WDS 2026: Russia brings heavy kit to Riyadh

The Sarma MLR at the World Defense Show. (Janes/Vishal Sengupta)

Russia's defence industry shipped three large systems to Saudi Arabia to display them internationally for the first time at the World Defense Show (WDS) held from 8 to 12 February.

These included the 300 mm Sarma multiple rocket launcher (MRL), a BTR-22 wheeled armoured personnel carrier, and an ABSh-2 Athlet 4×4 armoured vehicle fitted with the Planshet-A artillery command-and-control system.

The Sarma is a development of the 9K58 Kama that was unveiled in 2007 as a lightweight alternative to the 300 mm BM30 Smerch MRL with six tubes instead of 12 and mounted on an 8×8 KamAZ-6350 rather than a MAZ-543 carrier, making its combat weight about 28 tonnes compared with 47.3 tonnes.

It was relaunched as the Sarma in 2023 and can now use the 9M549 and 9M544 missiles developed for the Tornado-S replacement for the Smerch, as well as the original 300 mm rockets. The defence conglomerate Rostec says it can be brought in and out of action in 3 minutes, fire all six tubes in 18 seconds, and has an advanced automated guidance and fire-control system that enables it to be operated by a three-person crew in its armoured cab.

In October 2025, the Ukrainian website Militarnyi cited a leaked Russian document as saying the Russian Ministry of Defence had ordered 12 Sarma launchers and the same number of transport and loading vehicles for RUB155 million (USD1.9 million).

An official from Russia's Rosoboronexport defence export agency told Janes at WDS that the Sarma is now in service.

The BTR-22 was unveiled at Russia's Army 2023 defence exhibition and was seen in Russia's Exercise ‘Zapad' in September 2025 but has not been confirmed to be in service.