Rare look: Ukrainian army uses the Humvee-mounted Hydra 70 rockets

By Boyko Nikolov

Ukraine Weapons Tracker published on social networks photos of US-supplied Hydra 70 laser-guided rockets. However, they [rockets] are mounted on a US-supplied Humvee model M1152A1. For a launch platform, the Ukrainian army uses the LAND-LGR4, which was previously only available for use in aircraft.

Rare look: AFU mounts Hydra 70 rockets on US-supplied Humvee
Photo credit: Twitter

The four photos were published today and we are also publishing them here in our article. BulgarianMilitary.com recalls that at the beginning of this month, Washington promised to deliver Hydra 70 to Ukraine in the new aid package. However, this is not the first delivery of the Hydra 70 to Ukraine, as some media claim. Already last year, in May, Washington decided to include the Hydra 70 in part of the next military aid.

Rare look: AFU mounts Hydra 70 rockets on US-supplied Humvee
Photo credit: Twitter

The four photos are proof that the Hydra 70 is already operating in Ukraine. However, mounting them on a land vehicle is not new, but it is new for Ukraine. In principle, Arnold Defense has already 2017 presented at international exhibitions its light platform LAND-LGR4 designed for ground launch. I.e. the LAND-LGR4 platform spotted in Ukraine means that it is one of the rare more modern, let alone state-of-the-art, launch platforms that have ended up in Ukraine.

The author of the published four photos does not say when and where they were taken. But on at least one of them, the photographer caught the moment when the LAND-LGR4 mounted on a Humvee fired a laser-guided rocket.

Rare look: AFU mounts Hydra 70 rockets on US-supplied Humvee
Photo credit: Twitter

Last year, when Washington announced that the Hydra 70 became part of the aid to Ukraine, then Kyiv did not yet have such a land-based launch platform. Since it was not known exactly when the Hydra 70 would end up in Ukraine, some experts suggested that they be mounted on the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones.

I.e. the integration between Bayraktar TB and Hydra 70 is possible because the Turkish drone has an integrated laser pointer by default. It is necessary because the Hydra 70 rockets are laser-guided missiles.

At the time, it was assumed that the air-launch platform that would be integrated to work together with Bayraktar TB2 and Hydra 70 would be Turkey’s Cirit. In terms of indicators and technical characteristics, it resembles the LAND-LGR4, and the rockets it launches are similar in characteristics to the Hydra 70s.

Rare look: AFU mounts Hydra 70 rockets on US-supplied Humvee
Photo credit: Twitter

About Hydra 70

The Hydra 70 rocket is one of the most common armaments in the United States Air Force, especially among the attack helicopter fleet. BulgarianMilitary.com recalls that in 2020, Washington decided to spend over $3 billion on a new production of this rocket.

This rocket is part of the armament of dozens of helicopter models. In addition to American, European helicopters also use it, as well as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F/A-18 Hornet.

The family of Hydra 70 [70 mm] 2.75-inch rockets perform a variety of functions. The war reserve unitary and cargo warheads are used for anti-materiel, anti-personnel, and suppression missions.

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