Georgia presented at the Vaziani military firing-ground outside Tbilisi on March ۳ its first domestically manufactured multiple rocket launcher system.
“We have produced this artillery system and soon we will launch producing its rocket shells,” said President Saakashvili, who attended the presentation of the multiple rocket launcher, adding that “the major problem was with liquid fuel, but Georgian engineers have actually already solved this problem for this type of rocket shells.”
According to the Georgian Ministry of Defense the multiple rocket launcher has the following specifications:
•Number of gun layers – ۴۰-۸۰ units;
•Rocket shell caliber – ۱۲۲mm;
•Gun-layer rising corner – minimal: ۰ degree, maximal: ۶۰ degree;
•Horizontal targeting corner – ۸۰ degree to the right from the chassis; ۱۲۰ degree to the left from the chassis;
•Full salvo time – ۲۰ second;
•Firing distance given a missile type – minimal: ۱,۰۰۰ meters, maximal: ۴۰,۰۰۰ meters;
•Maximum road speed - ۸۰ km/h;
•Operational range – ۵۰۰km;


Rocket fired from the Georgian-manufactured multiple rocket launcher on the Vaziani military base outside Tbilisi, March ۳. Official photo from President’s Facebook page.

Multiple rocket launch vehicle has an armored cab to protect its ۵-man crew, according to MoD.

“The combat machine is capable to control fire without the preliminary preparation of a position and without the help of crew minimizing the salvo time,” it said.

The rocket launcher was presented a week after Georgia unveiled its domestically manufactured infantry fighting vehicle Lazika. Last year Georgia also presented its first light wheeled armored patrol vehicles Didgori.

“After ۲۰۰۸ [war with Russia] procurement of arms became problematic [for Georgia] and although it lasted for several months, those several months have taught us a lesson and we realized that you can’t rely on anyone except of yourself,” President Saakashvili said on March ۳, adding that it prompted Georgia to launch development of local military industry.

“A lot of perspectives have emerged in terms of development and equipment of our defense forces, but no matter of what perspectives might be, we should never say no to our own [production], because, to say the least, it costs much cheaper. Our armored vehicles are two, three, four-fold cheaper than its foreign analogues,” he said.


Georgian-manufactured multiple rocket launcher, presented at the Vaziani military base outside Tbilisi on March ۳. An official photo from President’s Facebook page.

With the local military production “you do not depend on others, that someone may cheat you or share data to others or refuse [to sell weapons] at a decisive moment,” Saakashvili said.

It was not clear whether he was referring to any specific case when mentioning about “someone may cheat you or share data”, but these remarks seem to be echoing allegation, which has emerged after WikiLeaks started releasing emails snatched by hackers from a U.S.-based global security analysis company Stratfor.

According to one such email from February ۲۰۰۹, a source allegedly told a Stratfor senior analyst, that surveillance drones, which Georgia bought from Israel were compromised after Israel and Russia “made a swap – Israel gave Russia the 'data link' code for those specific UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicle]; in return, Russia gave Israel the codes for Iran's Tor-M۱” missile systems.
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President Saakashvili said on March ۳, that Georgia was also producing “aerial vehicles.”

A ruling party lawmaker, Givi Targamadze, who chairs parliamentary committee for defense and security, said last month, that Georgia was working on production of unmanned aerial vehicle. No details are available