Trench Art

Trench Art

Ukraine Is Turning Its Old Grad Rocket Launchers Into HIMARS Clones

122-mm rockets are getting Spanish guidance kits

Jun 20, 2026
∙ Paid
Ukrainian Grad launchers in action. Via Wikimedia Commons

Ukrainian industry produces millions of tiny explosive drones every year, and these drones have caused tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of casualties among Russian troops.

But old-fashioned artillery, including rocket artillery, is still a major killer—especially in sectors where Russian radio jamming is thickest and wireless drones struggle to get off the ground. Now a high-tech upgrade is making Ukraine’s low-tech artillery rockets even deadlier.

There’s a catch, however. The upgraded rockets work best with a little help from the same drones that might struggle to fly in an intensive jamming environment.

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