5-inch rockets

Also known as

5 inch rockets
5-inch FFAR
5-Inch HVAR
High Velocity Aircraft Rocket
HVAR
Holy Moses
MK 16 Zuni
MK 71 Zuni
Zuni
Zuni 5-inch FFAR

The 5-inch rockets family covers U.S. unguided air rockets from the HVAR, also called Holy Moses, through the folding-fin Zuni 5-inch FFAR. Smithsonian and specialist references trace the family from wartime HVAR service to Zuni production and LAU-10 pod carriage, while conflict sources document Zuni rockets in Vietnam air-support missions and U.S. transfers of Zuni aircraft rockets to Ukraine after Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion.

5-inch rockets, Unguided 5-inch rocket family, Munitions

Image source: NASM HVAR cutaway page

Role in Conflicts

Side: United States and South Vietnam

Marine Corps History Division account of the Khe Sanh siege describes A-4 aircraft attacking mortar-marked North Vietnamese antiaircraft sites with Zuni rockets during Super Gaggle support operations.

Side: Ukraine

U.S. security-assistance records list Zuni aircraft rockets supplied to Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion, with a Pentagon briefing saying they could be mounted on Ukraine's existing aircraft; TWZ later reported delivered Zunis appearing with Ukrainian Su-25 attack aircraft.

Role details

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin: United States
Built by: Hunter-Douglas Div., Bridgeport Brass Co.
Type: Unguided 5-inch rocket family
Service note: World War II to present
Unit cost: About $400 each for the Zuni, per Smithsonian's object record

Specifications

Caliber: 5 inches (127 mm)
Guidance: Unguided free-flight rocket
HVAR weight and range: 61 kg (134 lb) loaded weight, about 5 km (3 mi) range, per Smithsonian's HVAR object record
HVAR velocity: About 1,530 km/h (950 mph), per Smithsonian's HVAR object record
Zuni representative dimensions: 7 ft 11 1/2 in. long, 5 in. diameter, 107 lb for the Smithsonian HEAT example
Launch: Aircraft-mounted launchers and pods; Zuni was primarily deployed in four-tube LAU-10/A-series pods
Lineage: HVAR/Holy Moses to Zuni 5-inch FFAR
Warheads: High explosive, high-explosive anti-tank, and practice variants

HVAR And Zuni Split

The 5-inch aircraft-rocket family reads more clearly as two main branches rather than one fixed round. HVAR was the high-velocity Holy Moses rocket of World War II and the early postwar period; Zuni was the later folding-fin branch built around modular warheads, fuzes, and LAU-10 launcher carriage.

HVAR branch

A constant-diameter 5-inch rocket developed after the slower 5-inch FFAR, with general-purpose and armor-piercing wartime forms plus later postwar warhead options.

Zuni branch

A folding-fin 5-inch FFAR introduced around 1958, first with MK 16 motors and later MK 71 motors, using mission-selected warheads and fuzes.

Launcher context

Zuni carriage belongs with the LAU-10 four-round launcher family; the catalog tracks that launcher separately at 5-inch rocket pod.

Sources: NASM HVAR object page; NASM Zuni object page; Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets | Designation-Systems.Net.

Variants

This family page groups U.S. 5-inch unguided air rockets whose names are often mixed in aircraft store lists. HVAR/Holy Moses was the fixed-fin wartime rocket; Zuni was the later folding-fin modular rocket normally associated with LAU-10 pods.

Variant	Configuration	Designation notes
5-inch HVAR / Holy Moses	Fixed-fin high-velocity aircraft rocket	Smithsonian describes HVAR as a 5-inch U.S. Navy air-to-surface rocket first used in July 1944 and kept in service until 1955; Designation-Systems traces the Holy Moses name and wartime Mark/Mod family. Sources: NASM HVAR object page, Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets \| Designation-Systems.Net
MK 16 Zuni 5-inch FFAR	Folding-fin aircraft rocket	Designation-Systems describes Zuni as the NOTS China Lake folding-fin replacement for HVAR, approved for production in 1957 and usually carried in four-tube LAU-10/A-series pods. Sources: Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets \| Designation-Systems.Net, NASM Zuni object page
MK 71 Zuni	Later Zuni motor family	Designation-Systems identifies the MK 71 motor as a later Zuni configuration that began replacing the MK 16 in June 1971 and required LAU-10C/A or LAU-10D/A pod compatibility. Sources: Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets \| Designation-Systems.Net

Variant

Configuration

Designation notes

5-inch HVAR / Holy Moses

Fixed-fin high-velocity aircraft rocket

Smithsonian describes HVAR as a 5-inch U.S. Navy air-to-surface rocket first used in July 1944 and kept in service until 1955; Designation-Systems traces the Holy Moses name and wartime Mark/Mod family.

Sources: NASM HVAR object page, Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets | Designation-Systems.Net

MK 16 Zuni 5-inch FFAR

Folding-fin aircraft rocket

Designation-Systems describes Zuni as the NOTS China Lake folding-fin replacement for HVAR, approved for production in 1957 and usually carried in four-tube LAU-10/A-series pods.

Sources: Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets | Designation-Systems.Net, NASM Zuni object page

MK 71 Zuni

Later Zuni motor family

Designation-Systems identifies the MK 71 motor as a later Zuni configuration that began replacing the MK 16 in June 1971 and required LAU-10C/A or LAU-10D/A pod compatibility.

Sources: Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets | Designation-Systems.Net

Carrier Aircraft

Published aircraft records are linked only where the source directly supports the 5-inch rocket carriage or use relationship.

Carrier	Carrier type	Carriage evidence
A-4 Skyhawk	Carrier-based light attack aircraft	Marine Corps History Division material describes A-4 aircraft attacking mortar-marked antiaircraft sites with Zuni rockets during Khe Sanh support operations. Sources: Ringed by Fire Khe Sanh History
Su-25	Ground-attack aircraft	TWZ reported delivered U.S.-supplied 5-inch Zuni rockets appearing with Ukrainian Su-25 attack aircraft in 2023. Sources: TWZ Zuni Rockets Arming Ukrainian Su-25s
AV-8B Harrier II	V/STOL attack aircraft	The Navy AV-8B fact file lists 5-inch rockets among the Harrier's air-to-ground stores. Sources: NHHC AV-8B PDF Fact File

Carrier

Carrier type

Carriage evidence

A-4 Skyhawk

Carrier-based light attack aircraft

Marine Corps History Division material describes A-4 aircraft attacking mortar-marked antiaircraft sites with Zuni rockets during Khe Sanh support operations.

Sources: Ringed by Fire Khe Sanh History

Su-25

Ground-attack aircraft

TWZ reported delivered U.S.-supplied 5-inch Zuni rockets appearing with Ukrainian Su-25 attack aircraft in 2023.

Sources: TWZ Zuni Rockets Arming Ukrainian Su-25s

AV-8B Harrier II

V/STOL attack aircraft

The Navy AV-8B fact file lists 5-inch rockets among the Harrier's air-to-ground stores.

Sources: NHHC AV-8B PDF Fact File

Launcher Pods

The Zuni branch of the family is closely associated with reusable four-tube LAU-10 pods.

Launcher	Launcher type	Launch evidence
5-inch rocket pod	Aircraft rocket pod	Designation-Systems says Zuni was primarily deployed in four-tube LAU-10/A-series pods, matching the catalog's 5-inch rocket pod support page. Sources: Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets \| Designation-Systems.Net

Launcher

Launcher type

Launch evidence

5-inch rocket pod

Aircraft rocket pod

Designation-Systems says Zuni was primarily deployed in four-tube LAU-10/A-series pods, matching the catalog's 5-inch rocket pod support page.

Sources: Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets | Designation-Systems.Net

Timeline

5-inch rockets Key Events

Jan 1, 1943
5-inch FFAR enters service
Designation-Systems traces the first U.S. Navy air-launched 5-inch FFAR to a December 1943 service entry.
Sources: Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets | Designation-Systems.Net
Jan 1, 1944
HVAR becomes operational
Smithsonian and Designation-Systems sources place HVAR combat entry in July 1944, with the Smithsonian noting Army Air Forces use against German targets near Lo, France.
Sources: NASM HVAR object page, Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets | Designation-Systems.Net
Jan 1, 1955
HVAR production and service period closes
Designation-Systems says more than one million HVARs were built before production ended in 1955; Smithsonian says HVAR service continued until 1955.
Sources: NASM HVAR object page, Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets | Designation-Systems.Net
Jan 1, 1957
Zuni approved for production
The Zuni folding-fin rocket was approved for production in 1957 and quickly replaced the earlier HVAR family in aircraft rocket service.
Sources: Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets | Designation-Systems.Net
Jan 1, 1958
Zuni introduced around 1958
Smithsonian dates its Zuni HEAT example to about 1958-1980s and says the Zuni was introduced around 1958 by Hunter-Douglas Division of Bridgeport Brass Company.
Sources: NASM Zuni object page
Jan 1, 1968
Zuni rockets used at Khe Sanh
Marine Corps History Division material describes A-4 aircraft using Zuni rockets against mortar-marked antiaircraft sites during Khe Sanh support operations.
Sources: Ringed by Fire Khe Sanh History
Jan 1, 1971
MK 71 motor begins replacing MK 16
Designation-Systems says the MK 71 Zuni motor began replacing the earlier MK 16 in June 1971 before later full-production modifications.
Sources: Air-Launched 5-Inch Rockets | Designation-Systems.Net
Jan 6, 2023
United States announces Zuni rockets for Ukraine
The January 2023 U.S. security-assistance package listed 4,000 Zuni aircraft rockets for Ukraine.
Sources: DoD January 2023 Ukraine Security Assistance