Description
Soviet-Design 80mm S-8KO HEAT/Fragmentation Aircraft Rocket (Inert)
Item Overview
This inert 80mm S-8KO aircraft rocket represents the combined antiarmor and fragmentation variant of the Soviet-designed S-8 family. The Cyrillic С-8КО body stencil identifies the model. Its ribbed warhead section and folded tail fins make it a useful reference piece for collectors of Cold War aircraft ammunition. Only 1 available! You will receive the actual rocket in the photos.
Identification and Features
The body markings identify the model, historical filling designation, fuze series, and production or lot codes. Key markings and features include:
- С-8КО: Cyrillic S-8KO designation; KO identifies the combined shaped-charge and fragmentation variant
- 15-85 and other codes ending in 85: production or lot-style markings tentatively consistent with 1985
- Гекфол: historical explosive-filling designation, commonly transliterated Gekfol or Hekfol
- В-5КП: body marking associated with the V-5KP fuze series
- Ribbed fragmentation jacket behind the tapered nose
- Folded tail fins associated with the rocket's stabilizing system
- Inert display assembly
Function
HEAT means high-explosive antitank. In its original service configuration, the S-8KO combined a shaped-charge warhead for antiarmor effects with a fragmentation jacket for effects around the impact area. This arrangement supported its use against armored targets and other ground threats.
Documented End-Item Application
The S-8KO was designed for launch from rocket pods carried by combat aircraft and armed helicopters. GICHD documents seven- and twenty-round launcher arrangements, including the twenty-round B-8M and B-8V20 pods. These pods formed the link between the individual rocket and the aircraft's external armament system.
Fitted Nose Component
The fitted nose component appears marked VP-9, while the rocket body carries a В-5КП marking. Identification references associate VP-9 with the 73mm PG-9 ammunition family and list V-5KP1 as the standard S-8KO fuze. This difference suggests that the nose component may have been substituted on this display assembly. The rocket body's identification rests on its С-8КО stencil.
Product History
The S-8 family emerged from Soviet aircraft-rocket development during the 1970s. The S-8KO formed part of this family of 80mm aircraft ammunition, using a combined shaped-charge and fragmentation warhead. Later development produced improved rocket variants while retaining the basic pod-launched format, giving the S-8 design a long place in military aviation armament.
Parent-Equipment History
The S-8 family's aircraft applications continued through several generations of Soviet and Russian aviation equipment. Manufacturer records identify S-8 rockets among the weapons carried by the Mi-35P attack helicopter, a later development of the Mi-24/35 line. This provides aircraft-family context for the broader S-8 system and its continued integration into helicopter armament.
Weapon-System Background
The service S-8 design combined a forward warhead, a solid-propellant rocket motor, and folding tail fins. The compact fin arrangement allowed carriage inside a launch tube, with the fins providing stability during flight. Standardized rocket pods supported the wider S-8 family, which included different warhead types for distinct aircraft ground-attack tasks.
History of Use
The S-8KO appears in the 2004 Iraq Ordnance Identification Guide and GICHD's 2022 Explosive Ordnance Guide for Ukraine. These records document the type's place in international ordnance recognition over an extended period. Its continued inclusion in identification references shows how a Cold War aircraft-rocket design remained relevant well beyond its original Soviet development.
Condition
Please check the pictures for the general condition of the item.
Ideal For
The Cyrillic stencils and visible construction details make this rocket useful for explaining Soviet ammunition identification and the layout of pod-launched aircraft rockets.
- Soviet and Cold War aviation ordnance collections
- Aircraft and armed-helicopter weapon displays
- Museum exhibits about unguided aircraft rockets
- Reference collections focused on Cyrillic ammunition markings
- Educational displays about combined HEAT and fragmentation warheads
Approx length 63", Approx width 3.5", Approx height 3.5", Approx weight 13.7lbs.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item’s general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
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