November 15, 2007 :: Itar-Tass :: News
As reported by the Russian news service Itar-Tass, on November 14 Major-General Vladimir Zaritsky, head of Russia's artillery and missile forces, said Russia may deploy its newest Iskander missiles in Belarus as a response to the U.S.'s plan to place a limited missile defense system in Eastern Europe. There are two versions of the Iskander, the Iskander-E (which has been exported to many countries), and the Tender, which is for use by the Russian military. The domestic version for the Russian military has a longer range.
Zaritsky said that the Iskanders were currently in-line with the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty of 1987, but emphasized that "Should Russia take a political decision to quit the INF treaty, we will boost the military capabilities of these missiles, including their range." Asked whether Russia may eventually increase Iskander's range in excess of the 500 km limit of the INF treaty, Zaritsky responded: "Who knows what the motherland may order?" (Article)
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