Russia to supply Iraq with new 80mm air-to-ground unguided rockets

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World Defense & Security News - Russia & Iraq
 
 
Russia to supply Iraq with new 80mm air-to-ground unguided rockets
 
The Mi-171, Mi-35M and Mi-28NE helicopters in service with the Iraqi Air Force will receive new 80 mm airborne unguided rockets, featuring a high armor piercing capability, that will complement their ammunition suite, the Iraqi Defense Ministry has reported.
     
Russia to supply Iraq with new 80mm air to ground 80mm unguided missiles 640 001New 80 mm unguided rockets can be fired from Iraqi Mi-28NE attack helicopters
     
The defense establishment of that Middle East country declared that the Russian side had handed over to Iraq a batch of "80 mm airborne unguided missiles which will be effective in destroying armored targets." In all likelihood at issue are S-8KOM 80 mm caliber airborne unguided rocket fitted with a reinforced shaped-charge/fragmentation warhead /WH/.

According to unclassified sources, this type of rocket can pierce up to 420 mm of armor. Its warhead contains up to 500 fragments weighing 3 kg each. The missile can be launched out to a range of 1,300 to 4,000 m from the target. The rocket launch weight is 11.3 kg.

Over recent years Iraq has been a major buyer of Russian military hardware. As early as 2012, a package of contracts had been signed between Russia and Iraq, waging war against the Islamic State militants /IS, banned in Russia/, to supply Baghdad with different military equipment, including Mi-28NE and Mi-35 helicopters with a total value of US$ 4.2 billion. The Iraqi authorities had repeatedly shown interest in developing military technical cooperation with Russia.
     
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