The Uragan has been designed to operate in temperatures ranging from -40 to +50☌. In some units it has replaced the shorter-ranged 122 mm BM-21 (40-round) rocket system mounted on a 6 × 6 truck chassis. It would normally use 'shoot and scoot' techniques to avoid counter battery fire. Typical roles of the Uragan system would be to suppress enemy missile, artillery and mortar batteries as well as destroying strong points and other areas of resistance. If the unit were already a brigade then it would take on the extra six launchers per battalion to achieve its wartime TOE. But if the Uragan unit is assigned to an artillery division within the Military District, then the unit may be either a regiment or brigade with four battalions each with 12 launchers (which would be increased to 18 in time of war). In a Military District, an independent Uragan rocket artillery regiment has the same TOE. In the case of the former, the regiment Table of Organisation and Equipment (TOE) normally comprises three battalions of 12 launchers, which is normally increased to 18 launchers in time of war. Until the introduction of the larger 300 mm BM 9A52 (12-round) Smerch system, the 220 mm BM 9P140 (40-round) was normally deployed in rocket artillery regiment and brigade formations at Army or Front (Military District) level. The Uragan was used in action during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and in Chechnya. Its rockets have a much longer range and carry a variety of warheads, enabling a wider range of battlefield missions to be undertaken using the same launch platform. The main advantage of the 220 mm BM 9P140 (16-round) launcher system is that it is mounted on a ZIL-135LM (8 × 8) chassis with improved tactical and strategic mobility. Until the Splav 300 mm BM 9A52 (12-round) Smerch rocket system entered service with the Soviet Army in the early 1980s, the 220 mm 9P140 (16-round) was the largest system of its type in service. In the past the system has also sometimes been referred to as the BM-22 or BM-27. The complete BM 9P140 system has the industrial complex number of 9K57, which comprises the launcher, solid propellant unguided rockets and the essential rocket resupply vehicle. The 220 mm BM 9P140 (16-round) replaced the older 240 mm (12-round) BM-24 and 200 mm (4-round) BMD-20 systems. It entered service with the Soviet Army in the same year and was allocated the STANAG designation of the M1977 by NATO, this being the year it was first identified. The system was designed in the early 1970s, with development being completed in 1975. While the overall prime contractor for the complete Urugan system is the Splav Scientific Production Concern, the actual launcher and transloader vehicles and associated equipment has been designed and built by the Motovilikha Plants Corporation based in Perm. Like all Russian multiple rocket launcher (MRL) systems, the 220 mm BM 9P140 (16-round) Uragan (Hurricane) was developed under the guidance of the Splav Government Scientific Production Concern at Tula, which is to the east of Moscow.

Transloader zippyshare