30.01.2015.

Presentation of the new missile system LRSVM Morava in Nikinci

Today, in Nikinci, at the Center for Testing Arms and Military Equipment of the Technical Testing Center, new, nationally developed missile system - LRSVM Morava multiple rocket launcher was presented. The event was attended by Minister of Defence Bratislav Gasic and Deputy Head of the General Staff of Serbia Lieutenant General Jovica Draganic with associates.

After the presentation, where Director of the Military Technical Institute Colonel Doc. Dr. Zoran Rajic presented the new arms and stressed that it had been produced by Serbian wits and national industry, visitors could watch in real-time the missile launching over video projector – the display of images from the firing position and from the goal region.

The system with two different launch modules – “Oganj” and “Grad” was placed at the firing position of the training ground – Placement B, 10,500 meters from the goal. The first shooting was conducted with five 122mm Grad missiles in single firing and the second one with eleven 128mm M77 Oganj missiles, fired in burst.

After the successfully conducted firing, Minister Gasic said that this was an important day for the defence industry of Serbia and the Armed

Forces of Serbia because testing firing had been conducted from “Morava” missile system after five years of development. The Minister congratulated members of the Military Technical Institute, representatives of the defence industry and technical Testing Center for successful test-fire and stressed the importance of Morava system for the Armed Forces of Serbia:

- With incorporation of this system in arms of the Armed Forces of Serbia, operative capabilities of the Armed Forces of Serbia will be significantly increased. This is a product of Serbian wits and Serbian military industry, since 98 percent of its elements was produced in Serbian factories – “14. Oktobar”, “Prva Petoletka”, FAP, “Krusik”… This is of great importance for us in both industrial and technological sense. With creation of this product, we have ranked among the few countries in the world that produce it – Minister stressed.

When asked about the importance of Morava missile system for Serbian export, Minister said that “only 17 countries in the world have approximately similar systems, and only Turkey in this region, so you can imagine how important this is.”

Minister Gasic added that significant means will be invested in our defence industry, since it is the flywheel of industrialization in Serbia.

Director of the Military Technical Institute said that the development of this system cost our state a million euros and added:

- This is a very complex system on which the entire knowledge and experience in Serbia has been implemented. Many new technologies have been introduced and applied on it, and, considering how our factories will produce this arm, everyone will raise their technological level, which is the most important thing for the state. The knowledge we have acquired through the development of this system is also applicable on other systems – Colonel Rajic said.

LRSVM Morava is intended to destroy combat equipment of command posts, bases, warehouses, airports, and lightly armored targets. The system is fully automatized, and its main characteristic – modularity – is contained in its capability to use various sorts of ammunition (missiles Plamen A, Plamen D, Oganj and Grad) with quick change of modules, for shooting from the same platform, which enables rational spending of missiles. Its maximum range is 35 km with 122mm Grad missiles. It takes two minutes to fire and go back to route position (it takes five to the Oganj system), and the crew of the system consists of only three members.

This contemporary artillery arm was fully developed at the Military Technical Institute, and produced in factories of the Republic of Serbia. The integrator-producer of the missile system is “14. Oktobar” from Krusevac, and module integrator is “Krusik” from Valjevo. Other cooperating producers were also involved in the system production, such as FAP from Priboj, “Prva Petoletka” from Trstenik, INHROM from Cacak, two Nis companies – EI-Opek and LMB-Soft, and other smaller producers.

Through the development of this system, new technology of production of launch tubes was developed and tested, the first modular concept of ammunition was applied for the first time and, for the first time in our country, the inertial-navigational system, system for fire management and new trigger were projected and produced.

The development of the missile system lasted for 5 years (began in 2010), and it is expected that the prototype will be introduced in our military system this year, which, in terms of duration of development, is adherent to global norms.