Russia has begun field testing a new multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) called “Sarma,” which state-affiliated media have described as a Russian alternative to the American HIMARS system, United24media reports.
PHOTO X/Defense Express
According to Defense Express, the system is currently undergoing operational testing on the battlefield.
Russian media highlighted the tactical role of the Sarma missile as it allows rapid shoot-and-scoot operations – a tactic adopted in environments with high drone density. The launcher is equipped with six tubes, similar to those of the HIMARS missile, and is designed to attack targets up to 120 kilometers away.
Russian media reported that Sarma missiles would have a longer range than HIMARS if standard 227 mm GMLRS missiles, which are effective at up to 80 kilometers, are used. However, this seems to ignore the information that, in the meantime, the US has already introduced ER-GMLRS missiles with a range of up to 150 kilometers, thus exceeding Sarma's current capabilities.
Previous Russian statements hinted that the Sarma could eventually reach a range of 200 kilometers, but Defense Express reports that those ambitions are no longer mentioned in current reports.
Although the Sarma was introduced in 2023, it is based on an older platform, the 9A52-4 Kama, a prototype developed in 2007 mounted on a KamAZ-63501 chassis. The Kama system never went into mass production, and the Sarma appears to be the continuation of that long-delayed effort.
Despite public demonstrations and claims of battlefield deployment, there is no independent confirmation that the Sarma has entered series production. According to Defense Express, Russia did not disclose the number of units deployed or their current operational status.
Russia's push to develop missiles similar to Western ones comes amid continued comparisons with HIMARS, which has played an important role in Ukraine's long-range strike capabilities since 2022. The US-made system has been credited with its ability to launch mobile and precise attacks on important targets that Russian forces have had difficulty countering.
As Defense Express notes, the narrative surrounding the new Sarma system has a symbolic as well as a military purpose — presenting the system as a response to Western technological advantages in Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.
Earlier, Ukraine announced plans to develop a domestically produced multi-purpose missile system, partly inspired by the US-made HIMARS system, with the aim of reducing dependence on foreign suppliers and more effectively integrating Ukrainian-developed munitions.
