ZIL-135 explained

ZIL-135
Layout:	8×8
Length:	92601NaN1
Width:	31301NaN1
Height:	30601NaN1
Weight:	70000NaN0

The ZIL-135 is a large eight-wheeled military transport and self-propelled artillery truck manufactured by ZiL during the Cold War from the Soviet Union starting in 1959. Its purpose was to carry and launch a Luna-M (NATO: Frog-7) surface-to-surface artillery rocket. The ZIL-135 was widely exported to other communist countries, most notably North Korea, where it is a common sight in films and military marches. It also served as the TEL for the BM-27 Uragan artillery rocket system.

This vehicle has two gasoline engines that power its 20 tonnes to a maximum speed of . One engine drives the four wheels on the left of the truck, while the other engine drives the four wheels on the right. The ZIL-135 has eight wheel drive, but only the front and rear axles are used for steering. It has a maximum cruising range of .

The cab of the ZIL-135 is NBC protected, allowing the rockets to be fired without exposing the crew to possible contaminants.^{[1] [2]} The six-man crew can emplace or displace the system in three minutes.

Variants

ZiL

• ZIL-135 (9P113): launcher for 9K52 Luna-M (NATO: Frog-7) missile (1959)
  • ZIL-135B: amphibious version of ZIL-135 (1959)
  • ZIL-135E: non-amphibious version of ZIL-135B (1960)
  • ZIL-135L: improved suspension (1961)
  • ZIL-135LM: ZIL-135L with manual transmission (1963); production transferred to BAZ
• ZIL-135K: launcher for C-5 missile (1961), based on the ZIL-135E; production transferred to BAZ in 1962
  • ZIL-135E: diesel-electric transmission (1965)
  • ZIL-135KM: launcher for P-5 Pyatyorka (NATO: SS-N-3 Shaddock) missile (1962, prototype for BAZ)
  • ZIL-135KP: land train (1969)
  • ZIL-135LN: chassis-cab based on ZIL-135K
• ZIL-135P: amphibious landing transport (landing barge) (1965)
• ZIL-135SH: prototype zero-turn radius version. It had two ZIL-375Ya V8 engines, one to power a generator to turn the front struts (from an Il-18) and the other drove the rear axle, which was from a ZIL-130.

BAZ

• ZIL-135K: launcher for FCR-2 missile (1961)
• BAZ-135LM: ZIL-135K with manual transmission (1963-1994)
  • BAZ-135LMT (BAZ-135L7): tropical weather version of BAZ-135LM (1968)
• BAZ-135LMP: launcher for BM-27 Uragan MLRS (1976)
• BAZ-135LTM: transporter for Luna-M missile (1963)
• BAZ-135L4: civilian version (1968)
• BAZ-E135G: experimental prototype with gas turbine engine
• BAZ-135M1: prototype with a single diesel engine
• BAZ-135MB: launcher for SPU-35V, Tu-143 and Tu-243 (1964)
  • BAZ-135MBP: BAZ-135MB with metal cargo platform
  • BAZ-135MBK: BAZ-135MB with increased cargo and towing capacity (1991)
  • BAZ-135MBL: (1993)

Specifications

• Length: 30.41feet
• Width: 9.19feet
• Height: 8.3feet
• GVW (without missile): 11.57 tons
• Ground clearance: 580mm
• Pitch angle: 57°
• Engine: 2× ZIL-375YA V-8 6.9 liter gasoline engines
• Horsepower: 180hp × 2
• Top speed: 40.392NaN2
• Range: 248.55miles
• Fuel consumption: 32NaN2 - 12NaN2

References

• Book: Jamie . Prenatt . Adam . Hook . Katyusha – Russian Multiple Rocket Launchers 1941–Present . New Vanguard 235 . Osprey Publishing . Oxford . 2016 . 978-1-4728-1086-1.

Notes and References

1. Book: Phillips , Russell . Red Steel: Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of the Cold War . Shilka . 2013 . 140.
2. http://weaponsystems.net/weaponsystem/DD05%20-%20BM-27%20Uragan.html WeaponSystems.net