S-5 rocket

Go Back to Air-to-Air Rocket

	Weapon: S-5 rocket Type: Air-to-Air Rocket Country of Origin: USSR Year Adopted: 1955 Overall Length (mm): 1500.0 Overall Length (in): 59.06 Weight (kg): 5.00 Weight (pounds): 11.02

The S-5 rocket is a Soviet-designed 57 mm unguided air-to-ground rocket, first developed in the early 1950s and entering service in 1955. It was created to provide Soviet and Warsaw Pact aircraft with a lightweight, rapid-fire weapon capable of striking ground targets, lightly armored vehicles, and infantry concentrations. Compact in size and relatively simple in design, the S-5 was launched from multi-barrel rocket pods, typically carrying between 8 and 32 rockets, making it highly effective for saturation fire tactics.

Production of the S-5 was enormous, with millions manufactured over several decades. The rocket was produced in numerous variants, including high-explosive fragmentation, armor-piercing, smoke, and incendiary types, each tailored for specific mission roles. This versatility made the S-5 a standard armament across nearly all Soviet-era fighter-bombers, attack aircraft, and helicopters, including the MiG-21, Su-17, and Mi-24 Hind. Its low cost and mass-production ensured widespread adoption not only within the Soviet Union but also among client states and allied forces worldwide.

The S-5 saw extensive combat use in conflicts ranging from the Vietnam War to the wars in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa. While effective in delivering large volumes of fire, its unguided nature meant accuracy was often poor, leading to collateral damage and criticism. Despite its limitations, the rocket became notorious for its sheer ubiquity, being used by dozens of countries and various non-state actors. Although largely supplanted in modern arsenals by more accurate guided munitions, the S-5 remains in use in some regions due to its availability and simplicity.