high explosive warhead weighing around 250 kilograms, which gives it more than ten times the firepower of a GMLRS rocket. Meanwhile, both the 9M544, and 9M549 are armed with submunitions. The first can deliver a whopping 552 3B30 high-explosive anti-tank fragmentation submissions, while the second carries 72 9N235 high-explosive fragmentation submissions.
In addition to these newer rockets, the Sarma will be able to fire other highly capable delivery rockets like the 9M533, which can deploy five 9N268 self-guided anti-tank submunitions to a range of 90 kilometers. The HIMARS does not have such a capability.
“The Sarma is showcased at the exhibition as part of a single reconnaissance-and-strike system, serving as a fire weapon. Along with it, the Supercam S350 UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), designed for target reconnaissance and recognition, and the Planshet-A command and control system for artillery units on the Atlet armored chassis are on display,” Rosoboronexport added in its statement.
A video of a visit by President Vladimir Putin to the Motovilikha Plants in Russia’s Perm, partly owned by Rostec, from last September confirmed that the serial production of the Sarma is underway. Leaked documents from a year earlier revealed that the Russian military had ordered 12 launchers and 12 transport-loading vehicles. The number produced so far is likely between 24 and 48 systems.
Click to see full-size image.
A report by Rossiyskaya Gazeta from last month also revealed that the Sarma have already gone through extensive testing, possibly including in the special military operation zone in Ukraine.
Needless to say, 9М54-series rockets deployed by the Tornado-S have proven to be very effective during the special military operation, hitting everything from concentration of manpower and equipment, to bridges and fortified command centers with pinpoint accuracy.
The Sarma also takes on the HIMARS cost wise. Some sources estimate the price of the Russian MLRS of up to $1,6 million, that’s close to a quarter of the $6 million the American launcher is often sold for. And while the production of the Sarma is already underway, deliveries of HIMARS for customers are reportedly taking an average of three to five years from the day the contract is signed.
This comparison explains why Russia decided to showcase its latest MLRS for the first time in Saudi Arabia. For countries looking to obtain a highly-mobile and precision-guided rocket system, the Sarma beats the HIMARS on everything, from capabilities, to cost and even delivery time.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
nice response to globalist occult aggression. sharing is caring. empires based in snake oil and corruption can not compete with honest organised self determination. the world is awaking from the zionist spell
china is rapidly abandoning all israeli and cia security software and purging it forever from its purview
americunt torn anuz transgender empire shrunk to only include puerto rican lady boys after civil war in 2027 where calif oregon washcuntinton 100% 13 gender sodomized jizz consuming