Surprise For Russians: Effect Of Thousands Of Canadian CRV7 Rockets

The weapons were developed taking into account the features of the Russian military machine.

Ukraine and allies are doing everything possible to break the situation at the front, they are looking around the world for what else can cause damage to the Russian Federation until the restored weapons factories are fully operational, reports a target="_blank" href=https://24tv.ua/ru/rakety-crv7-dalnost-harakteristiki-cena-kakie-celi-mozhet-unichtozhat_n2488938>24 Channel.

That is why it is not surprising that now the Ukrainian Defence Forces use shells from Korea, Pakistan and other far away countries.

This is exactly the situation with the Canadian CRV7 air-launched rockets. They are no longer needed by their owner – Canada, which did not know what to do with them, but can still quite count on the "last dance" on the battlefield in Ukraine and become a nightmare for Russians.

What is the CRV7?

The CRV7 is a 70mm unguided aerial rocket designed to engage ground targets.

This is the Canadian version of the popular American weapon – the Hydra 70, which has been in service since the late 40s of the last century. At the same time, the CRV7 has a longer range, accuracy and a more powerful warhead than the Hydra 70.

Since the summer of 2023, the Hydra 70 has been at the disposal of the Ukrainian, we are talking about thousands of rockets. They are installed on the Mi-24V helicopters, as well as on ground-based launchers – such as mini-MLRS.

Canada had a lot of the CRV7 rockets (about 80,000), this is a legacy of the Cold War. The Canadian military considers them obsolete, and the government is looking for a lot of money for expensive disposal.

Most of the rockets have been destroyed since thestart of the destruction program in 2021.

Canadian media say that only 8,000 CRV7s are in the appropriate condition now, have a warhead and are combat-ready.

But Ukraine would be glad of this too. Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the opposition Conservative Party, drew attention to this issue and called on the government to transfer these shells to those who need them most.

“Instead of forcing Canadians to pay millions of dollars for the decommissioning of these weapons, they should be transferred to Ukraine, which will be able to use them to protect sovereignty,” Pierre Poillievre said at a meeting of the Canadian Parliament on February 2, 2024.

The Canadian Ministry of Defence has already reacted to the words of the MP and said that this project can be implemented, but first they need to find out whether Ukraine needs these shells.

GUR's (Ukrainian Defence Intelligence) head Kyrylo Budanov, reacted promptly. In an interview with the Canadian news publisher GlobalNews, Budanov called on the allies to transfer the CRV7 rockets to Ukraine.

"The CRV7 can be used in Ukrainian attack helicopters and in ground-based launchers to defeat Russian tanks and artillery. We hope that it will be mutually beneficial," said Kyrylo Budanov.

CRV7 – key features

Type – unguided projectile (rockets);

Diameter – 70 mm (2.75 inches);

Role – air-to-ground or ground-to-ground;

Warhead mass – 4.5 kg (may vary, depending on the modification);

Rocket mass without a warhead – 6.6 kg;

Warheads – armor-piercing high-explosive incendiary against bunkers and concrete shelters; tungsten-steel against armor vehicles; 80 tungsten flechettes against manpower;

Effective firing range – 4000 meters.

What does it take for the Ukrainian forces to start using CRV7?

Justin Trudeau's government should agree to transfer the shells to Ukraine and issue an appropriate official decision (this should not be a problem, because Canada is a consistent ally of Ukraine and has already provided assistance worth more than $7 billion).

Next, Canada should conduct an inventory and real tests to check the condition of the shells to guarantee transportation safety across the ocean.

It's not even necessary for the Ukrainian forces to prepare and adapt the weapons for the Canadian shells, because they can be fired using the same systems as the unguided Hydra 70 shells already provided by the United States.

What are the real tasks for CRV7 in Ukraine?

The CRV7 rockets are cheap but effective means of warfare. These unguided rockets are perfect for storming positions and destroying enemy infantry.

They can also effectively destroy enemy weapons on the battlefield – Russians are fond of huddling together in large convoys before attacks.

In addition, the CRV7 rockets are capable of penetrating enemy concrete hidings and hangars, in fact, they were developed against the armies of the Warsaw Pact countries, that is, the technical characteristics already can respond correctly to the features of the Soviet (and now – Russian) means of warfare.