Actuality November, 16, 2007

Delivery of the Iskander tactical missile systems to Belarus will become an asymmetrical response to the plans of the USA on creation of the third positioning ABM (anti-ballistic missile) region in European continent, reference to the statement of commander of the Russian Missile and Artillery Troops, Colonel General Vladimir Zaritsky.

“Any action always triggers counteraction, and it is the same with ABM elements in the USA, the Czech Republic and Poland”, general added. Zaritsky underlined also, that Russian and Belarusian missilemen closely co-operate and are intended to develop cooperation.
The statement of Zaritsky became a response to the report of commander of the Belarusian Missile and Artillery Troops, Michael Puzikov, who has declared about planned deliveries of Iskander systems from Russia.

As Zaritsky marked, presently the Iskander potentialities correspond to limitations of treaty about medium-range (MRBM) and short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM), forbidding elaboration, production and deployment of ground-launched ballistic missiles (GLBM) with a range of 500-5000 km. However, in case of Russia abrogating the treaty, the Iskander receives extended-range ballistic missiles (ERBM).

Presently the Russian forces enters the Iskander system of basic modification equipped with solid-propellant single-stage ballistic missiles with a range of 280 km. The first missile brigade, equipped with the systems of this type, already is on a combat duty in the North Caucasus military district.

Entry into service of the system with aerodynamic missiles is expected in 2009.

More details about the Iskander-E (export version) tactical missile system

Successfully run Russian state tests of the new precise-accuracy Iskander-E system. The Ministry of Defense of Russian Federation rates this development among absolute priorities. The system is able to handle all operational tasks vested in this weapon class. Its appearance in forces will substantially increase possibilities of Armed Forces of Russia.

This system, equipped with two missiles, has lethal firepower.

It allows to engage two various targets with an interval in one minute.

At the development of the Iskander-E all treaty requirements about MRBM and SRBM and about nonproliferation of missile technologies, that limit Russian right for export deliveries of missiles with a range of more than 300 km and payload weight more than 500 kg, are satisfied. Launch range of this system is 50-280 km, missile launch weight is 3.800 kg, and payload weight is 480

kg. Flight range is non-ballistic, hardly predicted for an enemy.

A missile is controlled throughout the entire flight path. On the initial stage it is controlled by gas dynamic vanes and after speed pick-up by aerodynamic. Right after the start and directly at target approach the missile begins to manoeuvre, changing the flight plane that, in particular, impedes its verification from space.

The greater part of missile flight range, made on stealth technology and having small radar cross section (RCS), runs at the 50 km height, reducing its destruction probability both from earth and from air. Stealth effect is attained due to the aggregate of construction features. In particular, by special coating of construction, by dropping off of all its projecting parts right after the start and other.

Depending on type of flight path, G-force correlates from 20 to 30 g. For interception ABM sustains G-force at least 2-3 times higher.

All these creates considerable difficulties to the developers of the antiballistic systems with the Iskander-E.
The immediate competitor of the Iskander-E tactical missile system is the American ATACMS system, and also, in a lesser degree, Chinese missiles

of M9 type.

Firing distance of basline version of ATACMS is 112-115 km, at modernization, due to reduction of warhead weight, is about 180 km. The fundamental difference is considerably more low precision, which in the American system is possible to improve only due to the NAVSTAR navigation system. Iskander-E is an absolute leader as for ABM defense.

The Russian system is able to work both in the NAVSTAR navigation system, and in autonomous mode with the homing warheads on the terrain maps.

Source data – aero- or space photos.

All other operations – preparation of mission, its processing and other – Iskander-E systems execute independently. In case of the homing warheads use the precise accuracy of target engagement is measured in meters.
Preliminary marketing researches show large foreign customers’ interest in Iskander-E. But rather notable is a quite powerful opposition of the USA. The point is that none of the existent and perspective ABM systems is unable to fight against such tactical missile system. The military-industrial lobby of the USA exerts strong pressure upon a number of potential buyers of Iskander-E.
We will mark that all components of this tactical missile system are made at batch production factories, and everything is ready for the immediate batch production.

Within the framework of state tests the Iskander-E system was lauchned more than 10 times – more than a half. A basic problem is prepayment delays of subcontractors for making of materiel to the next tests’ stages. In the presence of proper financial provision they would be soon accomplished.