2011 Syrian Civil War

9K52 Luna-M artillery rocket system in the 2011 Syrian Civil War

Syrian government forces used FROG-7/Luna-M artillery rockets as part of the regime surface-to-surface missile campaign documented in 2013, adding a 70 km unguided heavy-rocket option to strikes against large targets.

Weapon profile9K52 Luna-M artillery rocket system
SideSyrian government and alliesRoleLong-Range Strike
9K52 Luna-M artillery rocket system, Artillery rocket system, Artillery - 2011 Syrian Civil War
Image source: 9P113 Luna-M.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Syrian government forces employed FROG-7 artillery rockets during the 2011 Syrian Civil War.

Sources: The Syrian Regime's Use of Surface-to-Surface Missiles

The Luna-M/FROG-7 was publicly identified among major explosive weapons in use in Syria in September 2013.

Sources: AOAV Syria Dirty Dozen, Business Insider Syria Conventional Weapons

Available source-backed context places FROG-7 within a broader Syrian government surface-to-surface missile campaign, but public sources used here do not provide a complete incident-level FROG-7 launch chronology.

Sources: The Syrian Regime's Use of Surface-to-Surface Missiles, HRW Syria Missile Attacks February 2013

Timeline

9K52 Luna-M artillery rocket system In 2011 Syrian Civil War

  1. Surface-to-surface missile campaign escalates

    The Washington Institute later reported that Syrian opposition sources counted more than 200 surface-to-surface missile launches since December 2012, mostly Scuds, during a campaign against rebel-held areas.

    Sources: The Syrian Regime's Use of Surface-to-Surface Missiles

  2. HRW documents Aleppo ballistic-missile strikes

    Human Rights Watch investigated four Syrian government ballistic-missile attacks in Aleppo city and Aleppo governorate during the week of February 17, 2013; the report supports campaign context but does not identify FROG-7 as the weapon used in those incidents.

    Sources: HRW Syria Missile Attacks February 2013

  3. FROG-7 use reported in missile campaign

    The Washington Institute reported that the Syrian regime had employed FROG-7 artillery rockets during its surface-to-surface missile campaign.

    Sources: The Syrian Regime's Use of Surface-to-Surface Missiles

  4. Luna-M/FROG-7 listed among major weapons in Syria

    AOAV and Business Insider coverage of Syria's major explosive weapons placed Luna-M/FROG-7 in the Syrian war and associated the larger launcher systems with pro-Assad forces.

    Sources: AOAV Syria Dirty Dozen, Business Insider Syria Conventional Weapons

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The 9K52 Luna-M appears in the 2011 Syrian Civil War record under its NATO FROG-7 name. In April 2013, The Washington Institute reported that the Syrian regime had employed FROG-7 artillery rockets during its surface-to-surface missile campaign, alongside Scud, Fateh A-110/M600, and SS-21 systems.

The same analysis described FROG-7 as a 70 km artillery rocket with an approximately 500 kg payload and grouped Soviet-style Scuds and FROGs as inaccurate systems suited to large targets such as military bases or urban areas.

Sources: The Syrian Regime's Use of Surface-to-Surface Missiles

2013 reporting

The documented FROG-7 use sits inside a wider 2012-2013 escalation in Syrian government missile fire. The Washington Institute said opposition sources counted more than 200 surface-to-surface missiles fired since December 2012, mostly Scuds, and described a regular firing pattern in rebel-held areas.

Human Rights Watch separately investigated four apparent ballistic-missile strikes in Aleppo city and Aleppo governorate during the week of February 17, 2013. That report attributed those strikes to Syrian government forces but did not identify the missile type as FROG-7, so it is used here only for campaign context.

Sources: The Syrian Regime's Use of Surface-to-Surface Missiles, HRW Syria Missile Attacks February 2013

Operator and role

Open-source humanitarian and media reporting in September 2013 also placed the Luna-M/FROG-7 among major explosive weapons in use in Syria. AOAV selected FROG-7 as an example of the large Scud-like rockets brought into the conflict, and Business Insider, summarizing AOAV research, reported that larger launcher systems including Luna-M/FROG-7 were exclusive to forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad.

The record therefore supports Syrian government and allied use in a long-range strike role, with available sources describing employment as part of a broader surface-to-surface missile campaign rather than providing a complete incident-by-incident FROG-7 launch list.

Sources: AOAV Syria Dirty Dozen, Business Insider Syria Conventional Weapons, The Syrian Regime's Use of Surface-to-Surface Missiles

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