PULS – Serbia acquires Israeli rocket artillery system

The previously unknown future European user of the PULS (Multi-Purpose Universal Launching System) rocket artillery system is apparently Serbia, as the Israeli daily Haaretz reported on the 2nd of January.

Elbit Systems had announced on November 18th, 2024, that it had signed a contract with a European country to supply an unspecified number of PULS rocket artillery systems, including rockets and MALE Hermes 900 reconnaissance drones, at a total value of $335 million. The delivery is to take place in the next three and a half years, however the customer country was not named.

A day later, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić told domestic media that the country had signed a contract to purchase modern rocket artillery systems and reconnaissance drones, without specifying the exact type. Altogether this indicates that Serbia is highly likely to be the new customer for PULS. 

In addition to Serbia, Denmark and Spain have also opted for the Israeli rocket system. The Netherlands and Germany are also procuring the PULS, which will be upgraded to the Euro-PULS variant. Euro-PULS will then have, among other things, a fire control system from Germany and will be able to fire additional weapons not manufactured by Elbit.

Tech profile: PULS

The PULS multiple rocket launcher can fire a wide range of artillery rockets with a range of 12 to 300 km. Elbit says that the “unique” design of the PULS offers a lot of growth potential. For example, the system could be capable of firing loitering munitions, including the canister configuration of Elbit Systems’ SkyStriker Loitering Munition. According to the manufacturer, the SkyStriker can be equipped with both 5 kg and 10 kg warheads. The time it can spend in the air – after travelling 20 kilometers within ten minutes – is one or two hours, depending on the weight of the warhead. The maximum flight distance is around 550 km, according to Elbit, and the highest possible cruise speed is 185 km/h. 

The Elbit missile portfolio for the PULS begins with the 122 mm Accular missile. This has a range of up to 35 km and a 20 kg warhead. For precise long-range impact beyond 100 km, Elbit offers Extra, which carries a 120 kg warhead and can hit targets up to 150 km away with an accuracy of 10 m.  In addition to a unitary explosive fragmentation variant, a penetrator variant is also offered. The Predator Hawk missile can be used for even deeper strikes. According to the manufacturer, the missile has a range of 300 km with a 140 kg warhead and an accuracy of 10 m.

In addition, the PULS launcher is fully adaptable to existing wheeled and tracked platforms, which, according to the manufacturer, leads to a significant reduction in maintenance and training costs.

This article, written by Waldemar Geiger, was originally published by hartpunkt on the 2nd of January 2025. Hartpunkt and Calibre are collaborating to bring you the best content from across Europe.