Russia patents conceptual TOS‑3 'Drakon': A new artillery system to offset flaws in heavy flamethrowers

The rocket artillery system, TOS-1 "Solntsepyok," frequently appears in Ukraine due to its significant firepower and vast damage potential. Its successor, TOS-2 "Tosochka," has also been observed on the front line. The use of these weapons has allowed the Russians to realize that the so-called heavy flamethrowers have several significant flaws affecting their general usage.

The Ukrainian service Defense Express highlights that the TOS-1, a thermobaric weapon sometimes dubbed the 'poor cousin' of a nuclear weapon, has a declared firing range of 6 to 10 kilometers. This limitation is its primary flaw, requiring positioning at a relatively short distance from the front line or target. This vulnerability makes the TOS-1 an obvious target for Ukrainian attack drones.

According to the service, for merely $500, UAVs disrupt the entire Russian concept of self-propelled flamethrowers. The compact device can destroy part of the system worth up to $7 million, disallowing it from delivering massive attacks with thermobaric missiles. This is welcome news for the Ukrainians, given that during a TOS-1 attack, temperatures at the epicenter can reach up to 3155 degrees Celsius, causing everything at ground zero to vaporize and consuming all oxygen in the vicinity.

The TOS-1 system does have advantageous aspects that the Russians intend to incorporate into the creation of the TOS-3 "Drakon". This includes the weapon's chassis. As previously reported, this multi-rail missile launcher is mounted on a T-90 or T-72 tank chassis, enabling effective field performance. The Russians believe that combining such a chassis with the range of the TOS-2 system, extending from 15 to almost 25 kilometers, may permit the creation of a potent thermobaric weapon. The TOS-3 "Drakon" is only a concept, and it remains uncertain when or if Russia will commence production.