The 122 mm RM-70 (40-round) MRS, which has the NATO designation M1972, was first seen in public during a parade in Czechoslovakia following the SHIELD-72 manoeuvres.

The system is essentially an armoured version of the Czech Tatra 813 (8 × 8) truck chassis fitted with the same launcher as the Russian 122 mm BM-21 (40-round) MRS at the rear of the hull and an additional pack of 40 122 mm rockets to the immediate rear of the cab for rapid loading.

Main advantages of the RM-70 over the Russian BM-21 are its rapid reloading capability, complete armour protection for the crew from small arms fire, NBC attack and shell splinters and much improved cross-country mobility.

The Tatra 813 chassis is fitted with a central tyre-pressure regulation system, which enables the driver to adjust the tyre pressure to suit the type of ground being crossed.

Some vehicles were fitted with a hydraulically operated BZ-T dozer blade at the front of the hull for preparing fire positions and clearing obstacles. It is also fitted with a winch with a capacity of 22,000 kg.

This was introduced into service in the mid-1980s. It is the more recent Tatra T815 VNN (8 × 8) truck chassis fitted with the same 122 mm (40-round) multiple rocket system as the original RM-70 system. The major difference is that the Mod 70/85 is not fitted with a fully enclosed and armoured cab.

Standard equipment includes a front-mounted winch with a capacity of 12,000 kg and 85 m of cable and the cab is fitted with an NBC system of the collective and individual type.

The chassis has a central tyre-pressure regulation system that allows the ground pressure at each wheel station to be adjusted to suit the type of terrain being crossed. At the front of the vehicle is an SSP 1000 arrow-type snowplough. A BZ-T815 dozer blade can also be quickly installed.

The unguided 122 mm solid propellant fin-stabilised rocket types available are covered in the table.

According to Czech Republic sources, the RM-70 122 mm launcher, when elevated at an angle of 50°, has a dispersion of 1/180 in range and 1/110 in traverse. A complete salvo of 40 122 mm rockets can be fired in 18 to 22 seconds. The system takes 150 seconds to come into action and 180 seconds to come out of action.

This system has been developed by the German company Diehl and Konstrukta Defence of the Slovak Republic. This system uses a standard 227 mm (6-round) MLRS pod, details of which are given in a separate entry. This is also referred to as the MORAK. The first production units were handed over in 2005.

Croatia has developed and placed in production the 122 mm M96 (32-round) Typhoon system on an unarmoured Tatra 8 × 8 chassis and details are given under Croatia earlier in this section. As far as is known this has yet to enter production for the export market.

RM-70 Quantities: Country Quantity ANGOLA 40 CZECH REPUBLIC 60 EQUADOR 6 FINLAND 36 FINLAND 36 GEORGIA 6 GREECE 150 INDONESIA 6 LIBYA 100 POLAND 30 RWANDA 5 SLOVAKIA 62 SRI LANKA 8 UGANDA 6 URUGUAY 5 ZIMBABWE 52 Total: 608