........and "just for fun" lets try to nail the dates down for this thing. We have it starting 1981..... I have NO idea where that date came from but it's never been questioned.....until I started digging today
THIS LINK ( Army guide from France ) claims
Quote:
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It is understood that the TOS-1 'Fighting Vehicle' 220 mm (30-round) rocket system was developed by the GUP Design Bureau of Transport Machine Building based in Omsk in the late 1980s and subsequently fielded in small numbers in the early 1990s.
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Until I find better info "early 1990s" is going to be 1993. What I don't know is when that article was written. It also suggests there is a prototype of a 122 mm version of TOS with 70 tubes but I'm going to leave that one alone for now
but
THIS claims (
first appeared in August 2000 issue of Marine Corps Gazette )
Quote:
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It was first combat-tested in Afghanistan's Panjshir valley in the early 1980s
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That was written August 2000
so it could have been tested in the early 80's..... or the early 90's but for certain it could not have been "combat-tested in Afghanistan's Panjshir valley " in the "early 90's. If ANYONE has better info on this please let us know and if anyone sees any recent photos of the original 30 rocket version let me know. I suspect that is no longer in service but it's uncertain ATM