OVERVIEW: The 9M218 is a 122mm unguided high-explosive (HE) cluster rocket designed for use with the Tornado-G multiple launch rocket system. It is intended for wide-area attacks using fragmentation submunitions against infantry, soft-skinned vehicles, and light fortifications.

DETAILS: The 9M218 is part of the Russian 122mm artillery rocket family designed to replace and enhance legacy BM-21 Grad munitions. Fired from the Tornado-G launcher, the rocket carries multiple HE-fragmentation submunitions that are dispersed mid-flight over a large target area. Each submunition delivers blast and fragmentation effects, increasing lethality against exposed personnel and lightly protected structures. The rocket uses a solid-fuel motor and spin stabilization for extended range and dispersion accuracy, typically out to 30–40 km.

Unlike the 9M217 anti-tank variant, the 9M218 is optimized for anti-personnel and area-denial roles. Its submunitions are simpler in design, lacking terminal guidance, and are dispersed to maximize surface coverage. This makes it effective for suppressing infantry positions, command nodes, and disrupting logistical routes or defensive lines.

Rockets are loaded into Tornado-G launcher pods and fired in coordinated salvos. The fire-control system allows rapid programming of dispersion patterns and impact zones. The 9M218 is intended for battlefield shaping, suppression of enemy defenses, and follow-on saturation of zones previously cleared by precision fires.

NOTE:
IOC: Early 2000s
Operators: Russia
Platforms: Tornado-G
Conflict used in: Russia–Ukraine War (2022–present)

SOURCE:
U.S. Air Force Armament Museum: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil ; Jane’s Weapons: Air-Launched ; Department of Defense: https://www.defense.gov, Historical Munition Fact Sheets ; Federation of American Scientists (FAS): https://fas.org ; U.S. Navy Weapon Systems Explosive Ordnance Disposal publication: https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NUWC-Newport/What-We-Do/Undersea-Warfare-Systems/Weapon-Systems/