U.S. Army reporting says the 2.75-inch Folding Fin Aerial Rocket/Hydra-70 system contributed in Iraq; this row is limited to that documented representative family within the broader air-to-ground rocket class.
Role detailsMunitions
Air-to-ground rocket
Also known as
- air-to-surface rocket
- air-launched rocket
- aerial rocket
- aircraft rocket
- unguided aircraft rocket
- folding fin aerial rocket
- FFAR
Air-to-ground rockets are unguided aircraft rockets fired from underwing blocks, launch rails, or multi-tube pods by helicopters and fixed-wing attack aircraft. Representative families include Soviet 57 mm S-5 rockets, Soviet-origin 80 mm S-8 rockets, and U.S. 2.75-inch/70 mm Hydra-70 rockets, with conflict rows limited to sources that directly identify a specific representative family in use or transfer.
Role in Conflicts
U.S. Army reporting says the 2.75-inch Folding Fin Aerial Rocket/Hydra-70 system contributed in Afghanistan; this row is limited to that documented representative family within the broader air-to-ground rocket class.
Role details- Side
- Ukraine
AP reporting on a May 2023 U.S. aid package listed Hydra-70 aircraft rockets for Ukraine, making the conflict row a transfer-and-fielding claim for the 70 mm representative family rather than a claim about every aerial rocket type.
Role details- Side
- State Administration Council and allied forces
- Role in conflict
- Helicopter-launched area attack rocket
Myanmar Witness verified S-5 rocket remnants at the Let Yet Kone school attack site after the 16 September 2022 Mi-35 helicopter strikes in Tabayin Township.
Class Boundaries
This entry groups unguided air-to-ground rocket families that are fired from aircraft. Guided derivatives, laser-guided 70 mm rounds, and standalone rocket pods have their own catalog pages when the source record is clearer as a distinct munition or launcher.
| Catalog link | Why it is separate | Relationship to this class |
|---|---|---|
 | Specific U.S. 70 mm rocket family with manufacturer and aid-package sources | Representative air-to-ground rocket family. |
 | Reusable launcher class rather than the rocket round itself | Launches 70 mm aircraft rockets. |
 | Guidance kit and precision-rocket category | Derived from the same 70 mm rocket ecosystem but outside the unguided baseline class. |
Profile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- Various
- Built by
- Various manufacturers
- Type
- Unguided aerial rocket class
- Service note
- Cold War aerial rocket families remain in service on legacy and modern aircraft
Specifications
- Guidance
- Unguided free-flight rocket for the baseline class
- Launch method
- Underwing launch blocks, rails, or multi-tube rocket pods
- Representative calibers
- 57 mm S-5, 70 mm / 2.75-inch FFAR-Hydra-70, and 80 mm S-8 families
- Hydra-70 launchers
- Existing seven- and 19-tube launchers on rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft
- S-5 launch pods
- ORO-57K, UB-16-57, and UB-32-57 launcher families
- S-8 launch context
- Aircraft and helicopter use from B-series pods
- Warhead options
- High-explosive, fragmentation, HEAT, flechette, flare, smoke, cargo, and training rounds depending on family
- Role
- Ground attack, close air support, area suppression, marking, illumination, and weapons training
Representative Rocket Families
Air-to-ground rocket is a class label, so the most useful way to read the page is by representative families that appear elsewhere in the catalog.
| Family | Caliber | Launch context | Documented note |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 57 mm class | ORO-57K, UB-16-57, and UB-32-57 launcher families | Soviet-origin unguided air-to-surface rocket family documented on legacy helicopters and light attack aircraft. |
 | 80 mm | B-series rocket pods on attack helicopters and ground-attack aircraft | Soviet-origin 80 mm unguided rocket family with HEAT-fragmentation, thermobaric, illumination, smoke, and other warhead options. |
| 70 mm / 2.75 in | Seven- and 19-tube launchers on rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft | U.S. 2.75-inch fin-stabilized unguided rocket family integrated by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. |
Carrier Aircraft
Representative air-to-ground rockets are documented on legacy trainers, light attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and modern rocket-capable aircraft.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Light attack aircraft | The A-37 is documented as carrying four air-to-surface rockets on each underwing pylon station. |
 | Jet trainer and light attack aircraft | Skytamer lists eight air-to-ground rockets as an armament option for the L-29, and WeaponsSystems.net identifies the common rocket fit as an R57-4M quadruple launcher for 57 mm S-5 aerial rockets. Sources: Skytamer L-29 Delfin, Aero L-29 Delfin - Weaponsystems.net |
 | Attack helicopter | General Dynamics says Hydra-70 can be mounted on Apache helicopters, and the Army ties Hydra-70 to the 2.75-inch aerial rocket family. Sources: General Dynamics HYDRA-70 Rocket, More Hydra-70 Rockets On Way |
 | Attack helicopter and armed assault transport | The representative S-5 gallery image shows UB-32 S-5 pods on a Mi-24, and the Myanmar conflict-use source ties S-5 rockets to Mi-35 helicopter strikes. Sources: Wikimedia Commons Mi-24 UB-32 pods, Myanmar Witness Tabayin School Attack report |
Rocket Pods and Launchers
Air-to-ground rockets are normally fired from aircraft pods or launch blocks rather than carried loose on pylons.
| Launcher | Launcher type | Launch evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | 16-round S-5 rocket pod | The S-5 class uses UB-16-57 launcher-family pods, represented in the catalog by the UB-16UM rocket pod entry. |
| 70 mm / 2.75-inch rocket pod class | General Dynamics says Hydra-70 fires from existing seven- and 19-tube launchers, matching the catalog's 2.75-inch rocket-pod class. Sources: General Dynamics HYDRA-70 Rocket |
 | 19-round Hydra-70 launcher | The M261 represents a 19-round launcher path for Hydra-70 rockets on rotary-wing aircraft such as Apache helicopters. Sources: General Dynamics HYDRA-70 Rocket |
Timeline
Air-to-ground rocket Key Events
Hydra-70 configuration fielded
The latest 2.75-inch FFAR configuration is fielded as Hydra-70, tying a standard motor to multiple warhead and fuze options.
Sources: More Hydra-70 Rockets On Way
S-5 remnants documented in Myanmar
Myanmar Witness later verifies S-5 rocket remnants at the Let Yet Kone school attack site after Mi-35 helicopter strikes.
Sources: Myanmar Witness Tabayin School Attack report
Hydra-70 rockets listed for Ukraine
A U.S. aid package for Ukraine includes Hydra-70 aircraft rockets, connecting the 70 mm representative family to the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War transfer record.
Sources: AP Ukraine Hydra-70 aid package
Media
Air-to-ground rocket Videos
Air-to-ground rocket Images
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
GlobalSecurity rockets manual extractPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports the Soviet 57 mm S-5 aerial rocket family, launch-tube context, variant background, and representative S-5 class details. | Accessed: 2026-06-29More Hydra-70 Rockets On WayPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: 2003 Iraq War and 2001 War in Afghanistan: supports the 2.75-inch FFAR/Hydra-70 system's contribution in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus 2.75-inch air-to-ground history, warhead options, and 1980s Hydra-70 configuration background. | Accessed: 2026-06-29General Dynamics HYDRA-70 RocketPublisher: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems | Note: Supports Hydra-70 as a 2.75-inch / 70 mm fin-stabilized unguided rocket family used primarily in the air-to-ground role, with unitary and cargo warheads and seven- and 19-tube launcher compatibility. | Accessed: 2026-06-29AP Ukraine Hydra-70 aid packagePublisher: Associated Press | Note: 2014 Russia-Ukraine War: supports AP reporting that a U.S. aid package listed Hydra-70 aircraft rockets for Ukraine in May 2023. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Myanmar Witness Tabayin School Attack reportPublisher: Myanmar Witness / Centre for Information Resilience | Note: 2021 Myanmar Civil War: supports verified S-5 rocket remnants at the Let Yet Kone school attack site after the 16 September 2022 attack. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Weaponsystems.net S-8 overviewPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports the S-8 family's Soviet origin, unguided 80 mm design, aircraft and helicopter launch context, warhead types, and basic specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-29EDePro S8-KOMPublisher: EDePro | Note: Supports S-8 80 mm air-to-surface use by aircraft and helicopters and its pod-based launch arrangement. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Aero L-29 Delfin - Weaponsystems.netPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports the L-29's common rocket fit as a R57-4M quadruple launcher for 57 mm S-5 aerial rockets and its hardpoint armament limit. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Skytamer L-29 DelfinPublisher: Skytamer Images | Note: Supports the L-29's armament option of eight air-to-ground rockets under the wings. | Accessed: 2026-06-29The World Air Forces - Internet ArchivePublisher: Internet Archive | Note: Supports the A-37 underwing carriage of four air-to-surface rockets. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Wikimedia Commons S-5M 57 mm rocketPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the primary representative rocket image. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Wikimedia Commons Mi-24 UB-32 podsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a representative rocket-pod image. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Wikimedia Commons UB-32 S-5 rocket launcherPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a launcher/pod image showing the rocket family in a carrier context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29