Otrk "Iskander": performance characteristics, history and application. Iskander missile system Set of arsenal equipment and training facilities
DATA FOR 2017 (standard update, v.2)
SPU 9P78-1 with 9M723 ballistic missiles of the 9K720 Iskander-M missile system of the first production brigade set on the day of transfer of equipment to the 107th RBR. Kapustin Yar, 06.28.2013 (http://i-korotchenko.livejournal.com).
Composition and staffing structure of the Iskander-M complex:
The complex includes:
- SPU 9P78-1 for 2 missiles;
SPU 9P78-1 of the Iskander-M complex at a display of military equipment as part of the Ural Arms Exhibition, Nizhny Tagil, 2000 (http://militaryphotos.net).
SPU 9P78-1 with a mock-up of the 9M723 missile. 26th Neman Red Banner Missile Brigade. 10/20/2011 (http://www.mil.ru).
TZM 9T250 / 9T250E for 2 missiles, equipped with a jib crane; According to some unconfirmed data, in an extreme situation the TZM of the complex can launch missiles - probably we are talking about launching from some kind of launch pad in the back of the TZM.
Chassis - MZKT-7930
Calculation - 2 people
Weight - 40000 kg
Crane lifting capacity - 5800 kg
Highway speed - 70 km/h
Fuel range - 1000 km
Overload time for one rocket - 16 minutes
TZM 9T250 (photo and drawing "KBM", drawing - photo from MVSV-2010 from Denis KA, http://forums.airbase.ru)
Loading the SPU of the Iskander-M 9P78-1 complex with the 9T250 TZM with a 9M723 training rocket. The first photo shows TZM 9T250. Demonstration exercises of the 26th Neman Red Banner Missile Brigade. 10/20/2011 (http://www.mil.ru).
Rigging equipment TZM 9T250 of the Iskander-M complex. Kubinka, Army 2015 forum, 06/17/2015 (photo - Sergey Karpukhin, Reuters).
Command and staff vehicle 9S552 / 9S552E on a KamAZ chassis - provides control of fire weapons of a battery or division; provides communication between departments, receiving target designation from external and higher structures;
Calculation - 4 people
Automated workstations - 4
Radio communication range - 50 km (on the march), 350 km (while parked).
Number of communication channels - up to 16
Data transmission and reception speed - up to 16 kbit/s (radio modem, radio stations)
Time standard for calculating a combat mission - 10 s
Time standard for transmitting commands to the PPI - 15 s
Temporary standard for complete deployment and collapse of external antennas - 30 min
Information preparation point 9S920 / 9S920E on the KamAZ-43101 chassis - ensures the preparation of information for striking, prepares information for the correlation type seeker;
Calculation - 4 people
Automated workstations - 2
Number of communication channels - up to 16
Information transmission and reception speed - up to 16 kbit/s (radio modem, radio stations R-168-100KAE "Aqueduct" produced by the Yaroslavl Radio Plant )
Time standard for determining the coordinates of the target point - 30-120 s
The time standard for issuing target designation commands to the SPU is 60 s
Continuous operation time - 48 hours
Vehicle information preparation point 9С920 on the KamAZ-43101 chassis (photo by KBM)
The regulatory and maintenance vehicle on the KamAZ-43101 chassis is used to carry out routine and inspection work on missiles with and without removing them from the container. A study of the missile design shows that routine maintenance on 9M723 type missiles can be carried out in any position - on the launcher, in the TZM, on arsenal equipment carts. Plug connectors for missile testing are located on the front bonding ring.
Calculation - 2 people
Weight - 13500 kg
Deployment time on the move - 20 min
Rocket check time - 18 minutes
Regulatory and maintenance vehicle on KamAZ-43101 chassis (photo by KBM)
Life support vehicle 9T248 on KamAZ-5350 chassis
Life support machine 2T248 (photo by KBM)
Life support machine 2T248 (photo Melnikov A.E., 2015, )
A set of arsenal equipment - containers for transporting and storing warheads and missile units, traverses, carts and cradles.
Standard structure of units with Iskander-M complexes:
The Iskander complexes have been consolidated into missile brigades of 2-3 divisions. it is possible to form a separate missile division. The division includes 2-3 missile batteries, a KShM and a PPI. The missile battery includes 2-3 complexes (2-3 SPU + 1 TZM), KShM. As of 2009, it was announced that there would be 2 battalions in the Russian Armed Forces. According to our assessment, the most likely is a 2-divisional composition of the RBR - in this case, one RBR should contain 8 SPU of the complex, which allows the desired number of RBR to be deployed as quickly as possible in conditions of minimal growth in the production of missiles and systems of the complex.
The first military missile brigade was fully equipped with the complexes in 2010. According to the program for equipping the Russian Armed Forces with new equipment and weapons until 2020, it is planned to equip missile brigades with 12 Iskander-M complexes. This means that a full-fledged brigade includes three missile divisions of 2 batteries, 2 complexes each ().
Brigade kit model 2014-2015 includes:
- 12 launchers
- 12 transport-charging vehicles
- 11 command and staff vehicles
- 14 life support machines
- 1 regulation and maintenance machine
- 1 point of information preparation.
A total of 51 units of equipment. The brigade is also equipped with missile ammunition, an arsenal kit, and training equipment (,).
Status: Russia:
1996 May 10 - the missile and SPU of the complex were shown to Russian President B.N. Yeltsin during his visit to the 4th State Central Test Site of the Russian Defense Ministry Kapustin Yar.
1998 December 25 - The FSB arrested two private entrepreneurs from Kolomna and a KBM employee for attempting to transfer secret documentation on the 9M723 product to Western intelligence services.
2000 July 11 - the Iskander-E complex (on the MZKT-7930 chassis) was presented at the Ural Expo ARMZ-2000 exhibition in Nizhny Tagil. At the exhibition, information was announced that a total of 2 Iskander complexes had been produced by industry and were being tested.
2004 - a contract was concluded for the supply of 18 Iskander-E complexes to Syria, later canceled under pressure from the United States and Israel. It was assumed that delivery would be made in 2007-2008. The plan for the supply of Iskander complexes to the Russian Armed Forces for 2004 is 4 units (division, no confirmation of implementation). A plan for 2005 has been announced - it is planned to put into service 2 Iskander-M complexes.
March 2005 - the first 9K720 complexes entered service with the 630th separate missile division of the 60th Combat Use Center (Kapustin Yar, apparently 2 units, according to media reports it was planned to deliver 3 units in 2005). The full complement of a separate missile division was completed by January 2007. It is planned to begin arming missile brigade complexes: composition - 3 missile divisions, each with three batteries - each with 3 launchers and support equipment - in total, the missile brigade includes 27 complexes and 100 missiles for them . Incl. it is planned to equip the 103rd ORBR of the Siberian Military District and the 107th ORBR of the Far Eastern Military District with the complexes (as of 2009, the re-equipment of these brigades has not begun or is not reported).
July 2006 - Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov stated that in 2007-1015. The Russian Armed Forces will receive 60 Iskander-M complexes and 120 missiles for them (5 missile brigades). Consequently, the composition of the brigade is 2-3 divisions, 2 batteries each, 2 SPUs per battery = most likely, 12 SPUs per RBR.
2006 - the Iskander-M complex was adopted by the Russian Armed Forces. By 2015, it is planned to equip 5 RBRs (individual missile brigades) with the complex and complete the deployment of the group (60 SPU). According to media reports, 4 complexes were delivered to the Russian Armed Forces during the year. Total - maximum, 7 complexes in the Russian Armed Forces (doubtful).
2007 January - completion of the 630th ORDN with Iskander-M complexes produced by Barrikady PA - 2 batteries of 2 complexes each (total - 4 complexes in ORDN and, probably, in the Russian Armed Forces).
May 29, 2007 - Iskander and R-500 missiles were launched at the Kapustin Yar test site (the latter was the first launch). Information appeared in the media about the completion of tests of the Iskander-K complex with the R-500 cruise missile at the Kapustin Yar test site. Range - 500 km, cruising speed - 230-260 m/s, flight duration - 24 minutes, warhead weight 500 kg, CEP - about 1 m, engine - economical turbofan engine, expected to be put into service in 2009. State tests of R- missiles 500 is planned to start in 2008.
SPU 9P78-1 of the 9K720 Iskander-M complex of the 630th missile division. Probably an SPU with a 9M723K5 missile, Kapustin Yar training ground, 08/22/2007 (photo by Vadim Savitsky, http://twower.livejournal.com).
2007 - the media stated that the 92nd separate missile brigade of the Volga-Ural Military District and the 107th separate missile brigade of the Far Eastern Military District began to arm themselves with 9K720 systems. The brigade is expected to be completed by 2011. According to media reports, 4 complexes were delivered to the Russian Armed Forces during the year (the figure 3 units is also found). Total - probably, 7-8 complexes in the Russian Armed Forces.
May 9, 2008 - a missile division of the SPU and TZM Iskander complexes, probably the 630th ORN of the North Caucasus Military District, took part in the parade on Red Square in Moscow.
SPU of the Iskander-M complex at the parade on May 9, 2008 in Moscow (photo by Andrey Kuzmin, taken from the website http://militaryparitet.com)
- 2008 August 12 - there is information, unconfirmed by the Russian side, about the use of the Iskander OTR with a cluster warhead in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict by Russian troops (against the base of a tank battalion in Gori, Georgia). Perhaps the complexes were used by the 630th ORDN of the North Caucasus Military District.
November 5, 2008 - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made a statement that it is planned to deploy an Iskander missile brigade in the Kaliningrad region to neutralize US missile defense systems that were supposed to be deployed in Poland.
December 2008 - production plans for 2009-2011 were announced. - it is planned to supply 30 Iskander missiles to the Russian Armed Forces (and probably 4 complexes per year).
2008 - according to media reports, 4 complexes were delivered to the Russian Armed Forces during the year (the figure 3 units is also found). Total - probably, 10-12 complexes in the Russian Armed Forces (630th ORDN, and probably ORDN of district training centers and 1-2 incomplete RBR).
2009 May 9 - the 630th ORDN of the North Caucasus Military District with a full set of SPU and TZM complexes "Iskander-M" took part in the parade on Red Square in Moscow.
2009 June 17 - Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Nikolai Makarov stated that the rearmament of units of the North Caucasus Military District and the Kaliningrad Special Region will be completed by 2012.
September 19, 2009 - Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia Vladimir Popovkin in an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station stated that after the United States refused to deploy a missile defense system in Europe, a decision was made not to deploy Iskander missile systems in the Kaliningrad region.
September 29, 2009 - Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces, Army General Vladimir Boldyrev, announced that Iskander missile brigades would arrive in all military districts of Russia. The first brigade will be fully staffed in 2010.
2009 October 20 - a notice was published about an open competition for the right to conclude an agreement to carry out work on the development of design documentation: "Reconstruction and technical re-equipment of the FSUE Votkinsk Plant, Votkinsk, Udmurt Republic, to ensure serial production of Iskander-M products ". The estimated cost of re-equipment of production is 308 million rubles, the completion date of the re-equipment according to the plan is 2012.
November 6, 2009 - the head of the missile forces and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Sergei Bogatinov, announced that one of the missile brigades of the Russian ground forces by the end of 2010 will be completely re-equipped with Iskander-M operational-tactical missile systems.
November 12, 2009 - in his annual message to the Federal Assembly, President Dmitry Medvedev stated that in 2010 the Russian Armed Forces will receive 5 Iskander complexes. Previously, officials stated that in 2010 it is planned to purchase 3 complexes and 13 missiles for them.
2009 end of the year - according to media reports, during the year 4 complexes were delivered to the Russian Armed Forces (at least 3 units according to our estimate). Total - probably 8-9-16 complexes in the Russian Armed Forces (taking into account possible failures to fulfill plans in previous years).
- 2010 February 25 - Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Colonel General Alexander Postnikov, stated that during 2010 the missile brigade of the Leningrad Military District (meaning the 26th RBR) will be armed with Iskander complexes.
July 17, 2010 - Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Colonel General Alexander Postnikov, announced that the missile brigade of the Leningrad Military District received the first Iskander OTR complex.
December 14, 2010 - Commander of the Western Military District Arkady Bakhin announced that the Western Military District had adopted Iskander missile systems. Later () information appeared that in 2010 the armament of 12 Iskander-M complexes of the first military missile brigade was completed.
Probably the 630th ORDN is preparing for the parade on Red Square in Moscow, 05/09/2011 (montage of photographs by Renat Dunyashov, http://taek.livejournal.com).
- 2011 August 1 - Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia D. Bulgakov stated that in total it is planned to accept 120 Iskander complexes (12 per brigade) into service with the Russian Armed Forces. It also became known that the 26th RBR is fully equipped with Iskander complexes, and also that in 2010, 6 Iskander complexes were delivered to the Russian Armed Forces.
2011 August 4 - signing of contract Z/3/1/24-11-DGOZ for the supply of Iskander-M missile systems in brigade sets of two sets per year ()
2011 September 22 - during the command and staff exercises "Center-2011", held including at the 4th Main Central Interspecific Test Site Kapustin Yar, group launches of the Iskander-M, " " and MLRS "Smerch" were carried out. A total of two missiles similar to the 9M723K5 missiles were launched.
Operation of the SPU 9P78-1 battery during a group launch of the OTR type 9M723K5 or similar 9K720 Iskander-M complex during the Tsentr-2011 exercises, Kapustin YaR training ground, 09/22/2011 (http://www.mil.ru ).
Launches from SPU 9P78-1 of the 9K720 Iskander-M complex, Kapustin Yar training ground, 08/22/2011 (photo by Vadim Savitsky, http://twower.livejournal.com).
Group launch of OTR type 9M723K5 or similar complexes 9K720 "Iskander-M" and OTR 9M79 complexes 9K79-1 "Tochka-U" during the exercises "Center-2011", Kapustin Yar training ground, 08/22/2011 (http://www .mil.ru).
- 2011 October 5 - a photo of the SPU 9P78-1 from the 26th Missile Brigade appeared on the Internet.
- 2011 October 11 - at the Kapustin Yar test site, a test launch of a missile with a new type of combat equipment was carried out with one of the experimental SPU 9P78-1 of the 9K720 Iskander-M complex. Over the entire period of its operation, 27 missile launches were carried out from this SPU.
October 21, 2011 - Information appeared in the media that the 26th Missile Brigade (Luga, Western Military District) was re-equipped with 9K720 Iskander-M systems. Several media reports say that the first brigade of the Russian Armed Forces is armed with Iskander-M complexes.
November 14, 2011 - the media reported a successful test of the 9M723 missile with a correlation optical seeker. KVO is called at the level of 5 meters. In 2012, the tested complex with a new type of missile will be transferred from the 60th combat use center in Kapustin Yar to the 26th Neman Missile Brigade (Luga).
July 3, 2012 - RIA Novosti, citing the Russian President, reports that by 2020, as part of the State Armaments Program, 10 Iskander-M “brigade missile systems” will be delivered to the ground forces. We are probably talking about brigade kits. According to media reports, one brigade set includes 12 SPU complexes.
2012 September 17-23 - the Caucasus-2012 maneuvers are planned to be held at the Prudboy, Kapustin Yar, Ashuluk and Raevskoye training grounds, within the framework of which it is planned, incl. carrying out firing of combat missiles of the Iskander complex ().
November 22, 2012 - on the official website of the Ministry of Defense it is reported that Iskander missile systems were delivered to parts of the Southern Military District in the Volgograd Region and Krasnodar Territory during 2012.
February 9, 2013 - Commander of the 20th Army of the Western Military District, Major General Alexander Lapin, told the media that the Iskander-M complexes () will soon enter service with the army.
February 12, 2013 - Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces, Colonel General Vladimir Chirkin, inspected the Mikhailovsky Military Artillery Academy, where specialists are trained to work on the Iskander missile systems ().
SPU 9P78-1 of the Iskander-M missile system, Moscow, preparation for the parade, May 7, 2013 (photo - pfc-joker, http://pfc-joker.livejournal.com).
- 2013 May 15 - information appeared in the media with reference to a representative of the Ministry of Defense about plans to deploy Iskander-M missile systems at the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri (Armenia).
2013 June 24 - Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Yuri Borisov announced that in 2013 the delivery of the “first brigade sets of complexes” will begin. Previously, manufacturers of various elements of the Iskander complex supplied their products to the troops independently: command and staff vehicles, launchers, as well as missile warheads and launch vehicles were supplied separately. “In 2013, it is planned to deliver the first brigade sets (Iskander OTRK),” Borisov told RIA Novosti.
- 2013 September 22 - the missile brigade of the Western Military District (probably the 26th Neman Red Banner Missile Brigade, Luga) carried out successful training firing of the Iskander-M missile system ().
RK "Iskander-M" at shooting in Luga, Leningrad region. The second frame shows cloudy conditions from shooting the rope clip. 09.22.2013 (footage from the Zvezda TV channel, http://function.mil.ru).
- 2013 October 07 - The Ministry of Defense reports that by the end of the year the Iskander-M missile launchers will arrive in parts of the Southern Military District.
November 14, 2013 - at the Kapustin Yar training ground, a brigade set of Iskander-M missile systems () was handed over to the personnel of one of the missile brigades of the Russian Ground Forces. The brigade kit was transferred to the brigade of the Southern Military District. In general, starting from 2013, it is planned to transfer two brigade sets per year to the armed forces ().
SPU 9P78-1 with 9M723 ballistic missiles and R-500 cruise missiles of the 9K720 Iskander-M missile system of the second serial brigade set on the day of transfer of equipment to the 1st RBR. Kapustin Yar, November 14, 2013 (http://vk34.ru/).
SPU 9P78-1 with R-500 cruise missiles of the 9K720 Iskander-M missile system of the second serial brigade set on the day of transfer of equipment to the 1st RBR. Kapustin Yar, November 14, 2013 (http://vk34.ru/, video report).
- 2013 November 14 - KBM General Designer V.M. Kashin at the ceremony of handing over the brigade set of Iskander-M complexes in Kapustin Yar said that today 5 types of missiles have been created for the complex and 3 more types of missiles are in development () .
December 15, 2013 - the German weekly Bild, with reference to satellite images, reports the deployment of at least 10 Iskander-M missile systems in the Kaliningrad region - in Kaliningrad, as well as along the borders with the Baltic states (). On December 16, in a statement, the Russian Ministry of Defense said: “The deployment areas of Iskander missile divisions on the territory of the Western Military District (WMD) do not contradict international agreements” (). Thus, the fact of missile deployment has not been refuted, but it has not been confirmed either.
2013 December 18 - the first division of the brigade set of Iskander-M complexes arrived in Krasnodar at the location of the 1st Guard. rocket Orsha orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov brigade (formerly 114th RBR,).
December 19, 2013 - at a press conference it was stated that the decision on the deployment of Iskander-M missile systems in Kaliningrad has not yet been made. Thus, it is likely that there were either no missile systems at all or they were temporarily located in the Kaliningrad region.
February 11, 2014 - The media report on the ongoing development of a new missile for the Iskander-M complex by the KBM without specifying the specifications of the missile ().
July 8, 2014 - a brigade set of Iskander-M missile systems (12 SPU, ) was handed over to the missilemen of the Western Military District in Kapustin Yar.
May 20, 2015 - The leadership of Ukraine states in the media that 10 Iskander-M missile systems are deployed in Crimea (the area of the village of Shchelkovo - Cape Kazantip and the city of Krasnoperekopsk). The first mention of the deployment in the Ukrainian media dates back to December 2014. According to media reports, a total of 3 missile divisions are planned to be deployed. Additional deployment points are the city of Dzhankoy and the village of Chernomorskoye ().
2015, end of July - a missile brigade stationed in the Krasnodar Territory (probably the 1st Guards Missile Brigade) will conduct exercises at the Karustin Yar training ground with combat launches of Iskander-M missiles at a range of up to 300 km ().
2015 September 15 - at the Kapustin Yar training ground, the crew of the missile formation of the Southern Military District carried out combat launches of Iskander-M missiles at targets 300 km away ().
October 30, 2015 - the R-500 cruise missile of the Iskander-M complex was launched at the Kapustin Yar training ground. The launch was carried out as part of an exercise for the strategic forces control system of the Russian Armed Forces (http://mil.ru).
Launch of the R-500 cruise missile of the Iskander-M complex from the Kapustin Yar training ground as part of the exercise of the strategic forces control system of the Russian Armed Forces, October 30, 2015 (video footage from the Russian Ministry of Defense, http://mil.ru).
Still from the TV show “Serving Russia!” TV channel "Zvezda" dated March 27, 2016, which depicts an object similar to SPU 9P78-1 of the 9K720 Iskander-M complex on the territory of the Khmeimim airbase, Syria.
- 2016 April 19 - as part of military exercises at the Kapustin Yar training ground, the Iskander-M OTRK cruise missile was launched. The missile hit the target at a distance of 200 km from the launch point. The military camp training took about a month. The launch of Iskander-M was the final point in a large-scale training, in which more than 400 military personnel and 70 pieces of military equipment took part ().
2016 June 28 - another brigade set of Iskander-M complexes (51 vehicles) was transferred to the missile forces of the ground forces of the Eastern District (5th Combined Arms Army) at the Kapustin Yar training ground ().
Receipt of complexes"Iskander" / "Iskander-M" in the Russian Armed Forces* (version dated June 28, 2016):
| Year | Admission | Total | Source of information, note |
| 2004 | plan 4 fact 0 | 0 | |
| 2005 | plan 2-3 fact 3 | 3 | March 2005, entered service with the 630th separate missile division of the 60th Combat Use Center (Kapustin Yar) |
| 2006 | plan - 4? | 4 ? | according to media reports, the data is questionable |
| 2007 | plan - 3-4 fact - 0? | 4 | in January, the installation of 4 Iskander-M complexes of the 630th order was completed, |
| 2008 | plan - 3-4 fact - 3 | 7 | data on supplies of complexes from the media |
| 2009 | plan - 3-4 fact - 3 | 10 | data on supplies of complexes from the media |
| 2010 | plan 3 fact 6 | 16 | Statement by Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia D. Bulgakov 08/01/2011. Perhaps 6 complexes - total supply 2009-2010. |
| 2011 | plan 6? fact - 0 | 16 | Analysis and serial production were not carried out at JSC Votkinsk Plant. Perhaps there were no supplies. |
| 2012 | plan 6? fact - 0 | 16 | Analysis, serial production at Votkinsk Plant OJSC is planned for the amount of 2.4 billion rubles, the complexes are expected to be delivered to the 20th Army of the Western Military District. Perhaps there were no supplies. |
| 2013 | plan - 24 fact - 24 | 40 | - 06/28/2013 the first of two (in 2013) brigade sets of the missile system was transferred to the ground forces - 12 SPU (3 divisions of 2 batteries and 2 SPU each) - 107 ORB (Birobidzhan). It is stated that the delivery of “brigade sets of complexes” will begin in 2013 and that the completion of the armament program for 10 missile brigades is possible before 2018. - 11/14/2013 - the second brigade set of complexes produced in 2013 was transferred to the Kapustin Yar missile brigade of the Southern Military District - the 1st Guards Orsha Missile Order of Suvorov and Kutuzov brigade (Krasnodar). |
| 2014 | plan - 24 fact - 24 (11/18/2014) | 64 | On July 8, a brigade set of Iskander-M complexes (112th Guards Missile Brigade (Shuya)) was transferred to the Western Military District. |
| 2015 | plan - 24 fact - 24 (11/18/2015) | 88 | Assumption according to the statement of the management of KBM dated June 28, 2013. July 15 - a brigade set of Iskander-M complexes was transferred to the 103rd separate missile Red Banner Order of Kutuzov and Bogdan Khmelnitsky brigade of the 36th combined arms army of the Eastern Military District, stationed in Ulan-Ude. The transfer took place in Kapustin Yar. |
| 2016 | plan - 24 fact - 12 (06/28/2016) | 112 | Assumption according to the statement of the management of KBM dated June 28, 2013. June 28 - the brigade set was transferred to the brigade of the 5th Combined Arms Army of the Eastern District. |
| 2017 | plan - 12? | 124 | Assumption according to the statement of the management of KBM dated June 28, 2013. |
| 2018 | 120 | Possible implementation of plans for 2011 according to the statement of the KBM management dated June 28, 2013. | |
| 2020 | plan +40? | 120 | by the specified date, according to the statement dated 07/03/2012. |
As part of the Russian Armed Forces According to our data, they are armed with Iskander / Iskander-M complexes (data as of 11/09/2016, incomplete):
| Military unit | Military district | Number of SPU | Start acquisition | Completion acquisition | Explanations |
| 630th separate missile division of the 60th Combat Use Center (Znamensk-6, Kapustin Yar training ground) | Southern District (formerly North Caucasian), subordination of the part - central | 4 | March 2005 | January 2007 | the first part armed with 9K720 complexes July 2014 is the planned commissioning date for park equipment storage facilities in Znamensk 13017 and 13021 (Spetsstroy of Russia, reference report). |
| 26th Neman Red Banner Missile Brigade of the 6th Army (Luga), military unit 54006 | Western District (formerly Leningradsky) | 12 | 2008/2009 (plan 2007) really - July 2010 | plan - 2012 (based on indirect evidence, 2009-2010) July 2011 (fact) 10/21/2011 (announced in the media) | 2009 - according to media reports, completed, 2010 is planned to be completely re-equipped. The brigade was fully equipped with Iskander systems in July 2011. On August 22, 2011, brigade personnel and possibly 2 or 4 SPU took part in training launches at the Kapustin Yar training ground as part of the Center-2011 exercise. in 2012, complexes with 9M723 missiles with optical correlation seekers will be transferred to the brigade (not confirmed). July 2014 is the planned commissioning date for the park equipment storage facility 1/L-25 (Spetsstroy of Russia, reference report). |
| 107th separate missile brigade of the 35th Army (Birobidzhan / Semistochny village) | Eastern (formerly Far Eastern) | 12 | 2007 (2005 plans) | 2011 (plan) 06/28/2013 (fact) | It was announced that recruitment would begin in March 2005. On June 28, 2013, the transfer of the first complete brigade set of Iskander-M complexes to the brigade was completed. July 2014 is the planned commissioning date for the park storage facility for equipment P-3/11 (Spetsstroy of Russia, reference report). |
| 1st Guards Rocket Orsha Order of Suvorov and Kutuzov Brigade of the 49th Army (formerly 114th RBR, Krasnodar) | Southern District (formerly North Caucasian) | 12 | 2012 | 2012 (plan) November 14, 2013 (fact) | 2011 - the missile brigade was reassigned to the 49th Combined Arms Army () RBR of the 2nd division composition, according to our assessment, on November 22, 2012, the website of the Ministry of Defense reported that in 2012, deliveries of the Iskander missile system began to parts of the Southern Military District The first division (out of three) arrived at the place of deployment in the village of Molkino on December 17, 2013 () July 2014 is the planned date for commissioning the park equipment storage facility in the villages of Molkino 13009 and Mozdok 13011 (Spetsstroy of Russia, reference report). |
| 112th Guards Rocket Brigade (Shuya) 1st Tank Army | Western District (formerly Moscow) | 12 | 2014 | 07/08/2014 (fact) | The re-equipment of the unit was planned for 2009. 07/08/2014 A brigade set of Iskander-M complexes was transferred to the missile unit of the Western Military District in Kapustin Yar. February 2015 is the planned commissioning date for the park storage facility for equipment 107/603 (Spetsstroy of Russia, reference report). |
| 92nd Missile Brigade (Totskoye-2, Orenburg, formerly Kamenka near Penza) of the 2nd Combined Arms Army | Privolzhsko-Uralsky | 12 | It was planned to begin recruitment in 2007 | 2011 (2010 plan) 11/18/2014 (fact) | Deliveries were planned in 2010 November 18, 2014 A brigade set of Iskander-M complexes was transferred to the missile unit in Kapustin Yar July 2014 is the planned commissioning date for the park equipment storage facility in the village of Totskoye-2 TC-ISK (Spetsstroy of Russia, reference report). |
| 103rd separate rocket Red Banner orders of Kutuzov and Bogdan Khmelnitsky brigade of the 36th combined arms army (Drovyanaya settlement, Ulan-Ude) | Eastern (formerly Siberian) | 12 | no data | plan - 2015 until the end of the year () 07/15/2015 | It was announced that recruitment would begin in March 2005. On July 15, 2015, a brigade set of Iskander-M complexes was transferred to the missile unit in Kapustin Yar - 51 units. technology |
| 12th (new) missile brigade as part of the 58th combined arms army (Mozdok, ) | Southern | 12 | no data | until the end of 2015 Kuwait - as of 2008, negotiations are underway on possible supplies (Rosoboronexport, interview with N. Dimidyuk); Malaysia - according to Rosoboronexport (interview with N. Dimidyuk) is interested in supplying the Iskander-E OTR. The United Arab Emirates - according to Rosoboronexport (interview with N. Dimidyuk) is interested in supplying the Iskander-E OTR. Saudi Arabia: Singapore - as of 2008, negotiations are underway on possible supplies (Rosoboronexport, interview with N. Dimidyuk); Syria - 2004 - a contract was concluded for the supply of Iskander-E to Syria, later canceled by President Vladimir Putin under pressure from the United States and Israel. It was assumed that delivery would be made in 2007-2008. In February 2007, information appeared about a likely supply starting in 2007 through Belarus Http://www.gosniimash.ru http://test.rosb.ru, 2010 Shunkov V.N., Missile weapons. Minsk, Potpourri, 2003 GlobalSecurity.org. Website http://www.globalsecurity.org, 2010 Zaloga Steven J., Scud Ballistic Missile and Launch Systems 1955-2005. Osprey Publishing. 2006 |
"Iskander" (complex index - 9K720, according to the classification of the US Department of Defense and NATO - SS-26 Stone, English Stone) - family of operational-tactical missile systems: Iskander, Iskander-E, Iskander-K. The complex was developed at the Kolomna Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau (KBM).
Purpose of the complex
Designed to engage combat units in conventional equipment against small-sized and area targets deep in the operational formation of enemy troops. It is assumed that it can be a means of delivering tactical nuclear weapons.
Most likely targets:
Composition of the complex
Command and staff vehicle (KShM) (9S552) - designed to control the entire Iskander complex. Implemented on a KamAZ-43101 wheeled chassis. Radio station R-168-100KAE “Aqueduct”. Calculation 4 people. Characteristics of the crankshaft:
- maximum radio communication range when stationary/on the move: 350/50 km
- task calculation time for missiles: up to 10 s
- command transmission time: up to 15 s
- number of communication channels: up to 16
- deployment (collapse) time: up to 30 minutes
continuous operation time: 48 hours
Combat characteristics
- 500 km Iskander-K
- 280 km Iskander-E
Types of combat units
It can also be equipped with nuclear and chemical charges.
Rocket
The missile of the 9M723K1 complex has one stage with a solid propellant engine. The trajectory is quasi-ballistic, the rocket is controlled throughout the flight using aerodynamic and gas-dynamic rudders. Manufactured using technologies to reduce radar signature (analogous to the low visibility technology of NATO countries "Stealth"): small dispersion surface, special coatings, small size of protruding parts. Most of the flight takes place at an altitude of about 50 km. The missile conducts intensive maneuvering with overloads of about 20-30 units during the initial and final phases of the flight. The guidance system is mixed: inertial in the initial and middle phases of the flight and optical (using a seeker developed by the Central Research Institute of Automation and Hydraulics, TsNIIAG) in the final phase of the flight, which achieves high accuracy. It is possible to use GPS/GLONASS in addition to the inertial guidance system.
Options
The Iskander can be equipped with R-500 cruise missiles, the firing range of which exceeds 2000 km.
Combat use
There is no reliable information about the combat use of the Iskander complexes, but there have been reports, refuted by the Russian military, that the complex was used during the Georgian-South Ossetian armed conflict of 2008.
According to the head of the Analytical Department of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Shota Utiashvili, Russia used Iskander missile systems at sites in Poti, Gori and the Baku-Supsa pipeline.
In blogs, Utiashvili’s statement was widely discussed and was received ambiguously, since some of the photographs presented as evidence of several sustainer stages refer not to the Iskander, but to the 9M79 missiles of the Tochka-U complexes, while another part of the photographs actually shows debris from marked with the code 9M723, corresponding to the designation of the Iskander missiles.
Mikhail Barabanov, an expert from the Moscow Defense Brief, points out that the Iskander complex was used at the base of a separate tank battalion in Gori. As a result of a direct hit by a warhead in the weapons depot of a Georgian battalion, it detonated. However, the author notes that this information is based on unverified sources. A Dutch commission investigating the circumstances of the death of RTL Nieuws television cameraman Stan Storimans in Gori on August 12, 2008, determined that the journalist died from being hit by one 5-mm steel ball. According to the BBC, the Dutch commission expressed an expert opinion that Iskander was the carrier of the cluster munition, but the report did not indicate on what grounds such a conclusion was made.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the data provided by the Dutch side is not enough to determine the type of carrier. Earlier, Human Rights Watch put forward another version, according to which the death of the Dutch journalist was caused by RBK-250 aviation cluster bombs.
Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Colonel General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, denied all reports about the use of Iskander missiles in Georgia, saying that the Iskander complex was not used during hostilities in South Ossetia.
Policy
The Iskander OTRK is a powerful weapon that can fundamentally change the military-political situation in certain regions of the world, therefore the issues of deployment of Iskander complexes, as well as their export deliveries, are often part of political consultations between countries.
Tactical and operational-tactical missile systems.
The strategy for waging armed conflicts shows that one of their significant tendencies is the desire of the opposing sides to limit the struggle to the maximum extent possible at the front line, in direct contact of troops in order to preserve manpower for delivering a decisive blow and transfer the main volume of operations to the second echelons, which can be achieved by using aviation or missile systems for various purposes.
However, taking into account that aviation operations are not all-weather and are also associated with human losses, missile systems remain the most effective means of destroying various types of objects at any time of the day, year, in any climatic conditions.
The socio-political situation that prevailed during the initial period of development of the TRC and OTRK predetermined the creation of complexes, the use of which included only nuclear combat equipment (8K14, Luna, Temp-S), while the missiles had low accuracy and a low probability of overcoming enemy missile defenses and other shortcomings determined by the level of scientific and technological development for the period of creation of these complexes.
The subsequent change in the military-political situation and the transition to conventional (non-nuclear) equipment of the TRC and OTRK required a fundamental change in the ideology of constructing these complexes, the main directions of which at the present stage are:
- high efficiency of using conventional warheads due to precision shooting accuracy;
- a wide range of combat units;
- autonomy, mobility, maneuverability and high maneuverability of combat vehicles;
- secrecy in preparing and launching a missile strike;
- speed of SPU deployment and minimal preparation time for a missile launch;
- the possibility of using starting positions that are unprepared in engineering and geodetic terms;
- high reliability and ease of use;
- high degree of automation of the preparation and launch process;
- wide temperature range for combat use;
- long service life;
- high probability of overcoming enemy missile defense.
The first missile system of this class, created by KBM together with other leading enterprises of the military-industrial complex of the USSR, was the Tochka tactical missile system, adopted for service in 1975.
The Tochka complex, possessing high shooting accuracy, was the first model of missile weapons of the Ground Forces, capable of effectively solving the problem of hitting targets in the tactical depth of enemy defense with conventional combat units, and has significant advantages over previously created RK (including foreign ones) in maneuverability, the ability to prepare and launch a covert missile strike, etc.
The complex is still in service with the Russian Army and the armies of a number of foreign countries and has proven itself to be one of the most effective and reliable weapons.
Subsequently, in order to expand combat capabilities, on the basis of the Tochka complex, the modernized Tochka-U tactical missile system was developed and put into service (in 1989) with a firing range of up to 120 km and maintaining high firing accuracy. At the same time, the Tochka-U complex has the ability to operate and combat use missiles of the Tochka complex.
The "Tochka" and "Tochka-U" complexes, in addition to combat equipment, also include a full set of their service and training equipment. KBM services organized warranty service for the complexes and extended the period of their technical suitability.
Simultaneously with the work on tactical missile systems, KBM, together with co-executors, developed and put into service (in 1979) the Oka operational-tactical missile system with a firing range of up to 400 km.
9P71 with the 9K714 Oka missile in Slovakia (2000, a month before they were destroyed with American money).
The Oka complex was the only one in this class of missile systems, both domestic and foreign, in which for the first time the problem of overcoming the enemy’s missile defense with a probability close to one was solved.
The combat and technical characteristics of the complex significantly exceeded those of similar complexes, providing it with significant prospects.
However, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty concluded in 1987 between the USSR and the USA led to the elimination of not only the Temp-S complex with a range of up to 900 km, which was covered by the Treaty, but also the Oka complex.
The scientific and technical groundwork and operating experience of these complexes accumulated by KBM during the development of fuel dispensers and otrkas made it possible to use them in the creation of modern weapons, incl. in the development of the Iskander-E operational-tactical missile system, which meets the requirements of the regulations on the non-proliferation control regime for missile technologies, with technical characteristics that ensure the fulfillment of not only modern, but also future requirements for weapons of this class.
The complex is designed for covert preparation and delivery of effective missile strikes against particularly important small-sized and area targets. It is built on the latest scientific, technical and design achievements in the field of operational-tactical missile systems and, based on the totality of implemented technical solutions and high combat effectiveness, is a weapon of a new generation. This is a “weapon of deterrence” in local conflicts, and for countries with limited living space - a strategic weapon.
The long firing range, allowing it to be used from deep within the location of friendly troops, and the short time spent at the starting position make the complex practically invulnerable. According to the conclusion of leading military-technical centers, the Iskander-E complex is 5-8 times superior to the best foreign analogues in terms of efficiency-cost criteria.
The structure of the complex, its control system, automated combat control and information support make it possible to quickly respond to new requirements without significant modification of combat assets and, as a result, provide it with a long life cycle.
The complex ensures the adaptation of its elements to the automotive and radio-electronic database of potential customers, as well as the possibility of constant (or periodic) maintenance of its elements by highly qualified specialists from Russian companies.
In terms of the level of combat capabilities achieved, the Iskander-E missile system has no analogues in the world, which makes it a promising weapon for the coming decades of the 21st century.
High-precision tactical missile system "Tochka-U".
Purpose: designed to effectively destroy critical targets in the tactical depth of enemy troops.
Composition of the complex:
- single-stage missile, controlled throughout its entire trajectory, with an integral warhead; control system - inertial;
- automated control and testing machine;
- maintenance machine;
teaching aids.
Main tactical and technical characteristics:
Firing range, km minimum 15 maximum 120 Firing accuracy high Starting weight, kg 2010 Time.: preparation for launch, min:
from readiness No. 12 from the march 16 Launcher mass (with rocket and crew), kg 18145 Maximum speed of movement of the launcher, km/h: along the highway 60 afloat 8 Fuel range of combat vehicles (fully loaded), km 650 Technical resource of combat vehicles, km 15000 Crew, people 3 Operating temperature range, degrees C from -40 to +50 Service life, years at least 10, of which 3 years in the field Missile warheads: type Cassette, high-explosive fragmentation weight, kg 482
Operational-tactical missile system "Iskander-E".
The Iskander-E mobile missile system is designed to engage the following ground targets within the operational firing range with high-precision missiles:
- command posts and communication centers;
- large groups of troops;
- fire weapons;
- air defense and missile defense facilities;
- airplanes and helicopters in parking lots;
- the most important about industrial and energy facilities.
Main features of the missile system:
- effective destruction of various types of targets in conditions of the enemy’s use of countermeasures;
- possibility of covert training, combat duty and effective delivery of missile strikes;
- automatic calculation and input of missile flight missions using launcher means;
- high probability of trouble-free functioning of the rocket during preparation for launch and in flight;
- high tactical maneuverability due to the high maneuverability of combat vehicles mounted on all-wheel drive chassis;
- strategic mobility due to the transportability of the complex’s vehicles by all modes of transport, including transport aviation;
- automation of combat control of missile units, operational processing and delivery of intelligence information to the appropriate control levels;
- long service life and ease of use.
Composition of the complex:
- the missile of the Iskander-E complex is solid-fuel, single-stage, controllable along the entire flight path, with a warhead that cannot be separated in flight;
- self-propelled launcher;
- transport-charging machine;
- routine maintenance machine;
- command and control vehicle;
- information preparation point;
- a set of arsenal equipment;
- educational and training facilities.
Main characteristics
Firing range, km minimum 50 maximum 280 Weight, kg: launch rocket 3800 payload 480 missile launcher 42300 Warhead type cassette, high-explosive fragmentation, penetrating Rocket engine Solid propellant rocket engine Control system type autonomous, inertial, integrated with optical seeker Chassis type wheeled, all-terrain Number of missiles, pcs.: on the launcher 2 on a transport-charging machine 2 Combat crew of a self-propelled launcher, people: 3 Temperature range of application, degrees. WITH ±50 Service life, years 10, of which 3 years in the field
Replicas from http://www.kbm.ru/ru/product/otrk, http://www.kbm.ru/ru/product/otrk/tochka-u, http://www.kbm.ru/ru/ product/otrk/iskander-e
Chronicle on OTRK "Iskander".
State tests of the Iskander-E operational-tactical complex, the supply of which to the Russian Armed Forces are provided for by the state defense order, are being completed. As part of the state tests of the Iskander-E OTRK, more than 10 launches were carried out - more than half. The main problem is the delay in prepayment by subcontractors for the manufacture of material for the next stages of testing. With proper funding, they will be completed within a few months. (as of April 2004)
Tests of the new Iskander tactical missile system have been successfully completed in Russia. As Krasnaya Zvezda reports, the Chief of the General Staff, Colonel General Yuri Baluevsky, said that there are plans to purchase a new Iskander tactical missile system and create a brigade equipped with this latest weapon. (30.08.2004. Business News Agency). In 2005, the Ground Forces will have the first missile brigade equipped with new weapons: each of its three missile divisions has 3 batteries, each of them has 3 mobile launchers of the Iskander-E complex, each with 2 missiles. In total - 27 launchers and (taking into account the reserve on the "loading" machines) 100 missiles. (as of August-September 2004)
The first division of Iskander operational-tactical missile systems (OTRK) has been formed in the Russian Armed Forces. It will operate in one of the permanent readiness units in the south of the country, said Colonel General Vladimir Zaritsky, head of the missile forces and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces. Subsequently, in accordance with the Armament Program and the Development Concept, we will begin the rearmament, apparently, of the missile brigades of the Far East and the Siberian Military District,” the general said. (03/25/2005 ARMS-TASS News Agency)
In 2005, plans were reported for the supply of Iskander complexes to Syria. This caused a negative reaction from Israel and the United States. During a visit to Israel, Russian President V.V. Putin announced a ban on such supplies to prevent an imbalance of power in the region.
According to information received during the IMDS-2005 exhibition, the Iskander tactical missile system is also being developed in a sea-based version (for the Navy). This variant is designated "Iskander-MKR". While there are no details on this topic, it is only known that the TT charge of the propulsion system is created at the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Perm Plant named after S.M. Kirov", and the TT rocket engine is created at the Iskra Research and Production Association OJSC (Perm). >>>
On 05/30/2007, tests of the R-500 cruise missile for the Iskander-K complex, which is expected to be put into service in 2009, were completed at the Kapustin Yar test site. The R-500 high-precision subsonic cruise missile has an increased firing range compared to the Iskander-M and develops a cruise speed of 230-260 m/s. The combat load is 500 kg, the firing range is 500 km. The R-500 is equipped with a compact, low-thrust, low-thrust, low-thrust, dual-circuit turbojet engine. (http://www.kapyar.ru/index.php?pg=218)\
According to the Dutch Foreign Ministry, an Iskander missile with a cluster warhead was used on August 12, 2008 during the shelling of the city of Gori during the August war against Georgia. The Russian side considers the evidence provided in the application to be insufficient.
In August 2008, during a visit to Moscow, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad expressed his readiness to deploy complexes in Syria.
On November 5, 2008, Russian President Medvedev, speaking to the Federal Assembly, said that the response to the American missile defense system in Poland would be the deployment of Iskander missile systems in the Kaliningrad region.
The export of high-precision operational-tactical missile systems "Iskander-E" will be suspended until the Russian army is equipped with these weapons in sufficient quantities, said Nikolai DIMIDIUK, director for special assignments of Rosoboronexport. He previously stated that Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and India are showing interest in the Iskanders. True, the head of one of the defense plants recently admitted that foreign orders for Iskanders are several times higher than Russian ones. Moreover, the defense industry could not accept orders from the Russian army, because all production facilities are occupied by the production of Iskanders for export. We may need about 50 such complexes. And industrial capacity allows us to produce only 12 Iskanders per year. Therefore, it will take four years... (KP, 11/13/2008)
Optical seeker of the Iskander TRK, shown by TsNIIAG at MVSV-2006.
- This seeker for Iskander was shown at the TsNIIAG stand at MVSV-2004. Apparently this is an optical-electronic correlation-extreme guidance system 9E436 (-E) for the Iskander missile system (-E).
- Iskander-E mock-up at MAKS-2005. A KBM representative said that the name “Iskander-M” was an invention of journalists...
- Layout at St. Petersburg MAKS-2003.
Questions about products on the KBM website.
Section: OTRK.
What can you say about the possibility of the Iskander-E missile penetrating the enemy’s missile defense system?
For the first time, the question of overcoming missile defense was raised during the development of the Oka complex. The technical solutions adopted at that time made it possible to overcome the existing missile defense system quite effectively. It is quite natural that missile defense has not stood still and missile developers attach great importance to solving the problem of overcoming missile defense built on the basis of modern anti-missile systems. The Iskander-E complex, of course, implements technical solutions that make it possible to overcome the most modern missile defense with a high probability.
But doesn’t the need to prepare two missiles lead to an increase in the time the Iskander-E complex launcher spends at the launch position, which in turn will lead to an increase in the likelihood of it being hit by an enemy retaliatory strike?
No. In the Iskander-E complex, as well as in the Tochka, Tochka-U and Oka complexes, the time the launcher remains at the launch position is minimal and is up to 20 minutes, while the interval between the 1st and 2nd launches missiles for no more than one minute. In addition, it should be noted that missile launches do not require launch positions specially prepared in engineering and geodetic terms, which can lead to their disclosure by the enemy. Launches can be carried out from the so-called “ready from the march”, i.e. the launcher drives onto any site (except for swampy areas and shifting sands) and its calculations in an automated cycle, without leaving the cabin, prepare and launch the rocket. After which the launcher moves to the reloading point and, after loading the missiles, is ready to launch a second missile strike from any launch position.
What warheads can the Iskander-E missile carry?
The missile can be equipped with: a cluster warhead with non-contact fragmentation warheads; cluster warhead with cumulative fragmentation warheads; cluster warhead with self-aiming combat elements; cluster warhead with volumetric detonating action; high-explosive fragmentation warhead (HFW); high-explosive incendiary warhead; penetrating warhead (PBC). I would like to note that, in contrast to previously developed similar systems, the missiles of which used a cluster warhead with contact detonation combat elements, the Iskander-E missile complex uses a cluster warhead with non-contact detonation combat elements triggered at an altitude of » 10 m above the surface.
Why, unlike the systems you previously developed, the launcher of the Iskander-E complex carries two missiles, and not one. After all, this complicates the launcher and increases its cost.
Yes, of course, the launcher becomes more complicated and more expensive, but not twice as expensive. If we estimate the cost of carrying out a combat mission to hit a certain number of targets, then it is obvious that in the case of Iskander-E it will be significantly lower than when using the same missile from a hypothetical launcher per missile, because the number of launchers used to hit all intended targets in the latter case is required to be twice as large. You can, of course, reload the launchers after the first missile strike, but this takes time, which, given the enemy’s countermeasures, may not be enough. In addition, when using a launcher for two missiles in a complex, the cost of operation is reduced and the number of personnel in the missile unit is reduced.
KBM is known as the developer of such effective tactical and operational-tactical missile systems as “Tochka”, “Tochka-U”, “Oka”. Currently, information about the latest development has appeared in the media.
At one time, these complexes fully met the requirements and level of technology development of that period. But the Tochka and Tochka-U complexes have a range of up to 70 - 120 km, respectively, and Oka, unfortunately, was unfairly classified as a “shorter-range” missile and eliminated in 1989 in accordance with the INF Treaty. The Iskander-E complex is a modern model of weapons, which implements the latest achievements of science and design ideas. Its main features include: - high firepower of a missile strike due to the placement of two missiles on one mobile launcher; - effective destruction of a wide range of targets with conventional warheads by one or two missiles due to the use of modern warheads, high accuracy and reliability of the missile, as well as the ability to overcome enemy missile defenses; - high efficiency of missile strikes and operational control by bringing automation of combat control to the launcher; - wide possibilities for modernizing the complex, including increasing combat equipment, increasing the accuracy of missile fire and in other areas. Thanks to its characteristics, the complex is a “weapon of deterrence” in local conflicts, and for countries with limited living space it becomes a strategic weapon.
The complex index is 9K720, according to the US and NATO classification - SS-26 Stone, English. Stone
Family of operational-tactical missile systems (OTRK): Iskander, Iskander-E, Iskander-K, Iskander-M. The complex was created at the Kolomna Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau (KBM). Iskander was first shown publicly in August 1999 at the MAKS aerospace show.
Story
The development of the Iskander OTRK was started in accordance with the resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated December 21, 1988 No. 1452-294 “on the start of development work on the creation of the Iskander OTRK”, as a result, among other things, of the personal efforts of the chief KBM designer S.P. Invincible, who proved to the Military-Industrial Commission of the Presidium of the USSR Council of Ministers the need to create a missile system in place of the Oka OTRK that does not fall under the provisions of the INF Treaty with the United States.
On October 11, 2011, the first stage of testing of the updated Iskander-M missile system with new combat equipment was completed. The 9M723 missile of the Iskander-M complex is equipped with a new correlation guidance system.
Ammunition
The Iskander complex includes two types of missiles: ballistic 9M723 and cruise missiles bearing the index 9M728.
The 9M723 missile has one stage with a solid propellant engine.
The trajectory of movement is quasi-ballistic (not ballistic, maneuvering), the rocket is controlled throughout the entire flight using aerodynamic and gas-dynamic rudders. Made using technologies to reduce radar signature (so-called “Stealth technologies”): small dispersion surface, special coatings, small size of protruding parts. Most of the flight takes place at an altitude of about 50 km. The missile conducts intensive maneuvering with overloads of the order of 20-30 units during the initial and final phases of the flight. The guidance system is mixed: inertial in the initial and middle phases of the flight and optical (using a seeker developed by TsNIIAG) in the final phase of the flight, which achieves high accuracy of 5-7 m. It is possible to use GPS/GLONASS in addition to the inertial guidance system. There are several modifications of the rocket that differ in warhead and telemetry.
On September 20, 2014, during the Vostok-2014 command and staff exercises, the Iskander-M missile system was fired for the first time with a 9M728 cruise missile. The launches were carried out by the 107th separate missile brigade (Birobidzhan). Developer and manufacturer - OKB Novator. Chief designer - P.I. Kamnev. The missile was tested on May 30, 2007. Firing range: maximum - up to 500 km.
Starting from 2013, it is planned to supply the Russian Armed Forces with missiles equipped with an electronic warfare system that will provide missile cover during the final flight phase. This system includes means of passive and active jamming of enemy air and missile defense surveillance and firing radars using noise and the release of false targets.
Options
Option for the Russian armed forces, 2 missiles on launchers, the firing range in various sources varies from that stated for the Iskander-E - 280 km - to 500 km (it is not indicated with what type of warhead (warhead mass) the corresponding range is achieved). The flight altitude is 6-50 km, most of which usually takes place at maximum altitude. Controlled throughout the flight. The flight path is not ballistic and difficult to predict. The missile is made using low radar signature technology and also has a radar-absorbing coating and is a relatively small target in natural physical size. Predicting the target when attempting an early interception is further complicated by intensive maneuvering during takeoff and descent to the target. When descending to the target, the missile maneuvers with an overload of 20-30 units, descending at a speed of 700-800 m/s (these figures exceed or are on the verge of the capabilities of the best mid-range missile defense/air defense systems), at an angle of about 90 degrees (in some cases only the angle of attack is sufficient for complete defenselessness of the attacked missile defense system, and even more so air defense, especially short-range ones), thus the Iskander-M has a number of advantages over its analogues, and high capabilities not just for hitting a target, but even for means of defense in the form of modern missile defense systems.
The missile carries a complex set of passive and active jammers; when approaching the target, false targets and jammers are additionally shot at. Model M is additionally equipped with an electronic warfare system to disrupt the operation of enemy radars. All this also provides the missile with high combat effectiveness in comparison with simpler similar missiles.
Maneuvering at high altitudes is ensured by speed and aerodynamic rudders. Such maneuvering is not intensive, but it places extremely high demands on the reaction time for the interceptor (in a hundredth of a second, missiles get closer to tens of meters, the reaction time of one of the fastest-responding missile defense systems is more than 5 seconds, as well as open-source air defense systems). If the interceptor is kinetic, this also requires successful trajectory prediction with high accuracy. To successfully intercept a ballistic target with a high probability, previously created before the Iskander non-ballistic complexes, it was sufficiently early to detect a target of appropriate size and speed, and, having predicted the trajectory, ensure the interception. However, Iskander changes his trajectory. The Oka complex, the predecessor of the Iskander, could change the target while maintaining a stable trajectory before and after the maneuver, thereby moving away from the interceptor, or at least reducing the effective protection zone, requiring time to recalculate the meeting point.
Export version, firing range 280 km, warhead weight 480 kg. It is a simplified version of the Iskander-M. Maneuvering the rocket at high altitude is ensured by aerodynamic rudders and a flight speed of 2100 meters per second throughout the high-altitude flight. Satisfies the conditions of the Missile Technology Control Regime.
Option using cruise missiles, firing range 500 km, warhead weight 480 kg. The missile's flight altitude is about 7 meters when reaching the target, and no higher than 6 km; the missile is automatically adjusted throughout the flight and automatically follows the terrain. R-500 cruise missiles with a range of 2000 km are also being assembled for the Iskander-K OTRK.
Combat use
There is no reliable information about the combat use of Iskander complexes, but there have been reports, refuted by the Russian military, that the complex was used during the Georgian-South Ossetian armed conflict of 2008.
According to the head of the Analytical Department of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Shota Utiashvili, Russia used Iskander missile systems at sites in Poti, Gori and the Baku-Supsa pipeline.
In blogs, Utiashvili’s statement was widely discussed and was received ambiguously, since some of the photographs of several sustainer stages presented as evidence refer not to the Iskander, but to the 9M79 missiles of the Tochka-U complexes, while the other part of the photographs actually shows fragments with the applied code 9M723, corresponding to the designation of the Iskander missiles.
Mikhail Barabanov, an expert from the Moscow Defense Brief, points out that the Iskander complex was used at the base of a separate tank battalion in Gori. As a result of a direct hit by a warhead on the Georgian battalion's weapons depot, it was blown up. However, the author notes that this information is based on unverified sources. A Dutch commission investigating the circumstances of the death of RTL Nieuws television cameraman Stan Storimans in Gori on August 12, 2008, determined that the journalist died from being hit by one 5-mm steel ball. According to the BBC, the Dutch commission expressed an expert opinion that the carrier of the cluster munition was Iskander, but the report did not indicate on what grounds such a conclusion was made. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the data provided by the Dutch side is not enough to determine the type of carrier. Earlier, Human Rights Watch put forward another version, according to which the death of the Dutch journalist was caused by RBK-250 aviation cluster bombs.
Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Colonel General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, denied all reports about the use of Iskander missiles in Georgia, saying that the Iskander complex was not used during the fighting in South Ossetia.
A little about politics
The Iskander operational-tactical missile system is a weapon that can affect the military-political situation in some regions of the world if the states located in them do not have an extended territory. Therefore, the issues of the location of Iskander complexes, as well as their export deliveries, are the subject of political consultations between countries.
On November 5, 2008, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, speaking to the Federal Assembly, said that the response to the American missile defense system in Poland would be the deployment of Iskander missile systems in the Kaliningrad region. But after the United States refused to deploy a missile defense system in Eastern Europe, Medvedev said that in response Russia would not deploy this complex in the Kaliningrad region. Due to the escalation of tensions between Russia and the United States, at the end of 2011 the issue of deploying the Iskander OTRK in the Kaliningrad region remained open. On November 23, 2011, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev again stated that the Russian Federation is ready to deploy the Iskander complex if NATO countries continue to deploy a missile defense system in Europe.
On January 25, 2012, it became known that the first division of Iskander operational-tactical missile systems in the Kaliningrad region would be deployed and put on combat duty by Russia in the second half of 2012. However, on the same day, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied this information, stating that no decision was made by the General Staff on the approval of the staff of the military unit of the Baltic Fleet, armed with Iskander missile systems. On December 15, 2013, German media, citing sources in security structures, reported that Russia had deployed Iskander missile systems in the Kaliningrad region. This is evidenced by satellite images, which show at least ten Iskander-M complexes deployed in Kaliningrad, as well as along the border with the Baltic countries. The rollout could occur throughout 2013.
The complexes were transferred to the Kaliningrad region during military exercises and a surprise check of the combat readiness of the Western Military District and the Northern Fleet in December 2014 and March 2015.
In 2005, it became known about plans to supply Iskander complexes to Syria. This caused a sharp negative reaction from Israel and the United States. During a visit to Israel, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a ban on such supplies to prevent an imbalance of power in the region. In August 2008, during a visit to Moscow, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad expressed his readiness to deploy complexes in Syria.
On February 15, 2010, the President of the unrecognized Transnistria, Igor Smirnov, spoke in favor of deploying Iskander missiles in the republic in response to plans to deploy US missile defense systems in Romania and Bulgaria.
In service
Russia (as of February 2016): 6 brigades (72 SPU)
26th missile brigade of the Western Military District (Luga) - the re-equipment of the brigade began in 2010 with the supply of 6 complexes (PU), in 2011 the formation of the first brigade (12 PU) was completed;
-107th missile brigade of the Eastern Military District (Birobidzhan) - completely rearmed on June 28, 2013 (12 launchers);
-1st Missile Brigade of the Southern Military District (Krasnodar) - transfer of equipment took place on November 14, 2013 (12 launchers);
-112th separate guards missile brigade of the Western Military District (Shuya) - transfer of equipment took place on July 8, 2014 (12 launchers);
92nd separate missile brigade (Orenburg) Central Military District - transfer of equipment took place on November 19, 2014 (12 launchers);
-103rd separate missile brigade (Ulan-Ude) of the Eastern Military District - transfer of equipment took place on July 17, 2015 (12 launchers);
By 2018, it is planned to re-equip all missile brigades with the Iskander OTRK
Main characteristics
Purpose of the complex
Designed to engage combat units in conventional equipment against small-sized and area targets deep in the operational formation of enemy troops. It is assumed that it can be a means of delivering tactical nuclear weapons.
Most likely targets:
Fire weapons (missile systems, multiple launch rocket systems, long-range artillery)
- missile defense and air defense systems
-planes and helicopters at airfields
- command posts and communication centers
-critical civil infrastructure facilities
Composition of the complex
The complex includes six types of vehicles (51 units per missile brigade):
-Self-propelled launcher (SPU) (9P78-1)
12 pcs. - designed for storing, transporting, preparing and launching two missiles at a target. Iskander can be made on the basis of a special wheeled chassis produced by the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT-7930). Gross weight 42 tons, payload 19 tons, highway/dirt road speed 70/40 km/h, fuel range 1000 km. Calculation 3 people.
-Transport-loading machine (TZM) (9T250 (9T250E))
12 pcs. - designed to transport two additional missiles. Made on the MZKT-7930 chassis, equipped with a loading crane. Total combat weight 40 tons. Crew 2 people.
-Command and staff vehicle (KShM) (9S552)
11 pcs. - designed to control the entire Iskander complex. Assembled on a KAMAZ 43101 wheeled chassis. Radio station R-168-100KAE “Aqueduct”. Calculation 4 people. Characteristics of the crankshaft:
-maximum radio communication range when stationary/on the move: 350/50 km
- task calculation time for missiles: up to 10 s
-command transmission time: up to 15 s
-number of communication channels: up to 16
- deployment (collapse) time: up to 30 minutes
-continuous operation time: 48 hours
-Regulation and maintenance machine (MRTO)
Designed to check on-board equipment of rockets and instruments, to carry out routine repairs. Made on a KamAZ wheeled chassis. Weight is 13.5 tons, deployment time does not exceed 20 minutes, the time of the automated cycle of routine checks of the on-board equipment of the rocket is 18 minutes, crew 2 people.
-Information preparation point (IPI) (9С920, KAMAZ 43101)
Designed to determine the coordinates of the target and prepare flight missions for missiles with their subsequent transfer to the SPU. The PPI is interfaced with reconnaissance assets and can receive tasks and assigned targets from all necessary sources, including from a satellite, aircraft or UAV. Calculation 2 people.
-Life support machine (LSM)
14 pcs. - designed for accommodation, rest and eating of combat crews. It is made on a KAMAZ 43118 wheeled chassis. The vehicle includes: a rest compartment and a utility compartment. The rest compartment has 6 carriage-type berths with folding upper beds, 2 lockers, built-in lockers, and an opening window. The utility compartment has 2 lockers with seats, a folding lifting table, a water supply system with a 300-liter tank, a tank for heating water, a pump for pumping water, a drainage system, a sink, and a dryer for clothes and shoes.
-A set of arsenal equipment and training facilities
Combat characteristics
Circular probable deviation: 10-30 m (depending on the guidance system used); 5-7 m (Iskander-M using a missile with a correlation seeker)
-Rocket launch weight: 3,800 kg
-Warhead mass: 480 kg
-Length: 7.2 m
-Diameter: 920 mm
-Rocket speed after the initial part of the trajectory: 2,100 m/s Maximum overloads during flight - 20-30G (the rocket maneuvers in flight both in altitude and in flight direction). The maximum trajectory altitude is 50 km.
Minimum target engagement range: 50 km
-Maximum target range:
-500 km Iskander-K (2000 km with R-500 cruise missile)
-280 km Iskander-E (export)
-Guidance: INS, GLONASS, Optical seeker
-Time before first rocket launch: 4-16 minutes
-Interval between launches: 1 minute (for 9P78 launcher with two missiles)
- Operating temperature range: from? 50 degrees C to 50 degrees C
-Operation life: 10 years, including 3 years in field conditions
Types of head parts
In normal equipment:
- cassette with 54 fragmentation combat elements of non-contact detonation (triggered at a height of about 10 m above the ground)
- cassette with cumulative fragmentation combat elements
- cassette with self-aiming combat elements
- cassette volumetric detonating action
- high-explosive fragmentation (HFBCh)
- high-explosive incendiary
-penetrating (PrBC)
-special (nuclear)
The Iskander OTRK is an operational-tactical missile system of increased mobility, capable of changing position in a short period of time and launching two medium- and long-range missiles.
The complex is woven into the Russian system of deterrence against NATO and US forces. The reason for its creation was the deployment by Western countries of missile defense systems along the borders of the Russian Federation, supposedly to counter the nuclear threat from Iran.
Advantages of OTRK Iskander
According to the technical specifications, the Iskander or 9K720 is equipped with missiles capable of hitting an object at a distance of 500 km. This is exactly the distance specified in the Treaty on the Reduction and Elimination of Short- and Medium-Range Missiles - INF Treaty.
Under the terms of the treaty, the United States and the USSR were obliged to get rid of missiles with the range described above. For this reason, the Soviet Union retired the Iskander's predecessor, the Oka.
The USA and the USSR are obliged to get rid of long-range missiles.
However, the Americans themselves violate the terms of the treaty. They are developing new short- and medium-range missile systems. Most of these weapons are carried on missile cruisers and carried by specialized aircraft. For example, Reaper and Predator aircraft.
Even the missile defense elements located on the territory of Romania and Poland have a dual purpose and are capable of launching not only anti-missile missiles, but also Tomahawk missiles equipped with nuclear warheads.
The Iskander analogue of the Patriot air defense system is the main missile defense system of the United States and a number of NATO countries It was this reason that provoked the development and development of the Iskander air defense system - a new generation weapon. According to NATO classification, this weapon is designated SS-26 Stone and is considered the most dangerous product of the Russian Armed Forces. The 9K720 division is comparable in firepower to the US aviation group.
According to experts, the combined strike of the complexes is capable of penetrating the existing missile defense and air defense systems in Europe, delivering a crushing blow to strategic points and “breaking” the defenses for subsequent cruise missile attacks.
A little history
Iskander is a relatively new missile system and does not have any outstanding history.
First steps
The Second World War was going on. The German army crushed one power after another and it seemed that the victorious march of the Third Reich would not be stopped by anything. Poland, Benelux countries, France...
Somewhere the Nazis met fierce resistance. Elsewhere they were greeted as friends.
Gradually the German army acquired the status of invincible.
In June 1941, on the night of the 22nd, without a declaration of war, Reich forces invaded the territory of the USSR. The Soviet units were broken, the fighting moved into the interior of the country. It seemed that nothing would stop the Germans.
However, the Soviet people withstood the brown onslaught. The fascist troops first got stuck near Moscow, and then were completely thrown back from the capital to a considerable distance.
The Battle of Moscow, although it did not become a turning point, showed that the Krauts were not invincible. The turning point came after the Battle of Kursk. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers took part in head-on battles, hundreds of aircraft circled in the sky, and the number of destroyed tanks numbered hundreds.
It was this battle that became the turning point of the entire Second World War - the vector of movement of the armies changed to polar.
Seeing that things were not going well at the fronts, Hitler ordered the intensification of the development of new types of weapons capable of stopping the enemy and preventing him from setting foot on German soil.
"Vau" - the first combat missile of the Germans during the Second World War.
One of the projects that received additional funding was the development of the Fau projectile. In fact, it was the first combat missile.
With their help it was planned to destroy strategic objects and communications. The V-V was actively tested until 1944, when most of the rocket manufacturing plants were destroyed or captured.
Following the results of World War II, some German specialists were transported to the USSR. German scientists actively worked for the benefit of the victorious country.
Contrary to popular belief, scientists and engineers were not starved. On the contrary, people received enhanced rations. Thanks to their work, the development of jet aircraft was accelerated. Including various types of missiles.
It was with German scientists that domestic rocket science began.
Using their developments, Soviet scientists created a base on the basis of which flights into space and the emergence of means of delivering nuclear weapons subsequently became possible.
A little later, but not yet Iskander
The development of diverse missile systems became most widespread during the reign of Nikita Khrushchev. The Secretary General was very fond of this class of weapons and saw inexhaustible potential in it. Thanks to Khrushchev, the development of ICBMs was accelerated. Many consider this to be the main achievement of the leader of the USSR.
It was at this time that the development of the R-17 rocket began. Compared to its predecessor R-11, the new model had a larger flight radius and carried up to a ton of payload. For example, a high-explosive fragmentation charge of increased power or a nuclear warhead of several kilotons.
The Iskander flight range reached 240 km. It became possible to launch from a mobile chassis.
reached the flight range of the first Iskander missiles
Another name for the 9P117 complex is “Scud”. It is under this name that the installation is known throughout the world. Adopted in 1962, it was used by the USSR and the Warsaw Pact countries. However, after the development of the new complex, 9P117 began to be exported to the countries of the Middle East. For example, to Egypt and Iraq.
The Middle East has never been known for its calm. Throughout the twentieth century, conflicts between countries regularly occurred there.
The Scud was used by the Egyptians during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. The strikes were carried out on the Israeli Armed Forces.
In 1991, during the Gulf War, Iraq carried out attacks on Israeli territory. Even the Patriot installations purchased from the Americans did not help “God’s chosen people.”
"Oka", almost, "Iskander"
No matter how good the 9K72 complex was, time takes its toll. New technologies are emerging, leaps are being made in the development of electronics, and military requirements are increasing.
For this reason, in the mid-70s of the last century, work began on the creation of a new missile launcher - the Oka OTRK. S. Nepobedimy was appointed general designer. It is worth noting that subsequently it was he who took part in the creation of Iskander.
this summer the first tests of the missile system took place
The complex was first tested in the summer of 1978. The tests took place at the Kapustin Yar training ground.
It is worth noting an interesting fact: this test site was a test site for most Soviet-Russian missiles for many years.
In total, during the tests, the Oka made about 30 launches. The complex was adopted by the USSR Armed Forces in 1980.
OTRK "Oka": Victim of the RMSD agreement The rocket used by the complex could reach speeds of up to 5M. Flight range - 500 km. The characteristics made it possible to effectively overcome enemy defenses and hit command posts, warehouses and other infrastructure. It was possible to use a nuclear charge with a yield of 5 kilotons as a warhead.
In 1987, Gorbachev signed an agreement to limit the use of medium-short-range missiles. The INF Treaty was also signed by the American side. As a result, most of the Oka OTRK was written off and destroyed. True, the complex was in service until 2003. In limited quantities.
Until 2003, the Oka OTRK was in service with Russia.
By the way, the treaty restrictions applied only to missiles with a flight range of less than 500 km and more than 5500 km. It was on the basis of the new parameters that the development of the next project began.
Development of Iskander
To say that Iskander was created in extremely simple and pleasant conditions means to sin against the truth as much as possible.
First of all, it’s worth starting with the fact that the idea to create a new Iskander-M missile system, the characteristics of which had no analogues in the world, was proposed by S. Nepobedimy. The designer took into account all the restrictions caused by the INF Treaty.
The new installation was planned to use modern Iskander missiles, the performance characteristics of which made it possible to overcome layered enemy defenses at a range exceeding 500 km. However, the idea encountered opposition from Gorbachev. Frankly speaking, the “first” president of the USSR screwed up a lot of things.
Subsequently, after the collapse of the country, development still started. Chaos and confusion reigned in the country. Markets collapsed and production chains were disrupted. The designers were not paid wages for six months.
But tests and tests of the complex continued. Not thanks to, but in spite of. The main problem was irregular funding. Every missile and system tested had to be thoroughly checked.
this year the first working sample of the updated Iskander complex was demonstrated
As a result of long and difficult work, in 1999, at the MAKS international air show, the first working prototype of the new Iskander complex was demonstrated. The new product impressed all the guests of the event. A new portion of funding was allocated for development.
It is worth mentioning the organizations that took a direct part in the construction of the complex:
- Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering - rocket development;
- Central Design Bureau "Titan" - creation of a launcher and chassis;
- NIIEP - were involved in the design of all OTRK automation.
Subsequently, in 2006, the first Iskanders entered service with the army of the Russian Federation. The installations were included in the so-called “access prohibited zone” perimeter.
In addition to the 9K720, the defense includes the S-400 air defense system (B, in the future S-500) and elements of the Bastion anti-ship missile system. The essence of the project is to immediately defeat any unfriendly object that illegally crosses the perimeter border.
Modification “E” has been supplied to Armenia since 2016 In service
Iskander is in service with two countries in the world: Russia and Armenia. According to data from open sources, the Russian Federation uses 72 Iskander-M complexes and an unspecified number of Iskander-K modifications. How many OTKR units were transferred to Armenia is unknown. The only information available is the delivery date - 2016.
Tactical and technical characteristics of the Iskander OTRK
The actual parameters of the OTRK are unknown. The most obvious thing that can be said is that the complex carries 2 missiles with a range of hitting targets of 50 - 500 km. The launch is carried out within a few minutes after the combat signal. After firing, the launcher moves away from the missile launch site in order to camouflage and evade a retaliatory strike.
Western weapons experts claim that the 9K720 is capable of hitting targets at a distance of over 5,500 km. The main argument in favor of these discussions was the appearance of the missiles of the complex; the Iskander-M missile is similar to the Caliber. Whether this is true or fiction is unknown.
Also, experts from NATO countries claim that the Russian OTRK is capable of performing its task more efficiently than its American counterpart. US developments in this category (LRPF missiles) are not capable of hitting a target at a distance of over 500 km.
Missile destroyer "Donald Cook" with which "Iskander" is compared The performance characteristics of the Iskander are also often compared with American missile destroyers of the Donald Cook class. Moreover, many military analysts are inclined to believe that the Russian complex is more effective.
The Iskander missile, the characteristics of which are kept in the strictest confidence, is causing a wave of indignation and fear in NATO. The main reason is the possibility of rapid recharging. The process takes place thanks to a special tracking machine. The ship has to go to the port for a similar procedure.
Basic performance characteristics
| The missile hits the target with an error, m | 5 – 30 |
| Rocket weight at launch, t | 3,8 |
| Warhead weight, kg | 400 |
| Rocket height, m | 7,2 |
| Radius, cm | 46 |
| Rocket cruising speed, m/s | 2 100 |
| Highest point of the ballistic trajectory, km | Exceeds 100 |
| Maximum engagement range, km | "Iskander-M" - 500, "Iskander-S" - 2500 (From unconfirmed sources) |
| Minimum engagement range, km | 50 |
| Preparation for shot, m | 4 – 16 |
| Time interval before launch of the 2nd rocket, m | 1 |
| How long does the Iskander last? | 10 in field conditions, 3 in combat |
Options
Since the creation of the first samples of Iskander in 2006, a small number of modifications of this installation have been created. In general, they differ in the missiles used to fire the salvo. In addition, the export version lacks some of the functionality available to products for the Russian army.
OTRK "Iskander-M": Modification 2011 List of modifications:
- "Iskander-M"— missile system (characteristics and video below) basic version. It has two Iskander missiles (characteristics are classified) located on the launcher. The chassis has increased cross-country ability and electronic warfare systems. The Iskander-M has much improved performance characteristics. There is a mobile command post. The missiles are capable of penetrating enemy defenses. A number of technologies are used for this: the ability to maneuver at high speeds with an overload of up to 30 g, the release of false elements, a special coating absorbs radio signals, and small dimensions. The missile approaches the target at an angle of 90 degrees;
- "Iskander-E"— The letter “E” means that the version is intended for export. It is equipped with a missile with a flight range of 280 km and a warhead weight of 480 kg. In fact, it is a significantly simplified version of the previous modification. The only country that purchased a batch of complexes is Armenia. If there are others, then the information is strictly classified;
- "Iskander-K"- the version on which cruise missiles with intelligent guidance are installed. The warhead has a mass of 480 kg. The flight speed is 2100 m/s. The flight altitude is 7 meters (When approaching the target), 7 km - while traveling to the specified object. At low altitudes, the rocket is able to avoid obstacles and follow changes in terrain. Flight range - 500 km. There is an option with the installation of R-500 (Range - 2 thousand km).
Rocket launch from Iskander 9K720 Most likely, the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system is undergoing further modification in closed design bureaus. The judgment is based on common sense. After all, weapons are one of the most obsolete achievements of mankind.
Composition of the complex
In addition to the launcher itself, the group includes 5 more types of machines. Each performs its own functions. In total, each brigade includes 51 vehicles.
Composition of the Iskander OTRK division 9P78-1
These are self-propelled launchers. In total, the brigade includes 12 units. Their main purpose is to transport and store missiles. Fully loaded weight is 42 tons. The weight of the transported cargo is 19 tons.
The unit is mounted on the basis of the MEKT-7930 tractor. The chassis has an 8 x 8 wheel arrangement and is capable of speeds of up to 70 km/h. Range – 1000 km. All this is necessary for rapid transfer at any time of the day and over any distance. The crew consists of 3 people.
Iskander launcher chassis 9S552
A command and staff vehicle designed to control all elements of the OTRK. Installed on the KAMAZ 43101 chassis. There is an Aqueduct radio station. Full-time crew – 4 people. The division is equipped with 11 such vehicles. The radio station is capable of receiving and transmitting a signal over a distance of 250 km (in the unfolded state). On the march - 50 km. Battery life 2 days.
MRTO
Machine for carrying out routine and repair work. The regular crew is 2 people. Used to check on-board equipment and perform routine repairs. But the main task is to test the missile electronics. In automatic mode, the procedure takes 18 minutes. The vehicle is based on a KamAZ chassis. Operating weight - 13 tons.
9С920
A machine designed to prepare flight information for missiles. Based on the KamAZ chassis. Crew - 2 people. In fact, this is a server where all information from various target designation sources flows: satellites, aircraft, drones. After processing, the information is transmitted to the launcher, after which the rocket is launched.
Life support machine
The main purpose of the vehicle is to provide personnel with sleeping places, comfortable meals and other living conditions. There are sleeping places, lockers for storing things, lockers. There is a 300 liter tank, a water heating system, and special pumps. The vehicle is based on KamAZ. The division includes 14 units.
KAO and UTS
A special vehicle designed for rapid reloading of launchers. The procedure takes on average 20 minutes. The second car is a simulator for the crew. It simulates combat situations.
It is also worth noting that an impressive group consisting of infantry formations and armored vehicles (Tanks, infantry fighting vehicles) is assigned to guard the Iskander division and accompanying support vehicles. In addition, the division, being in a stationary position, is camouflaged with standard means: a camouflage network, electronic warfare systems, and protection from thermal imaging detection.
Design of OTRK Iskander missiles
Two types of missiles have been developed for the OTRK: quasi-ballistic and cruise. In principle, they differ only in guidance systems and flight trajectories. Otherwise the products are similar.
The missiles are capable of maneuvering at high speeds, while choosing random trajectories of movement and reversal. At the same time, the missiles are controlled throughout the flight, which increases the accuracy of the hit.
Missile warheads are designed to hit various targets. For example, there is a cluster warhead that can split into many parts and hit a large area. There are options for extremely accurate hits, used to neutralize command bunkers or missile defense and air defense elements. In especially sad cases, missiles are equipped with tactical nuclear warheads with a yield of up to several kilotons.
During the flight, missiles are capable of discarding electronic warfare elements, which makes guidance difficult for enemy missile defense systems. An additional factor is the small size of the flying rocket in physical terms.
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Iskander - M |
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Iskander – K (R-500) |
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Iskander - E |
Combat use
If you believe various open sources, the Iskander anti-aircraft missile system was used only three times. Moreover, in one case it was live firing as part of joint exercises with Tajikistan.
The second case is the use of several OTRK installations to launch non-nuclear strikes against ISIS militants (an organization banned in Russia). The launches took place in December 2017. The characteristics of the Iskander-M, declared by the developers, have received combat confirmation.
The most controversial case is the statement that the Iskander missile system, the characteristics of which guarantee the destruction of enemy personnel and equipment, was used during the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in August 2008.
The participation of the OTRK division could not be proven. The Russian military denies these rumors. There is an opinion that the Georgian side mistook the Tochka-U missile launches for 9K720, which were precisely used to disable the enemy’s infrastructure.
The combat use of the Iskander is based in the west of the Russian Federation.
More precisely, in the Kaliningrad region. From the region, the missile system is capable of hitting a whole range of targets on the territory of a potential enemy. These are military airfields and NATO command centers in the Baltic states, missile defense elements in Poland and Romania, strategic infrastructure structures in Denmark and Sweden. Also, 9K720 are located on the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
| 2008 | The Georgian-Ossetian conflict that occurred in August during the Olympics. The use of 9K720 has not been recorded, but the Georgian authorities and a number of Western media claim the opposite. The Tochka-U complex was used to carry out targeted missile strikes |
| 2016 | Exercises in Tajikistan. The missiles hit training targets and tested the operational range of the Iskander-M |
| 2017 | In December, the Iskander-M complex was delivered to Syria (the characteristics of the missiles had to be tested in real combat). Cases of combat use and destruction of defensive structures have been recorded. Probable targets: large formations of terrorist groups, ammunition depots and accumulations of armored vehicles. |
Advantages and disadvantages of the Iskander OTRK
The 9K720 complex is relatively new, and a number of technical parameters are hidden from public view. Therefore, it is very difficult to judge the real advantages and disadvantages of the Iskander-M OTRK, the destruction radius of which remains a mystery for Russia’s opponents.
Most of the information relates to official statements by the Russian military and television programs broadcast on patriotic channels. Which creates the impression of “ideality” of military equipment. And not only Iskander.
Most likely, in a few years (possibly decades), the real capabilities of the complex will be discovered. Judging by open information, the OTRK is capable of hitting targets while passing through high-echelon defenses. And it will be good if we never have to test Iskander-M or Iskander-K on a real enemy. After all, first of all, the 9K720 is a weapon of intimidation.
