S-8 rocket family

The S-8 is a Soviet-origin 80 mm family of unguided air-to-ground rockets used from attack helicopters and ground-attack aircraft, including in Myanmar's post-coup air war.

Myanmar Civil WarState Administration Council and allied forces

Conflict side: State Administration Council and allied forces
Built by: Soviet defense industry
Built in: Soviet Union

S-8 rocket family, Air-to-ground rocket family, Munitions

Image source: Wikimedia Commons S-8 KOM file

Profile

Type: Air-to-ground rocket family
Origin: Soviet Union
Service note: 1970s-present

air-launched helicopterrocketunguided

Service History

In service: Introduced in Soviet service in the 1980s and remains in use on helicopters and ground-attack aircraft.
Used by: Myanmar Air Force, Russian Aerospace Forces
Wars: Myanmar Civil War

Production History

Designer: Soviet Air Force
Designed: 1970s
Built by: Soviet defense industry
Built in: Soviet Union
Unit cost: Not publicly standardized across variants
Produced: 1970s-present
Number built: Not publicly disclosed
Variants: S-8KO, S-8KOM, S-8BM, S-8DM, S-8OM

Specifications

Caliber: 80 mm
Warhead types: HEAT-frag, anti-runway, thermobaric, illumination, smoke, flechette, and laser-guided variants
Range: About 2 to 4.5 km depending on variant
Launch platform: Attack helicopters and ground-attack aircraft using B-series rocket pods

Conflict Usage

Myanmar Civil War: Side: State Administration Council and allied forcesRole: Helicopter-borne strike rocketstrike close air support
In the Myanmar Civil War, Tearline reported remnants of Soviet-designed S-8 rockets at Shiloh Baptist Church after airstrikes and assessed that Mi-35 helicopters employed the rockets in the attack.

S-8 rocket family Images

S-8 rocket family, Air-to-ground rocket family, Munitions - view 1 — Source: Wikimedia Commons S-8 KOM file

S-8 rocket family, Air-to-ground rocket family, Munitions - view 2 — Source: Wikimedia Commons B-8 pod file

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Sources

Weaponsystems.net S-8 overviewPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports the S-8 family's Soviet origin, unguided 80 mm design, platform use, and basic specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 EDePro S8-KOMPublisher: EDePro | Note: Supports the S-8 family's 80 mm air-to-surface use by aircraft and helicopters and its pod-based launch arrangement. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 Tearline Wings of ViolencePublisher: Tearline | Note: Supports Myanmar Civil War direct use: remnants of Soviet-designed S-8 rockets were found after airstrikes, and the report says the S-8 rockets are employed by the Mi-35 in the Myanmar Civil War. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 Wikimedia Commons S-8 KOM filePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the primary image provenance and public-domain status for the S-8 KOM rocket image. | Accessed: 2026-06-22 Wikimedia Commons B-8 pod filePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the gallery image provenance and attribution context for the B-8 rocket pod used with S-8 rockets. | Accessed: 2026-06-22