KRL-122 Multiple Launch Rocket System

Reading Time: 4 minutes KRL-122 Rocket Launcher: Pakistan’s Indigenous Take on the 122 mm Grad The KRL-122 is Pakistan’s domestically developed iteration of the ubiquitous 122 mm multiple-rocket launcher (MRL) family. Built around the proven BM-21 “Grad” concept, the KRL-122—sometimes referred to by the name Ghadab or Gadab in open sources—reflects a pragmatic, cost-effective approach: retain the simplicity and mass-fire capability of the Grad while improving range, accuracy and national sustainment through local munitions and incremental modernisation. The launcher has seen limited export and combat use in recent years, demonstrating the enduring utility of 122 mm artillery in contemporary conflicts. Origins and development Developed by Pakistan’s Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL) and associated domestic defence firms, the KRL-122 emerged as part of a wider effort to domesticate rocket artillery capabilities. Designers used the BM-21 as the baseline architecture—forty tubes mounted on a cross-country truck—but pursued improvements in launcher ergonomics, truck integration