Russian rocket launchers: from Katyusha to Iskander

Evolution of Russian rocket launchers in this photo gallery by TASS

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Day of Missile Forces and Artillery is marked on November 19. Date is chosen to mark the achievements of artillery during the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942

BM-13 rocket launcher is the most famous weapon of the Great Patriotic War. As the weapons were marked with the letter K, Red Army troops adopted a girl name Katyusha from popular wartime song

2S1 Gvozdika is a Soviet 122-mm self-propelled howitzer, which entered service with the Soviet Army in the early 1970s

It was designated the M1974 by the US Army and manufactured in Bulgarian, Polish and Russian state factories

BM-21 launch vehicle is a Soviet truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, developed in the early 1960s. It is commonly known as Grad multiple rocket launcher system. 40 rockets can be released at one time

Msta-S (after the Msta River) is a self-propelled 152 mm howitzer

2S9 NONA is a self-propelled 120 mm mortar designed by the Soviet Union which entered service in 1981

Photo: Artillery Brigade soldiers during a firing exercise on military range Pavenkovo, Kaliningrad region

2A65 Msta-B is a Soviet towed 152 mm howitzer. This weapon is currently in service with Russian front and army level artillery units. Like many pieces of modern artillery, Msta-B is capable of firing nuclear artillery shells

Tornado-G multiple launch rocket system which is an updated version of Grad. Its rockets have a range of 30 km and can be used against enemy infantry and armored vehicles

BM-27 Uragan is a self-propelled multiple rocket launcher system capable of launching 220 mm rockets

Photo: Russian military officers during a missile and artillery firing exercise by Russia's Central Military District military units

BM-30 Smerch is a heavy multiple rocket launcher, designed to defeat personnel, armored, and soft-skinned targets in concentration areas, artillery batteries, command posts and ammunition depots. The 300mm rockets with a firing range of 70 and 90 km and various warheads have been developed for the rocket launcher

Photo: Multiple rocket launchers Smerch and Uragan at a display during Moscow's International III Arms Exhibition, 2008

Photo: Russian Msta-S self propelled howitzers at Tverskaya Street prior to a rehearsal for the Victory Day parade, 2011

Khrizantema is a Russian supersonic anti-tank missile, designed to deal with current and future generations of main battle tanks and to engage slow and low flying aerial targets like helicopters. It is unique among Russian anti-tank guided missiles as it can either be guided by laser or radar

Iskander-M is a self-propelled, highly maneuvrable and all-weather missile system that hits targets at a distance of up to 500 kilometers. The missile system is armed with cruise and ballistic missiles

Day of the Missile Forces and Artillery is marked in Russia on November 19. The date was chosen to mark the achievements of artillery during the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942. Russian strategic missile troops and artillery are being equipped with modern and advanced weaponry now. Evolution of Russian rocket launchers - from Katyusha to Iskander - in this photo gallery by TASS.