Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojsa Stefanovic, PhD, has pointed out that the firepower of the Serbian Armed Forces’ artillery units, and consequently their ability to carry out rapid and efficient operations, has been significantly increased thanks to the equipment produced by the domestic defence industry that they have been provided with. According to him, members of the 1st Army Brigade are currently undergoing routine training in the combat use of digitized 128 mm M-17 Oganj multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS) at the training grounds of “Boško Palkovljevi? Pinki” barracks in Sremska Mitrovica.
Crews are currently being taught a diverse tactical training content at the barracks in Mitrovica, including gun emplacement, target acquisition, calculation of initial firing data, fire adjustment, and preparation for the execution of training activities in the field and artillery live firing. The 1st Army Brigade has become one of the best equipped units of artillery and beyond. Namely, compared to the basic variant of this weapon. The 2nd Army Brigade’s artillery units are currently being equipped with modernized 122 mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers and armoured command post personnel carriers.
The M-77 Oganj is a 128mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher developed in the former Yugoslavia. NATO designation is the YMRL-32. One of unique features of Oganj M-77 is the movable canvas that allows the vehicle to be easy masked, and become very hard to be spotted by the enemy until it is in combat position and ready to fire. In that way it can be used to mislead enemy and is an effective way of military deception. Originally invented in 1977 by Military Technical Institute, multiple rocket system is an indigenously designed and built system equipped with an automatic operating and laying system, an electric firing system and an automatically reloadable pack.
Military Technical Institute has produced modernization program for Oganj M-77. Oganj to use many different rockets including Grad 122mm and Oganj 128mm. As part of modernization new rocket 128mm with range of 50 km and better CEP will be produced by Krušik. For the needs of the Serbian Army, the process of modernization of the existing Oganj M-77 weapons has begun in order to switch to modern digitalized technology, which enables the tool service to occupy a firing position, act and leave it in 3 minutes without getting out of the vehicle. It used to take 26 minutes to occupy a firing position. New M-18 missiles with a range of up to 40 km were also introduced.
