War in Ukraine
TOS-3 Dragon – Putin’s rocket launcher is designed to engulf Ukrainian positions with a fireball
The photo shows the predecessor TOS-1 on an exercise.
© Pavel Golovkin / AP
The TOS-3 can destroy entire streets with one volley. The new version of the heavy flamethrower is better protected and has a much longer range than its predecessors. Now he can stay out of the range of Ukrainian FPV drones.
On April 8, the Russian news agency TASS announced a new generation of TOS launcher. The Omsktransmash plant applied for patents. The first models of the TOS-3 – nicknamed Drakon, dragon – were produced at the beginning of April and are now said to be in production Ukraine can be used. The previous models TOS-1A Solntsepek and TOS-2 Tosochka were already a problem for the Ukrainians, but the TOS-3 has overcome or at least defused the system’s key weakness.
TOS-3 heavy rocket launcher
In Russia, the TOS family goes by the name “heavy flamethrower”. In the West it is misleading because people imagine it to be a flame tank like from the Second World War. A tank that sprays a burning oil mixture from a pipe and sets everything on fire at a short distance. The TOS devices, on the other hand, are volley guns – i.e. derivatives of the Katyushas rocket launcher. However, they fire special ammunition. Their thermobaric charge leads to a strong impact on the opponent.
Graphic of the TOS-3 Drakon from the manufacturer
© PR
Greatly increased range
The third generation has overcome a key weakness of its predecessors: the range was previously relatively short. For the TOS-1 it was only about six to eight kilometers. This meant that the monsters were always within sight and reach of the omnipresent little ones Drones. They were so easy to spot and take out because the rockets rising are easy to observe. The new variant, on the other hand, should be equipped with rockets that can reach 15 kilometers – 25 kilometers are sometimes mentioned. This means that the “kite” is no longer within the reach of simple drones. Quick detection and strike is crucial. The TOS systems are all motorized and relocate after firing. Furthermore, the electronics and the charging system are said to have been improved. A weakness so far: reloading takes a long time and requires a lot of personnel. The TOS-3 retains the tracked chassis of the first series and combines it with the launcher of the second – which was mounted on a heavy four-wheel drive truck – with the improved loading system. The kite should therefore also be able to operate outside of paved paths. Presumably the new system is lighter than the TOS-1. In addition, it should have jammers for drone defense and a standard protective cage.
Why is the TOS-3 “Dragon” so dangerous?
The TOS launchers fire warheads that no other system uses. It is not a fragment, cluster or explosion head, but a thermobaric weapon. The TOS systems have three special features. The first is the “explosive” – most grenades carry the oxygen they need for the explosion in the form of an oxidizer. This is a “Fuel-To-Air” ammunition that draws the required oxygen from the surrounding air. Such weapons always have a higher explosive effect based on their weight. The effect arises from the pressure wave and the heat that causes the ignition. The Dragon’s missiles explode with a primary blast over the target, then spread an explosive aerosol cloud, which then explodes in a secondary firing. A dragon’s 15 rockets cover an entire field, which then bursts into flames. The pressure effect increases enormously.
Soldiers in the immediate target area are already dying from the heat. A negative pressure is created behind the spreading pressure wave, and this combination also causes heavy walls to collapse. In humans, internal organs and especially the lungs suffer irreparable damage. Further away there are severe shock effects. In the actual target area, fortifications and bunkers are destroyed. The explosion cloud acts like a giant hammer hitting the ground. The extent of the explosion cloud is the main difference from a glide bomb, which only has one explosion center. This launcher is an ideal breakthrough weapon for the fighting in Ukraine. The volley from a TOS system or even a battery does not destroy a single enemy position – it tears a huge hole in the front. A battery of multiple launchers practically achieves the effectiveness of a tactical nuclear bomb.