The 9K720 Iskander (russian: «Искандер»;
NATO reporting name SS-26 Stone) is a mobile
short-range ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the ...
system produced and deployed by the
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
n military. The missile systems () are to replace the obsolete
OTR-21 ''Tochka'' systems, still in use by the Russian armed forces, by 2020.
[Минобороны пообещало полностью оснастить ракетные войска «Искандерами»](_blank)
. RBC, 18 November 2016. The Iskander has several different conventional warheads, including a cluster munitions warhead, a
fuel–air explosive
A dust explosion is the rapid combustion of fine particles suspended in the air within an enclosed location. Dust explosions can occur where any dispersed powdered combustible material is present in high-enough concentrations in the atmosphere or ...
enhanced-blast warhead, a high-explosive fragmentation warhead, an earth penetrator for
bunker busting
A bunker buster is a type of munition that is designed to penetrate hardened targets or targets buried deep underground, such as military bunkers.
Armor piercing shells
Germany
Röchling shells were bunker-busting artillery shells, developed b ...
and an
electromagnetic pulse
An electromagnetic pulse (EMP), also a transient electromagnetic disturbance (TED), is a brief burst of electromagnetic energy. Depending upon the source, the origin of an EMP can be natural or artificial, and can occur as an electromagnetic fi ...
device for anti-radar missions. The missile can also carry nuclear warheads.
[9K720 Iskander-M (SS-26 Stone) – Program](_blank)
. GlobalSecurity.org
GlobalSecurity.org is an American nonpartisan, independent, nonprofit organization that serves as a think tank, and research and consultancy group. Focus
The site is focused on national and international security issues; military analysis, syste ...
. Retrieved on 11-15-08.[9K720 Iskander-M (SS-26 Stone)](_blank)
(). GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved on 11-15-08. In September 2017, the
KB Mashinostroyeniya
KB Mashinostroyeniya or KBM for short (russian: КБ Машиностроения, КБМ, , Machine-Building Design Bureau) is a state defence enterprise, scientific and design R&D centre specialised in missile systems located in Kolomna, Moscow ...
(KBM) general designer Valery M. Kashin said that there were at least seven types of missiles (and "perhaps more") for Iskander, including one
cruise missile.
[Ракетный комплекс "Искандер-М" получил новые типы ракет](_blank)
. TASS
The Russian News Agency TASS (russian: Информацио́нное аге́нтство Росси́и ТАСС, translit=Informatsionnoye agentstvo Rossii, or Information agency of Russia), abbreviated TASS (russian: ТАСС, label=none) ...
, 14 September 2017.
History
The road-mobile Iskander
["Iskander" is one variant among many of ]Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...
's given name as expressed by various cultures in the Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...
and Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
, among other regions: Iskander, Askander, Eskinder, Scandar, Eskandar. was the second attempt by Russia to replace the
Scud missile. The first attempt, the
OTR-23 Oka
The OTR-23 Oka (russian: OTP-23 «Ока»; named after Oka River) was a mobile theatre ballistic missile (russian: оперативно-тактический ракетный комплекс) deployed by the Soviet Union near the end of the Co ...
, was eliminated under the
INF Treaty
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty, formally the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles; / ДРСМ ...
. The design work on Iskander was begun in December 1988, initially directed by the KBM
rocket weapon
In military terminology, a rocket is a self-propelled, generally unguided, weapon-system powered by a rocket engine. Though used primarily as medium- and long-range artillery systems, historically rockets have also seen considerable use as air-t ...
ry designer
Sergey Nepobedimy, and was not significantly affected by the
dissolution of the USSR
The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
in 1991.
The first successful launch occurred in 1996.
In September 2004, at a meeting with senior defense officials reporting to
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
on the drafting of a defense budget for 2005, the
Russian Defence Minister
The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (russian: Министерство обороны Российской Федерации, Минобороны России, informally abbreviated as МО, МО РФ or Minoboron) is the govern ...
Sergei Ivanov
Sergei Borisovich Ivanov ( rus, Сергей Борисович Иванов, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej bɐˈrʲisəvʲɪtɕ ɪvɐˈnof; born 31 January 1953) is a Russian senior official and politician who has served as the Special Representative of ...
spoke about the completion of static tests of a new tactical missile system called the Iskander. He said that the system would go into quantity production in 2005 and toward the end of that year, Russia would have a brigade armed with it.
In March 2005, a source in the Russian defence industry told Interfax-AVN the development of new missiles with a range of 500–600 km, based on existing Iskander-E tactical missile systems, was a possibility. He said, however, that it "may take up to five or six years".
In 2006, serial production of the Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile system was launched, and the system was adopted by the Russian army.
The production cost of the missile system was reported in 2014 to have been slashed by a third by cutting the 20% markup applied by the missile manufacturer at each stage of the components supply chain from a cumulative 810% to markup of 21% applied only to the finished product.
There was a report by GosNIIP, the design bureau that builds guidance for cruise missiles, that Russia completed state acceptance trials of the "ground-based 9M728/9M729 missiles and their modernized version."
In November 2016, the Russian military announced that the modernization of the Iskander-M system was underway.
A number of countries were reported to have shown interest in purchasing the export version of Iskander, but such possibility was only announced in early February 2017.
The United States has argued that the
9M728/9M729 (SSC-X-7/SSC-X-8) cruise missiles used by Iskander-K violates the
INF Treaty
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty, formally the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles; / ДРСМ ...
because their estimated range is beyond 500 km.
Design
![CombatLaunching2018-18](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/CombatLaunching2018-18.jpg)
The Iskander ballistic missile is superior to its predecessor, the
Oka
Oka or OKA may refer to:
Cars
* Oka (automobile), a small car designed by AvtoVAZ and produced by ZMA and SeAZ
* OKA 4wd, a large 4-wheel-drive vehicle made in Western Australia by OKA
Military
* 2B1 Oka, Soviet 420 mm self-propelled mor ...
. The Iskander-M system is equipped with two
solid-propellant
A propellant (or propellent) is a mass that is expelled or expanded in such a way as to create a thrust or other motive force in accordance with Newton's third law of motion, and "propel" a vehicle, projectile, or fluid payload. In vehicles, the e ...
single-stage
guided missiles, model 9M723K1. Each one is controlled throughout the entire flight path and fitted with an inseparable
warhead
A warhead is the forward section of a device that contains the explosive agent or toxic (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a missile, rocket, torpedo, or bomb.
Classification
Types of warheads include:
* Expl ...
. Each missile in the launch carrier vehicle can be independently targeted in a matter of seconds. The mobility of the Iskander launch platform makes a launch difficult to prevent.
Targets can be located not only by satellite and aircraft but also by a conventional intelligence center, by an
artillery observer
An artillery observer, artillery spotter or forward observer (FO) is responsible for directing artillery and mortar fire onto a target. It may be a ''forward air controller'' (FAC) for close air support (CAS) and spotter for naval gunfire su ...
, or from aerial photos scanned into a computer. The missiles can be re-targeted during flight in the case of engaging mobile targets.
Another unique feature of Iskander-M is the optically guided warhead, which can also be controlled by encrypted radio transmission, including such as those from
AWACS or
UAV
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controlle ...
. The electro-optical guidance system provides a self-homing capability. The missile's on-board computer receives images of the target, then locks onto the target with its sight and descends towards it at supersonic speed.
Boost phase thrust vector control (TVC) is accomplished by graphite vanes similar in layout to the
V-2
The V-2 (german: Vergeltungswaffe 2, lit=Retaliation Weapon 2), with the technical name ''Aggregat 4'' (A-4), was the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was develope ...
and Scud series tactical ballistic missiles. According to some rumors, in flight, the missile follows a
quasi-ballistic path, performing evasive maneuvers in the terminal phase of flight and releasing
decoy
A decoy (derived from the Dutch ''de'' ''kooi'', literally "the cage" or possibly ''ende kooi'', " duck cage") is usually a person, device, or event which resembles what an individual or a group might be looking for, but it is only meant to lu ...
s in order to penetrate missile defense systems (American officials have confirmed the use of decoys in at least some versions).
The missile never leaves the atmosphere as it follows a relatively flat trajectory. The missile is controlled during the whole flight with
gas-dynamic and aerodynamic control surfaces. It uses small fins to reduce its radar signature.
The Russian Iskander-M travels at a
hypersonic speed
In aerodynamics, a hypersonic speed is one that exceeds 5 times the speed of sound, often stated as starting at speeds of Mach 5 and above.
The precise Mach number at which a craft can be said to be flying at hypersonic speed varies, since ind ...
of 2100–2600 m/s (Mach 6–7) and an altitude of 50 km. The Iskander-M weighs 4,615 kg, carries a warhead of 710–800 kg, has a range of 500 km and achieves a
circular error probable (CEP) of 5–7 meters (when coupled with optical homing head; 30–70 m in autonomous application).
Iskander is a tactical missile system designed to be used in
theater level conflicts. It is intended to use
conventional or
thermonuclear weapon
A thermonuclear weapon, fusion weapon or hydrogen bomb (H bomb) is a second-generation nuclear weapon design. Its greater sophistication affords it vastly greater destructive power than first-generation nuclear bombs, a more compact size, a low ...
warheads for the engagement of small and area targets (both moving and stationary), such as hostile fire weapons, air and anti-missile defenses, command posts and communications nodes and troops in concentration areas, among others. According to Russian claims, the area of destruction from a single warhead is 25,000 square meters, or about two football fields and the accuracy of the missile allows it to hit targets the size of a small window from a range of several tens of kilometers.
In 2007, a new missile for the system (and launcher) was test fired, the cruise missile, with a range of applications up to 2000 km or more.
Presently, "Iskander-M" system, outfitted with cruise and ballistic missiles, is being delivered to the military. In 2013, army missile brigades first received missiles equipped with a new control system. As of 2018, the Iskander missile complex can now strike static sea targets.
The system can be transported by various vehicles, including
airplanes
An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spectr ...
.
When nuclear armed, the warhead is estimated to have a yield of (Iskander-M).
Operational history
Russia
![A Russian missile lies largely intact in a home in Gori](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/A_Russian_missile_lies_largely_intact_in_a_home_in_Gori.jpg)
The first documented use of the Iskander was in the
Russo-Georgian War
The 2008 Russo-Georgian WarThe war is known by a variety of other names, including Five-Day War, August War and Russian invasion of Georgia. was a war between Georgia, on one side, and Russia and the Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics of Sou ...
in which Dutch journalist
Stan Storimans was killed on 12 August 2008 in
Gori. An investigation by the
Dutch government
The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy, and a decentralised unitary state.''Civil service systems in Western Europe'' edited by A. J. G. M. Bekk ...
revealed that a single, 5 mm fragment from an anti-personnel sub-munition, carried by an Iskander missile, killed the Dutch journalist.
In September 2009, the Russian military announced plans to deploy Iskander missiles in all the
military districts of Russia "in a short time".
According to the
Stratfor report in 2010 there were five Iskander brigades stationed and operational in Russia, namely the
26th Rocket Brigade in the town of
Luga, Leningrad Oblast, south of
St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
;
92nd Rocket Brigade
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
at Kamenka, near
Penza
Penza ( rus, Пе́нза, p=ˈpʲɛnzə) is the largest city and administrative center of Penza Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Sura River, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 Census, Penza had a population of 517,311, making it the 38th-la ...
in the
Volga region
The Volga Region (russian: Поволжье, ''Povolzhye'', literally: "along the Volga") is a historical region in Russia that encompasses the drainage basin of the Volga River, the longest river in Europe, in central and southern European Russ ...
;
103rd Rocket Brigade
The 103rd Rocket Red Banner, Orders of Kutuzov and Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Brigade (103 RBr), is a tactical surface-to-surface missile formation of the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation. Its Military Unit Number is 47130. It is equipped with the ...
at
Ulan-Ude
Ulan-Ude (; bua, Улаан-Үдэ, , ; russian: Улан-Удэ, p=ʊˈlan ʊˈdɛ; mn, Улаан-Үд, , ) is the capital city of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, located about southeast of Lake Baikal on the Uda River at its confluence wi ...
, north of Mongolia;
107th Rocket Brigade at , in the Far East; and the
114th Rocket Brigade at Znamensk, in the northern Caucasus.
In June 2013, it was revealed that Russia had deployed several Iskander-M ballistic missile systems in
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...
at undisclosed locations.
In 2016, it was reported by media that Armenia had received a ''
divizion'' of Iskander missiles.
In November 2014, US General Breedlove stated that Russian forces "capable of being nuclear" had been moved into Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula which the Russian Federation
had annexed in March, and the following month Ukrainian Armed Forces announced that Russia had deployed a nuclear-capable Iskander division in the territory. Russian Foreign Ministry officials declared the right to deploy nuclear weapons in the peninsula, which is generally
recognized as part of Ukraine, in December 2014 and June 2015.
In March 2016, at least one Iskander system was reportedly deployed at Russia's
Hmeimim airbase in
Syria. In January 2017 an Israeli company claimed satellite photography confirmed the Syrian deployment.
According to a Fox News report in early February 2017, four Iskander missiles had been fired at opposition targets in the
Idlib province
Idlib Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة ادلب / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Idlib'') is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay province to the north, Aleppo Governorate to the east, Ha ...
in Syria.
During the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...
, Russia launched several Iskander missiles over their border into Ukraine as part of their assault. Here, these missiles demonstrated a previously unknown capability that employed decoys to confuse air defense systems. It is believed this technology was kept a closely guarded secret, and not included on Iskander missiles exported outside of Russia. Up from 23 April 2022, Russia deployed more units equipped with Iskander-M to the
Belgorod Oblast
Belgorod Oblast (russian: Белгоро́дская о́бласть, ''Belgorodskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Belgorod. Population:
History
At the turn of the 17th c ...
as close as 60 km from the border of Ukraine.
Kaliningrad region
In November 2008, the Russian president
Dmitry Medvedev in his first
annual address to the
Federal Assembly of Russia
The Federal Assembly ( rus, Федера́льное Собра́ние, r=Federalnoye Sobraniye, p=fʲɪdʲɪˈralʲnəjə sɐˈbranʲɪjə) is the national legislature of the Russian Federation, according to the Constitution of the Russian F ...
announced plans to deploy Iskander missiles to the
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast (russian: Калинингра́дская о́бласть, translit=Kaliningradskaya oblast') is the westernmost federal subject of Russia. It is a semi-exclave situated on the Baltic Sea. The largest city and admin ...
, Russia's westernmost territory on the south-eastern coast of the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...
, if the U.S. went ahead with its
European Ballistic Missile Defense System. On 17 September 2009,
US president
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
announced the cancellation of the U.S. missile defense project in Poland and the Czech Republic. The following day, Moscow indicated it might in turn cancel the plans to deploy Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad; a few days later, the decision not to deploy was confirmed by Medvedev.
According to Russian unofficial media reports, Russia deployed Iskander missiles to the Kaliningrad Oblast as part of military exercises in March 2015.
On 8 October 2016, the Russian military confirmed that they had moved Iskander-M missiles into the Kaliningrad oblast, adding the move was part of routine drills and had happened previously multiple times and would happen in future. A few days after, Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Russian State Duma
Vladimir Shamanov
Vladimir Anatolyevich Shamanov (russian: Владимир Анатольевич Шаманов, born 15 February 1957) is a retired Colonel General of the Military of Russia, Russian Armed Forces who was Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Airborne ...
commented that the transfer of missile systems Iskander-M into the Kaliningrad region had been effected to counter potential threats from the U.S. missile defense facilities that had been stationed in Europe as well as those that might be stationed subsequently.
In early February 2018, Shamanov confirmed that Russia had deployed an unidentified number of Iskander missiles to the Kaliningrad region. Days prior, the local military commanders said that the "park zones" for Iskander missiles deployment had been completed in the Kaliningrad region, as well as in
North Ossetia.
Armenia
Armenia reportedly used its Iskander missiles against Azerbaijani forces during the
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war
The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involving Azerbai ...
. According to unconfirmed claims by ex-president of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan
Serzh Azati Sargsyan ( hy, Սերժ Ազատի Սարգսյան, ; born 30 June 1954)[Of ...](_blank)
, the missiles were fired on the town of
Shushi
/ hy, Շուշի
, settlement_type = City
, image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg
, image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govhar ...
after its
capture by Azerbaijani forces in the last days of the war. Responding to these claims, Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinyan
Nikol Vovayi Pashinyan ( hy, Նիկոլ Վովայի Փաշինյան, ; born 1 June 1975) is an Armenian politician serving as the prime minister of Armenia since 8 May 2018.
A journalist by profession, Pashinyan founded his own newspaper in ...
neither confirmed nor denied the claim that an Iskander was fired on Shushi, but implied that the missiles that were launched did not explode or only exploded "by 10 percent."
The Armenian prime minister's claims were rejected by a number of Russian lawmakers and military experts as well as by ex-defense minister of Armenia
Seyran Ohanyan
Seyran Musheghi Ohanyan ( hy, Սեյրան Մուշեղի Օհանյան; born 1 July 1962) is an Armenian general and politician currently serving as a deputy in the National Assembly of Armenia. He served as Defence Minister of Armenia from 1 ...
(under whom the missiles were acquired by Armenia).
The Russian
Ministry of Defence released a statement claiming that the Iskander missiles were not used at all during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. Another claim was made by an anonymous
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...
i official that Armenian forces fired an Iskander missile at Azerbaijan's capital
Baku in the last days of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, but it was shot down by an Israeli-made
Barak 8. On March 15, employees of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action, who were demining and clearing the territories from mines and shells in Shushi, discovered the wreckage of an Iskander-M missile with identification number 9M723.
Variants
Iskander-M
Variant for the
Russian Armed Forces with two 9M723 quasi-ballistic missiles with published range 415 km, rumoured 500 km. Speed Mach 6–7, flight altitude up to 6–50 km, nuclear capable stealth missile, controlled at all stages, not ballistic flight path. Immediately after the launch and upon approach to the target, the missile performs intensive maneuvering to evade
anti-ballistic missiles.
The missile constantly maneuvers during flight as well.
Iskander-K
![Tsentr2015-09](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Tsentr2015-09.jpg)
"K" for ''Krylataya'' ("Winged"). Variant intended to carry various types of
cruise missiles (russian: крылатая ракета; literally
winged rocket). At present, it includes:
* 9M728 (SSC-X-7) also known as R-500 – flight altitude up to 6 km, published range up to 500 km and automatic adjustment in the way,
follow of terrain relief in flight.
The missile is evolved from
3M10,
3M54/3M14 and
Kh-101/102 missiles and can be launched also by the Iskander-M.
* 9M729 (SSC-X-8) – new long-range missile that is reportedly land-based version of the 3M14 Caliber-NK missile complex with a range between and may be based even on the air-launched Kh-101 cruise missile with a range over . According to RF, its range is only 480 km and its specially-developed self-propelled launcher can carry 4 missiles. The 9M729 missile has a higher yield warhead and a new control system for greater accuracy. Most parts and components of the 9M728 and 9M729 missiles are identical.
Currently there are 7 different types of ballistic and cruise missiles for both variants of the Iskander missile system.
Iskander-E
"E" for ''Eksport''. The director of the state corporation Rostec Sergey Chemezov commented that the Iskander missile complex is a serious offensive weapon capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. This ballistic missile system is in the military list of products prohibited for export. Iskander missile complexes cannot be exported.
In 2016, Armenia, a Russian ally and a member of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is an intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia consisting of six post-Soviet states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. The Collective Security Treaty has ...
(CSTO) became the first foreign country to operate the system. Iskander-E has a maximum range up to 280 km, to comply with
Missile Technology Control Regime
The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is a multilateral export control regime. It is an informal political understanding among 35 member states that seek to limit the proliferation of missiles and missile technology. The regime was formed ...
restrictions for export,
and is fitted with a simplified inertial guidance system. It flies on a flattened trajectory under 50 km altitude, allowing aerodynamic steering using tail fins, permitting a less predictable flight path and accurate delivery.
[ The system can also use missiles carrying warheads with cluster munitions.
]
Operators
* – 160 units (13 rocket brigades with 12 units each, and one unit with 4 units at Kapustin Yar
Kapustin Yar (russian: Капустин Яр) is a Russian rocket launch complex in Astrakhan Oblast, about 100 km east of Volgograd. It was established by the Soviet Union on 13 May 1946. In the beginning, Kapustin Yar used technology, material ...
). In service with the Western Military District since 2010. Missiles are also deployed in Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...
. Two deliveries in 2013. Missile units in Krasnodar and Stavropol territories as well as in the Republic of Adygea in the 49th Army of the Southern Military District, and a missile brigade in the Eastern Military District received Iskander-M in 2013. One more delivery in July 2014. Missile brigade, stationed in the Orenburg region, rearmed on "Iskander-M" on 20 November 2014. 6th brigade delivered on 16 June 2015 to unit in Ulan Ude (presumably the 103rd Rocket Brigade
The 103rd Rocket Red Banner, Orders of Kutuzov and Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Brigade (103 RBr), is a tactical surface-to-surface missile formation of the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation. Its Military Unit Number is 47130. It is equipped with the ...
). Seventh brigade delivered in November 2015 to the Southern Military District. All scheduled 120 complexes. 20th Independent Guards Rocket Brigade – 5th Red Banner Army
The 5th Combined Arms Red Banner Army (5-я общевойсковая армия) is a Russian Ground Forces formation in the Eastern Military District.
It was formed in 1939, served during the Soviet invasion of Poland that year, and was deplo ...
of the Eastern Military District (the brigade stationed in Spassk-Dalniy, Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai (russian: Приморский край, r=Primorsky kray, p=prʲɪˈmorskʲɪj kraj), informally known as Primorye (, ), is a federal subject (a krai) of Russia, located in the Far East region of the country and is a part of t ...
) – in June 2016. One more delivery in November 2016 to the Central MD. Next delivery conducted in 2nd quarter of 2017. The contract for two more brigades and cruise missiles for the system signed in August 2017 will increase the total number of rocket brigades to 13. A brigade set of Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile systems has been delivered to the personnel of a missile large unit in the Western Military District in late 2017. The last brigade was delivered to the WMD for a missile formation of the combined arms army in the Kursk Region in November 2019. One more brigade set and two battalion sets were delivered in late 2021. More missiles ordered in August 2022.
* – 25 units. Several systems were displayed at the Independence Day parade rehearsal in September 2016. Two managers of the Russian military-industrial complex Rosoboronexport confirmed that four 9K720 Iskander systems were delivered to Armenia per CSTO
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is an intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia consisting of six post-Soviet states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. The Collective Security Treaty has ...
arms agreement, thus making Armenia, a country in military union with Russia, the first foreign state to have the missile system. In February 2017, the Defence minister of Armenia told a Russian mass media outlet that the Iskander missiles stationed in Armenia and shown at the military parade in September 2016 were owned and operated by the Armed Forces of Armenia.
* – 4 regiments (48 launchers). During the Dubai Airshow 2017 exhibition, representatives of the Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation officially confirmed that the Iskander-E missile system was delivered to one of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. French defense writer Philippe Langloit wrote in the September–October 2017 issue of ''DSI'' magazine that Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
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, capital = Algiers
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, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
had received 4 Iskander-E regiments. It was confirmed by Kommersant magazine.
* – bought an undisclosed number of Iskander ballistic missile systems in May 2022, according to a statement made by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (as transliterated from Russian; also transliterated from Belarusian as Alyaksand(a)r Ryhoravich Lukashenka;, ; rus, Александр Григорьевич Лукашенко, Aleksandr Grigoryevich Luk ...
. President Putin has announced a plan to give Belarus nuclear capable Islander missiles. He said: "can fire ballistic and cruise missiles, both conventional and nuclear types".
Details
Specifications
* Manufacturer: Votkinsk Machine Building Plant
JSC Votkinsk Machine Building Plant (russian: Воткинский завод) is a machine and ballistic missile production enterprise based in Votkinsk, Republic of Udmurtia, Russia. Its production includes the RS-24 Yars intercontinental balli ...
(Votkinsk
Votkinsk (russian: Во́ткинск; udm, Вотка, ''Votka'') is an industrial town in the Udmurt Republic, Russia. Population:
History
It was established in April 1759, initially as a center for metallurgical enterprises, and the economic ...
) – missiles
Production Association Barricades (Volgograd
Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stalingrád, label=none; ) ...
) – ground equipment
KBM (Kolomna
Kolomna ( rus, Колóмна, p=kɐˈlomnə) is a historical city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, situated at the confluence of the Moskva and Oka Rivers, (by rail) southeast of Moscow. Population:
History
Mentioned for the first time in 1177, Ko ...
) – developer of the system
* Launch range:
** maximum: 500 km (Iskander-M, unofficial)
** minimum: 50 km
* Accuracy:
** 5–7 m with terminal phase DSMAC
Terrain contour matching, or TERCOM, is a navigation system used primarily by cruise missiles. It uses a pre-recorded contour map of the terrain that is compared with measurements made during flight by an on-board radar altimeter. A TERCOM syste ...
optoelectronic
Optoelectronics (or optronics) is the study and application of electronic devices and systems that find, detect and control light, usually considered a sub-field of photonics. In this context, ''light'' often includes invisible forms of radiat ...
homing system (Iskander-M)
** 1–30 m 9K720
* Time to launch: up to 4 min from highest readiness, up to 16 min from march
* Interval between launches: less than a minute
* Operating temperature range: −50 °C to +50 °C
* Burnout velocity: ≈2,100 m/s
* Number of missiles:
** on 9P78 launcher: 2
** on 9T250 transloader: 2
* assigned service life: 10 years
* Crew: 3 (launcher truck)
System components
The full Iskander system includes[promotional CD of KBM]
* missiles
* transporter-erector-launcher vehicle (chassis of 8×8 MZKT
MZKT (''МЗКТ'' or ''МЗКЦ'', be, Мінскі завод колавых цягачоў, , Minsk Wheel(ed) Tractor Plant (MWTP)) is a manufacturer of heavy off-road vehicles, especially military trucks, based in Minsk, in Belarus; it was ...
-79306 ASTROLOG truck)
* Transporter and loader vehicle (chassis of 8×8 MZKT-79306 ASTROLOG truck)
* Command and staff vehicle (chassis of KAMAZ six-wheel truck)
* Information preparation station vehicle (chassis of KAMAZ six-wheel truck)
* Maintenance and repair vehicle (chassis of KAMAZ six-wheel truck)
* Life support vehicle (chassis of KAMAZ six-wheel truck)
* Depot equipment set
* set of equipment for TEL training class
* set of equipment for CSV training class
* Training posters
* Training missile mock-up
Intended targets
The system is intended to use conventional warhead
A warhead is the forward section of a device that contains the explosive agent or toxic (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a missile, rocket, torpedo, or bomb.
Classification
Types of warheads include:
* Expl ...
s for the engagement of point and area targets, including:
* hostile fire weapons (missile systems, multiple launch rocket systems, long-range artillery pieces)
* air and missile defense weapons, aerodrome
* fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft at airfields
* command posts and communications nodes
* troops in concentration areas
* critical civilian infrastructure facilities
It is also capable of striking strongly protected targets, such as bunkers or hardened aircraft shelters
See also
* R-400 Oka
* Zolfaghar (missile)
The Zolfaghar ( fa, ذوالفقار) missile is an Iranian road-mobile, single-stage, solid-propelled SRBM named after Zulfiqar the sword of Ali, Ali ibn Abi Talib. It is believed to be derived from the Fateh-110 SRBM
A short-range ballistic mi ...
* Persian Gulf (missile)
* B-611
The B-611 is a Chinese solid-fuelled short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) developed by China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation (CPMIEC). The missile has a maximum range of 150–400 km.
The B-611 development began developmen ...
* DF-11
The Dong-Feng 11 (a.k.a. M-11, CSS-7) is a short-range ballistic missile developed by the People's Republic of China.
History
The DF-11 is a road-mobile short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) which began development in 1984 as the M-11, of whi ...
* Fateh-110
The Fateh-110 ( fa, فاتح-۱۱۰ "conqueror"), also known as NP-110 is an Iranian solid-fueled surface-to-surface ballistic missile produced by Iran's Aerospace Industries Organization since 2002. It is single-stage, road-mobile and can c ...
* MGM-52 Lance
The MGM-52 Lance was a mobile field artillery tactical surface-to-surface missile (tactical ballistic missile) system used to provide both nuclear and conventional fire support to the United States Army. The missile's warhead was developed at La ...
(retired in 1992)
* Pluton (retired in 1993)
* MGM-140 ATACMS
* LORA
Lora is a female given name and family name in the Spanish language of French origin meaning from Lorraine, a region in Northeastern France.
As a given name, Lora may also be a variant of Laura or derived from an Italian hypocoristic of either E ...
* Hrim-2
Hrіm-2, Grim, Grom or OTRK Sapsan ( ua, ОТРК "Сапсан", lit=peregrine falcon), also known as Operational-Tactical Missile System Hrim ( ua, Оперативно-тактичний ракетний комплекс «Грім», lit=t ...
Comparable missiles
* Kh-47M2 Kinzhal
The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal (in Russian: Х-47М2 Кинжал, "Dagger", NATO reporting name Killjoy) is a Russian nuclear-capable hypersonic aero-ballistic air-to-surface missile. It has a claimed range of more than , Mach 12 speed (2.5 mi/s), and ...
* Hyunmoo-2 (may be based on the Iskander)
* KN-23
KN-23 is a designation given to a North Korean solid-fueled tactical ballistic missile.
Design
Initial variant
The KN-23 bears an external resemblance to the Russian Iskander-M and South Korean Hyunmoo-2B SRBMs, being distinguished by its el ...
Notes
References
External links
SS-26 Stone @ Defense Update
CSIS Missile Threat – SS-26 (Iskander)
{{Russian and Soviet missiles, SSM
Ballistic missiles of Russia
Theatre ballistic missiles
Votkinsk Machine Building Plant products
KB Mashinostroyeniya products
Modern thermobaric weapons of Russia
Nuclear missiles of Russia
Post–Cold War weapons of Russia
Military equipment introduced in the 2000s