The M93A3 Heron is a Croatian lightweight towed multiple rocket launcher documented in Croatian defence-industry material as the HERON B/LVLR 70 M93A3. The system uses forty 70 mm launch tubes on a single-axle trailer for direct or indirect area fire, with a fire remote controller, single-shot or ripple/salvo firing, and the RAK 70 TF M95 rocket family. Open-source reporting in 2025 documented the rare Croatian system in Ukrainian service during the Russia-Ukraine war, while the transfer route and number delivered remain publicly unclear.
Defense Express, UNITED24 Media, and Defence24 reported in August 2025 that the Croatian M93A3 Heron/Haron had been visually identified in Ukrainian service, including Russian strike footage and later Vodogray/Vodohrai footage of the launcher with a Ukrainian Defense Forces unit, but public reporting did not establish the transfer route or exact number supplied.
Role detailsThe M93A3 is best read as a light area-fire launcher rather than a heavy rocket-artillery system. The 2013 Croatian Defence Industry catalog presents it as LMLRS HERON B/LVLR 70 M93A3, with direct or indirect fire, forty 70 mm rockets, a fire remote controller, and a UN-2 sighting device. Army Guide and Missilery.info add the two twenty-tube launcher-box layout, single-shot or ripple/salvo firing, and remote-control firing from up to 25 m. The same Croatian catalog separately identifies the RAK 70 TF M95 rocket as an ATIR-developed 70 mm ground-to-ground rocket in continuous production.
LMLRS HERON B, model LVLR 70 M93A3.
Source: Croatian Defence Industry 2013 Catalog.
Forty 70 mm launch tubes in two twenty-round boxes, with 1,600 mm tube length listed in Croatian catalog data.
Sources: Croatian Defence Industry 2013 Catalog; Army Guide VLR 70 M93A3 Heron.
Single rockets, ripple fire, or salvoes up to the full forty-round load.
Sources: Army Guide VLR 70 M93A3 Heron; Missilery.info M93A3 Heron.
RAK 70 TF M95 / HE70 TF M95 70 mm rocket family, with HE-fragmentation, illumination, smoke, incendiary, and training natures listed in public references.
Sources: Croatian Defence Industry 2013 Catalog; Army Guide VLR 70 M93A3 Heron.
Croatian defence-industry material presents the system as LMLRS HERON B with the model/designation LVLR 70 M93A3, while open reporting also uses Heron or Haron. Army Guide separately lists an earlier HERON M93 A2 designation in the same Croatian 70 mm multiple-rocket-launcher line.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| HERON M93 A2 | Earlier 70 mm Heron-family multiple rocket launcher listing | Army Guide's multiple-rocket-launcher index lists HERON M93 A2 separately from VLR 70 M93A3 Heron under Agencija Alan; the available public sources do not provide enough detail for a separate catalog record. |
| LMLRS HERON B / LVLR 70 M93A3 | Official Croatian defence-industry catalog designation for the 40-tube 70 mm launcher | The 2013 Croatian Defence Industry catalog identifies HERON B as an all-weather direct- or indirect-fire area-support system and lists the LVLR 70 M93A3 model with 70 mm caliber, 40 rockets, 1,600 mm tubes, UN-2 sight, and a fire remote controller. |
| VLR 70 M93A3 Heron | 40-tube 70 mm towed launcher listing | Army Guide describes the M93A3 configuration as forty 70 mm tubes arranged in two twenty-round boxes on a single-axle towed assembly and treats RH ALAN as the marketing organization for equipment made by subcontractors. Sources: Army Guide VLR 70 M93A3 Heron |
Defense Express and UNITED24 Media identify 2000 as the development year for the Croatian M93A3 Heron/Haron system by Đuro Đaković Special Vehicles, while the 2013 Croatian Defence Industry catalog later presented the launcher as HERON B/LVLR 70 M93A3.
Sources: Defense Express M93A3 Haron Ukraine, UNITED24 M93A3 Haron Ukraine, Croatian Defence Industry 2013 Catalog
UNITED24 Media reported that Ukrainian forces had begun operating the rare Croatian-made M93A3 Haron after open-source identification and video from a Ukrainian unit.
Sources: UNITED24 M93A3 Haron Ukraine
Defense Express reported that Russian strike footage first helped identify the system and that later Ukrainian-unit footage gave a clearer view of the M93A3 in Ukrainian hands.
Sources: Defense Express M93A3 Haron Ukraine
