New Russian rocket artillery at the front?

In 2023, the Russian RIA Novosti agency reported on ongoing work to create a new type of 300 mm multiple rocket launcher, which is a development of the 9K58-4 Kama system. This meant the Russians reviving a project from years ago – a lightened version of the BM-30 Smerch launcher mounted on a new carrier.

Russia's answer to HIMARS

Its first public reveal occurred in the second half of September 2025. At the end of October, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced the purchase of the first 12 units along with an equal number of transloader vehicles. The acquisition of the Sarma was intended as a response to the Ukrainian army’s use of American M142 HIMARS launchers.

At the end of February 2026, unconfirmed reports emerged suggesting that deliveries of the first launchers to the Russian army had begun. However, there was a lack of any visual confirmation or even hints in statements from military officials. A breakthrough occurred a few days ago thanks to a recording made during an attack by a Ukrainian UAV on a Russian rocket launcher in the Donetsk Oblast while it was conducting a fire mission.

The footage cuts off, leaving uncertainty regarding the successful destruction of the vehicle, yet it provides several interesting pieces of information. The first is the indication that it is likely the aforementioned Sarma. A shot from before the impact shows that the launcher has a crew cabin in an unusual white livery. This does not fit well with the current appearance of the front, which, combined with the lack of any frontline modifications (e.g. additional slat armour), is peculiar.

Nevertheless, it can be stated with high probability that this is indeed the Sarma, which reached the front quite quickly (less than a year after being ordered). Some commentators suggest that this shot is an AI-generated image; however, it is likely just a distortion corrected by software utilising the aforementioned artificial intelligence.

Russians promote the Sarma on export markets

The launcher itself is also being promoted on foreign markets, as evidenced by a promotional video in English published in February by Rosoboronexport. Another key element in the promotion of the Russian rocket launcher was sending it to the Saudi World Defence Show 2026. The unit shown there featured a desert tan livery, more appropriate for promotion in the Middle Eastern market.

The Sarma is likely also being offered on African markets. It is expected to be slightly more expensive than the heavier Tornado-S launchers. Its price has been set at approximately 1.9 million USD, but this is for the Russian army. Consequently, a higher amount will be required for export markets. In recent years, no one has decided to purchase the heavier BM-30 Smerch or its Tornado-S modernisation, so the Sarma may be their next attempt to enter this market segment.

The Sarma is a Russian 300 mm multiple rocket launcher developed based on the 9K58-4 Kama launcher. Compared to the BM-30 Smerch/Tornado-S systems, this vehicle has only six launch tubes, which can fire rockets at a range of 70–90 km or 120–130 km when using appropriate ammunition (theoretically, it is capable of firing any type of combat ordnance designed for the BM-30 Smerch/Tornado-S systems).

The Sarma was reportedly equipped with an automated fire control system designed to collect information from external reconnaissance systems. The time required to fire all rockets is specified as less than 19 seconds. The launcher’s chassis is a KamAZ-63501 truck with a K-5350 armoured cabin, powered by a KamAZ-740.50-360 engine with 360 hp. Its kerb weight is estimated to be 23,000–24,000 kg.