Iskander missile system: characteristics and range of flight

 

Iskander (9K720, SS-26 Stone in the NATO codification) is the name of a family of operational-tactical surface—to-surface missile systems (OTRCS). Development of the Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering (Kolomna; part of Rostec Corporation). The main operator is the Russian Armed Forces, and the complexes are also in service in Armenia, Algeria and Belarus. Characteristics and structure

Each complex includes six vehicles, including a 9P78-1 self-propelled launcher, a 9T250 transport and charging vehicle, a 9C552 command and staff vehicle, a regulation and maintenance vehicle, an information preparation point and a life support vehicle. They can be equipped with both 9M720, 9M723 and 9M723M ballistic missiles, as well as 9M728 and 9M729 cruise missiles, including nuclear-powered ones. The missiles have a range of 50-500 km. Its aviation variant is considered to be the Dagger complex. They are in service with Ground Forces missile brigades, and have been supporting Navy operations since 2021. The brigade set includes 12 self-propelled launchers and transport-loading vehicles, 11 command and staff vehicles, 14 life support vehicles, an information preparation point, and other facilities (51 vehicles in total).

Characteristics of the 9K720 self-propelled launcher

SPU 9K720 was developed by Volgograd Central Design Bureau "Titan" and has the following technical characteristics:

Types of Iskander missile

systems The family includes the Iskander-M (main modification), Iskander-K (modification of Iskander-M for cruise missiles) and Iskander-E complexes. The Iskander-E is a simplified export version with reduced tactical and technical characteristics (range up to 280 km). Types of missiles

In 2017, Valery Kashin, General designer of the NPK Engineering Design Bureau, announced the development of at least seven types of missiles for this complex. Ballistic (or aeroballistic) missiles for Iskander-M have indexes 9M720, 9M723 and 9M723M. These are solid—fuel single—stage rockets with an inseparable warhead, with a launch mass of 3,800 kg and a warhead mass of about 480 kg. Developed at the Votkinsk plant.

Characteristics of the 9M723 rocket: Among their closest analogues are the American tactical ballistic missile ATACMS, the North Korean Hwasong-11GA and Hwasong-11B (KN-23 and KN-24 in the NATO codification), the South Korean KTSSM. The cruise missiles (Iskander-K) carry the indexes 9M728 (R-500, SSC-7 in the NATO codification) and its modification 9M729 (SSC-8) with a range of 480 and 490 km, respectively. These are subsonic cruise missiles with a turbojet propulsion engine that fly at ultra-low altitudes, bend around terrain and can maneuver in flight. The 9M728 and 9M729 missiles were developed at the Yekaterinburg Novator Design Bureau.

How the Iskander missile systems were developed

The complex has been developed since 1988 according to a draft design by Sergei Nepobimy, the developer of the Tochka shopping mall (1975) and the Oka shopping mall (1980). The impetus for its creation was the conclusion in 1987 of the Treaty on the Reduction of Strategic and Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF), under which the Soviet side destroyed, among other things, the Oka missile systems. To replace them, the Kolomna Design Bureau, using previous developments, began work on a new complex that would meet the stated requirements of the INF Treaty. Work on it continued after the collapse of the USSR, during 1998-2005, a total of 13 stages of state tests of the rocket took place. Iskander was first demonstrated to the public in August 1999 at the International Aviation and Space Salon (MAKS). The complex was put into service in 2006 with 9M723 ballistic missiles. At about the same time, tests of the upgraded version, the Iskander—M., began. It became the main modification of the complex and gradually replaced the obsolete 9K79 Tochka and 9K79-1 Tochka-U missile formations. In 2007, a cruise missile was first tested for this complex, which was specially modified for this type of missile and received the unofficial name Iskander-K. The development and testing of the 9M729 cruise missile for Iskander provoked criticism in 2014 from the United States, which accused Russia of violating the INF Treaty, according to the American side, the missile could have a range of more than 500 km. In 2019, the United States withdrew from this treaty, followed by Russia. The rearmament of the Ground Forces missile brigades with Iskanders was completed in 2019, by which time 11 brigades had been equipped with brigade sets.

For what tasks are intended

Iskander missile defense systems are designed to destroy missile systems, air defense systems, multiple launch rocket systems, command posts and large groups of troops, airfields and other facilities behind the front line.

Which countries are in service with

The main operator of these OTRCS is Russia. Iskanders are in service with the Ground Forces missile brigades, and since 2021 they have been involved in supporting naval operations. The brigade set includes 12 PU and transport-charging vehicles, 11 command and staff vehicles, 14 life support vehicles, an information preparation point, and other facilities (51 vehicles in total). Since 2007, the Russian authorities have announced their intention to deploy Iskanders in the Kaliningrad region as a response to the deployment of American missile defense systems in Europe. Iskanders have been deployed in this region on a permanent basis since 2018. The export version is in service with the armies of Armenia (at least four 9K720 installations since 2016), Algeria (at least 12 launchers and 75 missiles since 2017). Saudi Arabia and some other countries have shown interest in acquiring OTRK. In 2022, the Iskander complex was acquired by Belarus. Its president, Alexander Lukashenko, announced the deployment of Iskanders on combat duty in December of the same year. After completing the training at the beginning of 2023, the Belarusian military began to operate the PTRK independently. It soon became known that the Belarusian military had been trained to use these missiles in nuclear equipment.

Combat use

Georgia accused Russia of using Iskanders during the Russian-Georgian-Ossetian conflict in 2008. In 2017, it became known about the deployment of complexes at the Khmeimim airbase in Syria starting in March 2016. In December 2017, then-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced their combat use against targets of the Islamic State militants (recognized as terrorist and banned in Russia) in Syria. In 2020, it was reported about the use of Iskanders by Armenia during the Second Karabakh War. At the same time, in February of the following year, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan criticized Russian missile systems, which, according to him, "did not explode or exploded by only 10%." The Russian Defense Ministry responded by saying that Iskanders had not been used during the conflict. At the same time, Azerbaijan announced the discovery of rocket debris near the city of Shusha. Since 2022, Iskanders have been used by Russian troops to strike targets during a military operation in Ukraine.

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