Armored Vehicles

BTR-80 with UB-32 rocket pods

Also known as
  • BTR-80-UB-32
  • BTR-80 UB-32
  • BTR-80 with 57mm UB-32 unguided aircraft rocket pods
  • BTR-80 with S-5 rocket pods

This BTR-80 field modification combined a Soviet/Russian 8x8 armored personnel carrier with aircraft-derived UB-32 rocket pods for 57 mm S-5-family unguided rockets. Open-source loss tracking and Ukrainian reporting documented one Russian example damaged near Vuhledar in June 2023, making it a rare improvised fire-support configuration rather than a standard production BTR variant.

BTR-80 with UB-32 rocket pods, Improvised 8x8 rocket-armed armored vehicle, Armored Vehicles
Image source: Wikimedia Commons UB-32 S5 Rocket Pod

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Russia / Soviet Union
Type
Improvised 8x8 rocket-armed armored vehicle
Service note
Documented in Russian service during the 2022 phase of the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Designer
Russian field modification using Soviet-designed components
Designed
Improvised configuration publicly documented in 2023
Unit cost
Not publicly documented
Produced
Field modification; no serial production documented
Number built
At least one documented example

Specifications

Base vehicle
BTR-80 8x8 amphibious armored personnel carrier
Rocket pods
Two UB-32-series aircraft pods reported on the documented vehicle
Rocket type
57 mm S-5-family unguided aircraft rockets
Launcher capacity
32 rockets per UB-32 pod; 64 total tubes when two pods are fitted
Base vehicle crew and passengers
BTR-80 baseline: 3 crew plus 7 troops
Base vehicle combat weight
BTR-80 baseline: 13.6 t before improvised rocket-pod fit
Base vehicle mobility
BTR-80 baseline: 8x8 wheeled, amphibious, about 80 km/h road speed
Sourcing limit
Public sources document the damaged example and component characteristics, but not a factory designation, fire-control arrangement, or combat load plan for the improvised conversion
Base Vehicle

The documented conversion used the BTR-80 APC as the carrier chassis rather than a purpose-built rocket-artillery vehicle.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
BTR-80, 8x8 amphibious armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesBTR-808x8 armored personnel carrier

Oryx identifies the damaged Russian example as a BTR-80 fitted with 57 mm UB-32 unguided aircraft rocket pods.

Sources: Oryx Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine

Rocket Ammunition

The UB-32 pod is part of the S-5 rocket launcher family, so the conversion traded normal APC armament for a short-range salvo of aircraft rockets.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
S-5 rocket, 57 mm unguided air-to-surface rocket, MunitionsS-5 rocket57 mm unguided rocket family

ARES and ODIN describe the UB-32 as a 32-shot launcher for S-5-family 57 mm rockets, matching the rocket-pod type reported on the BTR-80 conversion.

Sources: ARES Research Report No. 1: S-5 Rockets in Land Warfare, ODIN UB-32 Rocket Pod

Improvised Fire-Support Fit

The documented vehicle was not a cataloged factory BTR-80 variant. It used the protected mobility of the BTR-80 chassis as a carrier for aircraft rocket pods, a pattern consistent with earlier S-5 land-warfare improvisations documented by ARES.

Documented example

One Russian BTR-80 with 57 mm UB-32 unguided aircraft rocket pods was listed by Oryx as damaged.

Rocket load

Two 32-tube UB-32 pods imply up to 64 S-5-family rockets if fully loaded.

Practical limit

Public reporting does not document a stabilized launcher, ballistic sight, fire-control system, or standard Russian designation for the conversion.

Timeline

BTR-80 with UB-32 rocket pods Key Events

  1. BTR-80 family enters Soviet service

    The BTR-80 armored personnel carrier family becomes the base vehicle later used in the improvised rocket-pod conversion.

    Sources: BTR-80 Armoured Personnel Carrier

  2. ARES documents S-5 land-warfare improvisations

    Armament Research Services describes UB-16-57 and UB-32-57 aircraft rocket pods being repurposed on ground vehicles in multiple conflicts.

    Sources: ARES Research Report No. 1: S-5 Rockets in Land Warfare

  3. BTR-80/UB-32 example damaged near Vuhledar

    Ukrainian reporting said the BTR-80 with aircraft rocket pods was struck by FPV drones near Vuhledar; Oryx later cataloged the Russian vehicle as damaged.

    Sources: Ukrainian News BTR-80 Aircraft Rocket Pods, Oryx Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine

Media

BTR-80 with UB-32 rocket pods Images

BTR-80 with UB-32 rocket pods, Improvised 8x8 rocket-armed armored vehicle, Armored Vehicles - view 1
Source: Wikimedia Commons May 2011 BTR-80
BTR-80 with UB-32 rocket pods, Improvised 8x8 rocket-armed armored vehicle, Armored Vehicles - view 2
Source: Wikimedia Commons UB-32 S-5 Rocket Launcher CWAM
Related Weapon Systems
MT-LB with 82-mm automatic mortar 2B9 Vasilek, Tracked self-propelled automatic mortar conversion, ArtilleryArtilleryMT-LB with 82-mm automatic mortar 2B9 VasilekTracked self-propelled automatic mortar conversionThe MT-LB with 82-mm automatic mortar 2B9 Vasilek is a field fire-support conversion that places the Soviet clip-fed 2B9 or 2B9M automatic mortar on the rear deck of the MT-LB tracked armored carrier. General technical sources document the 2B9's rapid four-round clip feed and the MT-LB's recurring use as a carrier for heavy infantry weapons, while Russian equipment-loss documentation from Ukraine records destroyed and damaged examples of this specific MT-LB/Vasilek configuration.

Sources

Oryx Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: 2014 Russia-Ukraine War used by Russia: lists one BTR-80 with 57 mm UB-32 unguided aircraft rocket pods as damaged, with photo/video-based loss methodology stated by Oryx. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Ukrainian News BTR-80 Aircraft Rocket PodsPublisher: Ukrainian News | Note: 2014 Russia-Ukraine War used by Russia: reports Ukrainian 72nd Mechanized Brigade FPV-drone strikes near Vuhledar against a Russian BTR-80 fitted with aviation rocket blocks, and embeds the Ukraine Weapons Tracker identification of 57 mm UB-32 pods. | Accessed: 2026-07-02BTR-80 Armoured Personnel CarrierPublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Supports baseline BTR-80 role, crew capacity, armament, mobility, dimensions, range, and protection context for the carrier chassis. | Accessed: 2026-07-02ARES Research Report No. 1: S-5 Rockets in Land WarfarePublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports the broader history of S-5 rockets and UB-32-57 pods being adapted from aircraft stores to improvised land-warfare launchers. | Accessed: 2026-07-02ODIN UB-32 Rocket PodPublisher: U.S. Army ODIN | Note: Supports the UB-32 as a Soviet/Russian 57 mm reusable 32-shot rocket pod for S-5-family rockets. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Wikipedia S-5 RocketPublisher: Wikipedia | Note: Used as baseline orientation for S-5 and UB-32 launcher terminology, with Oryx, Ukrainian News, ARES, ODIN, and cataloged BTR-80 sources retained for edited claims. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Wikimedia Commons UB-32 S5 Rocket PodPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the primary representative UB-32 rocket pod image; the file is published under CC0. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Wikimedia Commons May 2011 BTR-80Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the representative BTR-80 carrier-chassis gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Wikimedia Commons UB-32 S-5 Rocket Launcher CWAMPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the gallery image of a UB-32 S-5 launcher; the file is licensed CC BY 2.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-02