Profile
- Origin
- Russia
- Built by
- NPO Splav
- Type
- 300 mm Smerch rocket
- Service note
- 1990s-present
- Designer
- NPO Splav
- Designed
- Development and testing completed in 1994
- Produced
- Accepted into Russian Army service in 1996
Munitions
9M55K1 Smerch rocket
Also known as
- 9M55K1
- 9М55К1
- 9M55K1 rocket
- 9M55K1 Smerch rocket
- 9N142
- 9N349
- 9Н349
- Motiv-3M
- SPBE-D
The 9M55K1 is a Russian 300 mm Smerch-family cargo rocket from NPO Splav with five 9N349 Motiv-3M sensor-fuzed anti-armor submunitions in a warhead section identified by specialist references as 9N142. Rosoboronexport and Missilery describe it as a top-attack round for armored vehicle and tank concentrations, while METIS places it inside the standard-range 9M55 family fired from BM-30 / 9K58 Smerch launchers.
Profile / Specs
Specifications
- Caliber
- 300 mm
- Length
- 7,600 mm
- Weight
- 800 kg
- Warhead section
- 9N142 cluster warhead section
- Warhead weight
- 243 kg
- Payload
- 5 x 9N349 Motiv-3M sensor-fuzed submunitions
- Submunition weight
- 15 kg
- Submunition explosive fill
- 4.5 kg
- Submunition sensor
- Dual-band infrared sensor with a 30 degree view angle
- Submunition self-destruct
- 60 seconds
- Range
- 20-70 km
- Armor penetration
- 70 mm homogeneous armor at 100 m and 30 degrees from normal
- Container weight
- 1,934 kg for two rockets
- Temperature range
- +/-50 degrees C
- Launch platform
- BM-30 / 9K58 Smerch family; Smerch rocket compatibility also listed for 9K515 Tornado-S
Variants
The 9M55K1 belongs to the standard-range 9M55 Smerch rocket family, which uses the same 300 mm launcher class with different warhead and payload packages.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
 | Fragmentation-submunition cargo rocket | METIS lists 9M55K in the same standard-range 9M55 family, while Weaponsystems.net distinguishes its 72-submunition fragmentation payload from the 9M55K1 anti-tank payload. Sources: METIS 9M55K1 munition profile, 300mm 9M55 - Weaponsystems.net |
 | Remote mine-laying rocket | METIS lists 9M55K4 alongside 9M55K1 in the standard-range 9M55 family; Weaponsystems.net describes it as the anti-tank mine-carrying branch. Sources: METIS 9M55K1 munition profile, 300mm 9M55 - Weaponsystems.net |
 | Cumulative-fragmentation submunition rocket | METIS lists 9M55K5 in the same standard-range 9M55 family; Weaponsystems.net separates it from 9M55K1 by its shaped-charge fragmentation submunition payload. Sources: METIS 9M55K1 munition profile, 300mm 9M55 - Weaponsystems.net |
 | Sensor-fuzed anti-armor submunition rocket | METIS lists 9M55K6 in the same standard-range family; it is another anti-armor sensor-fuzed Smerch round but uses the 9N268 submunition payload documented on its own entry. Sources: METIS 9M55K1 munition profile |
Launch Platforms
The 9M55K1 is a 300 mm Smerch-family rocket fired from heavy multiple-launch rocket systems rather than a standalone launcher.
| Launcher | Launcher type | Launch evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | 300 mm multiple launch rocket system | Rosoboronexport lists the 9M55K1 as a 300 mm rocket for the Smerch multiple launch rocket system, and Missilery says it is designed to use from the 9K58 Smerch launcher family. |
 | 300 mm multiple launch rocket system | Rosoboronexport describes 9K515 Tornado-S as a Smerch-derived launcher that can fire all rocket projectiles used by the 9K58 Smerch MLRS, and Army Recognition explicitly lists 9M55K1 among Tornado-S unguided rocket options. Sources: 300mm 9K515 MLRS, Tornado-S 9K515 MLRS |
Motiv-3M Payload
The 9M55K1's defining feature is the sensor-fuzed anti-armor payload inside the Smerch rocket body.
Submunition load
METIS identifies the payload as five 9N349 Motiv-3M sensor-fuzed submunitions, while Rosoboronexport and Missilery list five self-targeting elements.
Top-attack role
Rosoboronexport and Missilery describe the round as intended to attack armored vehicle and tank groupings from above.
Carrier identification
Defense Express discussed reported Motiv-3M use near Avdiivka and named 9M55K1 and modified 9M544 rockets as common carriers, but that report does not uniquely identify a 9M55K1 delivery rocket.
Sources: Rosoboronexport 9M55K1 catalog page; 9M55K1 rocket; METIS 9M55K1 munition profile; Defense Express Motiv-3M Avdiivka report.
Timeline
9M55K1 Smerch rocket Key Events
Development and tests completed
Missilery.info says development and testing of the 9M55K1 rocket were completed in 1994.
Sources: 9M55K1 rocket
Accepted into Russian Army service
Missilery.info cites a 1996-10-13 Russian defense-minister order accepting the 9M55K1 into Russian Army service.
Sources: 9M55K1 rocket
Export documentation re-registered
Missilery.info cites 9M55K1 export and advertising passport documents re-registered on 2004-09-02.
Sources: 9M55K1 rocket
Motiv-3M reporting from Avdiivka
Defense Express discussed reported Motiv-3M submunition use near Avdiivka and identified 9M55K1 Smerch and modified 9M544 Tornado-S rockets as common carriers, without uniquely identifying the 9M55K1 as the delivery rocket in that case.
Sources: Defense Express Motiv-3M Avdiivka report
Media
9M55K1 Smerch rocket Videos
9M55K1 Smerch rocket Images
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
Rosoboronexport 300 mm ammunition catalogPublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Official export catalog page listing the 9M55K1 among 300 mm land-force ammunition for the BM-30 / 9K58 Smerch family. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Rosoboronexport 9M55K1 catalog pagePublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Official export catalog page supporting the 9M55K1 designation, Smerch launcher role, top-attack anti-armor target set, 20-70 km range, 800 kg rocket weight, 243 kg warhead weight, five-submunition payload, submunition explosive fill, penetration figure, container weight, and temperature range. | Accessed: 2026-07-019M55K1 rocketPublisher: Missilery.info | Note: Supports the rocket's Smerch-family specifications, five self-targeting submunitions, 1994 development completion, 1996 service acceptance, delivery to Algeria, and Splav design background. | Accessed: 2026-07-01METIS 9M55K1 munition profilePublisher: Fenix Insight | Note: Supports the 9M55K1's Russian manufacture, standard-range 300 mm artillery cargo rocket classification, 9N349 Motiv-3M sensor-fuzed submunition payload, and placement in the standard-range 9M55 family. | Accessed: 2026-07-01300mm 9M55 - Weaponsystems.netPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports 9M55-family variant distinctions, 9M55K1 adoption in 1996, the 9N142 warhead section, five 9N349 Motiv-3M top-attack submunitions, and submunition sensor, explosive-fill, penetration, and self-destruct details. | Accessed: 2026-07-01300mm 9K515 MLRSPublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Official export page supporting 9K515 Tornado-S as a Smerch-derived 300 mm launcher that can fire all rocket projectiles used by the 9K58 Smerch MLRS. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Tornado-S 9K515 MLRSPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Reference profile supporting Tornado-S launcher context and explicitly listing the 9M55K1 among unguided rocket options for the 9K515 system. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Defense Express Motiv-3M Avdiivka reportPublisher: Defense Express | Note: Supports general Motiv-3M / SPBE-D context and a sourcing limit: the article discusses reported Motiv-3M use near Avdiivka and lists 9M55K1 and modified 9M544 rockets as common carriers, but it does not uniquely identify a 9M55K1 rocket fired or recovered in that incident. | Accessed: 2026-07-01File:BM-30 Smerch-5193.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance; the file page identifies the photograph as a 300 mm Smerch rocket exhibit under CC BY-SA 3.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-01File:BM-30 Smerch-5173.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the secondary gallery image; the file page identifies a 300 mm Smerch rocket exhibit under CC BY-SA 3.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-01