I would like to suggest the BM-21 Grad, a highly recognizable and long-serving Soviet multiple launch rocket system, as a more modern and practical counterpart to the currently available BM-13N “Katyusha” in War Thunder. While the BM-13N offers a unique and nostalgic experience, its limited accuracy and very light truck chassis often limit its utility in real battles. The BM-21, however, offers improved mobility, survivability, and firepower, making it a viable and fun option for rocket artillery enthusiasts in the mid-tiers.
History
The BM-21 Grad (Russian: БМ-21 “Град”, meaning “Hail”) was developed in the late 1950s and entered service with the Soviet Army in 1963. Designed to replace the aging BM-13 and BM-14 systems, it became one of the most widespread multiple rocket launchers in the world, serving in over 50 countries and being produced in the thousands.
The launcher is mounted on the Ural-375D 6x6 truck chassis, giving it greater cross-country mobility than earlier designs. It features 40 launch tubes capable of firing 122mm rockets over ranges of up to 20 km in real life. While it was primarily designed for saturation bombardment, the Grad also saw use in direct-fire roles in urban combat, counter-insurgency, and asymmetric warfare.
Specifications (for in-game implementation)
Chassis: Ural-375D (early version)
Armor: None (soft-skinned truck, like BM-13N)
Crew: 3
Armament:
Primary: 40 x 122mm M-21OF unguided rockets
High-Explosive Fragmentation
Could include HEAT or incendiary variants for game balance
Reload: Likely non-reloadable in battle (as with BM-13N), or very long reload
Traverse: Limited arc, elevation possible for indirect or lobbing shots
Speed: ~75 km/h (on-road)
Weight: ~13.7 tons
Just like the BM-13N, the BM-21 Grad is a unique artillery piece that focuses on burst damage through rocket salvos. However, the Grad provides several advantages:
More rockets (40 vs 16 on the BM-13N)
Improved mobility and suspension, especially on uneven terrain
Faster and more responsive platform to reposition or escape
Modern optics and better crew ergonomics (if modeled)
The Grad would still be fragile and highly vulnerable to machine guns or shrapnel, but it would offer a larger saturation area, better sustained fire, and greater effectiveness in close or medium range rocket engagements.
but placed appropriately at BR 9.0 or higher due to its superior firepower, range, and battlefield utility.
At BR 9.0–9.3, the Grad fits among other Cold War and early-modern era vehicles, where radar, ATGMs, and helicopters are common. Despite its raw power, its downsides make it a situational support vehicle, not a frontline brawler. Most players at this tier have:
Thermal optics
Scout drones or UAVs
Air superiority tools
Faster, more armored MBTs
These tools help counter Grad players who stay in static positions. The vehicle promotes high-risk, high-reward gameplay — great in ambush or surprise, poor in direct engagements.
Why War Thunder Needs the BM-21
Introduces Cold War-era rocket artillery at a proper modern BR
Offers a different kind of support role: not sniping, but saturation
Matches tech progression with modern Soviet systems and
Fits historical scenarios involving Middle East conflicts, Afghanistan, Chechnya, etc.
40-tube launcher mounted on Ural-375D truck — mobility meets firepower
Final Thoughts
The BM-21 Grad would be a fun, cinematic, and balanced support vehicle at BR 9.0+, providing the USSR with a high-tier rocket artillery system unlike anything else in the game. It wouldn’t dominate by itself, but it would reward map knowledge, ambush tactics, and team coordination — and look incredible while doing it.