| Country: |
Russian Federation |
| Alternate Name: |
Stone, Iskander, Tender |
| Class: |
SRBM |
| Basing: |
Road mobile |
| Length: |
7.30 m |
| Diameter: |
0.92 m |
| Launch Weight: |
3800 kg |
| Payload: |
Single warhead, 480 to 700 kg |
| Warhead: |
HE unitary, HE submunitions, FAE, HE penetration |
| Propulsion: |
Single-stage solid |
| Range: |
280 km |
| Status: |
Operational |
Details
Russian Designation: Tender
Export Version: Iskander-E
The SS-26 is a short-range, road mobile, solid propellant ballistic missile system. It began development in the Soviet Union during the early 1970’s as replacement for the ‘Scud B’. Development of the SS-26 was accelerated when the SS-23 was banned by the 1987 INF treaty, resulting in a lack of a modern theater missile system. The SS-26 has earned the nickname of the ‘Son of Scud’, likely due to both its capabilities and status as an export weapon.
The SS-26 actually has two variants, the Tender for the Russian Federation military and the Iskander-E version for export. The SS-26 is 7.3 m long, 0.92 m in diameter, and has a launch weight of 3,800 to 4,020 kg. The Tender has a range of 400 km (249 miles) and a payload of approximately 700 kg. The Iskander-E has a reduced range of 280 km (174 miles) and payload of about 480 kg. Both systems uses a single separating warhead equipped with a terminal guidance system, though the accuracy of the missile depends upon which system is used. An inertial guidance system would probably give an accuracy of 200 m CEP while inertial coupled with either a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) equivalent system would provide about 50 m CEP. The use of the inertial navigation, GPS, and active radar or electro-optical sensors provide an accuracy of 10 to 30 m CEP. Its warheads can be equipped with high explosives (HE), HE submunitions, fuel-air explosives or a HE penetrator. During the terminal phase, the missile is capable of making maneuvers of 30 g and can release decoys, making it extremely difficult for theater missile defenses to intercept the missiles.
The SS-26 is a tactical missile system designed to be used in theater level conflicts. It is a strike system developed to attack key military and support units. It was designed as a replacement for the SS-23 which exceded the 500 km Intermediate Nuclear Force (INF) treaty restriction on range. The export version was placed under the more rigorous 300 km restriction of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
The missile lacks the range and payload to attack strategic targets, but the accuracy and variety of warhead types make it an extremely flexible battlefield system. It was designed to be able to destroy both stationary and moving targets, specifically SAM sites, short-range missile launchers, airfields, ports, command and communication centers, factories and hardened defensive targets. In this way, the SS-26 can destroy both active military units and targets to degrade the enemy’s capability to wage war.
The TEL vehicle carries two missiles and is armored with a plated sliding roof for the protection of the missile and its three operators. The missiles are resistant to the effects of outside temperatures (from -50° to +50° C), as well as offering Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) protection, enabling the missile to be fired in almost any environment. It is amphibious and can travel at 70 km/h (43 mph) and does not require refueling for 1,100 km (684 miles). Each TEL vehicle contains all the requirements to operate completely independently. Reload vehicles, each carrying two missiles and a crane, enable prolonged battlefield operations.
The SS-26 entered development in the early 1970s as a replacement for the ‘Scud B’ system. Following the withdrawal of the SS-23 missile in 1987, the development of the SS-26 began in earnest. The first flight test of the SS-26 took place in Oct 1995 and was scheduled for 1998-1999 production. Funding limitations delayed the final test program; however, by 2003 it was reported that final testing was complete. 13 flight tests were completed by August of 2004. The latest flight test occurred in May 2007.(1) The export version of the SS-26 was first displayed in 1999 and it was reported that the UAE was a potential buyer. In March of 2001, it was reported that Iran was potentially negotiating a purchase. Syria was reported as a potential buyer in 2005. There were possibly 12 missiles ordered and a total of 60 missiles and TELs may be purchased by 2010.(2)
Footnotes
- itar-tass.com "Missile tests in Russia--an answer to the US ABM plans in Europe," available at http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11587396&PageNum=0 accessed on July 2, 2007.
- Duncan Lennox, Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems 46 (Surrey: Jane’s Information Group, January 2007), 139-141
Russia May Deploy Iskander Missiles to Belarus, Could Boost Range in Excess of INF Treaty Limits
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, Link)
» No Russian Medium-Range Missiles to be Deployed in Belarus
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-26
Russia Threatens Missile Deployment in Kaliningrad
July 6, 2007 ::
On July 4, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov warned that Russia could deploy medium-range missiles in the Kaliningrad oblast in Europe if the United States turns down Russia's proposals on anti-missile defense in Europe. Russia has opposed a current U.S. plan to place ten Ground Based Interceptors in Poland and an X-Band radar facility in the Czech Republic. Russia claims that the plan is devised to blunt Russia's influence in the region and diminish its strategic nuclear deterrent. As a possible compromise, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed the U.S. use a share a pre-existing radar facility in Azerbaijan and an additional facility in Southern Russia. Putin also suggested the system should exist within the Russia-NATO Council, with centers in Moscow and Brussels. The U.S. has thus far welcomed the proposal as a possible complement to its existing plan, but not as a substitute.
Ivanov suggested that, by turning down Russia's proposal, offensive medium range (500km) Iskander-K missiles would be placed in the Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania. Lithuania is so far responding calmly to Ivanov's threat. Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas, Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekunas, and the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Justinas Karosas have stressed the threat is purely hypothetical, but that Lithuania, the EU and NATO would oppose such a move. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, European Missile Defenses, Allies
» Missile details: SS-26
Russia Begins Mass Production of Topol-M, Iskander-M
June 26, 2007 :: Defense News :: News
Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov announced June 26 that Russia has begun the mass production of the Topol-M strategic missile. Ivanov spoke at a plant at Votkinsk in Udmurtia, some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) east of Moscow. "These are not prototypes but mass production," he said.
"We are now moving on to a new and very important rearmament stage for both our nuclear strategic forces and tactical complexes...I am talking of stationary Topol-M missile complexes...also of mobile ones which can be fitted with different types of warheads, as well as Iskander-M missiles." The Topol-M is a three-stage intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which can be deployed on both stationary and mobile launch platforms. The Iskander-M is a shorter range missile. Russia plans to equip its armed forces with 69 Topol-M missiles and 60 Iskander-M missiles by 2015. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-26, SS-27
Russia Tests Iskander-M
May 30, 2007 :: Itar-Tass :: News
A new version of the Russian Iskander-M mobile ballistic missile was successfully tested at the Kapustin Yar site in the Astrakhan Region, reports Itar-Tass. The missile was in flight for 24 minutes. The missile's deviation from the expected path was no greater than 30 meters despite strong winds and air temperatures of over 40 degrees. One journalist reported that "three minutes thirty seconds after the launch the missile rose to an altitude of 100 meters and its speed at the moment was 250 meters per second." The maximum speed of the new missile is 257 meters per second, with a range of 300 kilometers. Those Iskanders for export are said to have less of a range than those for Russian forces. First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdiukov monitored the launch. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-26
SS-NX-30 Bulava Test Launch Fails
September 7, 2006 :: Itar-Tass :: News
Itar-Tass reports that a flight test of the Russian SS-NX-30 Bulava ended in failure today. According to a representative of the Ministry of Defense, the missile was launched underwater from the Dmitry Donskoy submarine of the Northern Fleet, but “deviated from its trajectory and fell into the sea.” The Bulava is an intercontinental-range, submarine launched, solid propellant ballistic missile. It is a submarine launched version of the SS-27 Topol-M, which was developed shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. Four previous Bulava test launches have been successful. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-26
Ivanov Visit May Signal Renewed Submarine Ambitions in Russia
July 23, 2006 :: RIA-Novosti :: News
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov’s recent visit to a major submarine plant on the White Sea may signal Russia’s intention to modernize its Navy, according to analysis by Russian media sources. The RIA-Novosti and Itar-Tass news agencies report that Ivanov on Friday toured the Sevmash shipyards, in the Severodvinsk region, where the new Borei-class nuclear submarines are being built. The Borei is being manufactured by the St. Petersburg-based corporation Rubin under the moniker “Project 955.” Central to this project is the new D-19M missile system being developed for these submarines, which can carry up to 12 Bulava (SS-NX-30) ballistic missiles. According to Ivanov, the new Borei-class submarines are on schedule to enter service with the Russian Navy in 2007. Three are currently under construction at Sevmash, including the Yuri Dolgoruky, the Aleksandr Nevskiy and the Vladimir Monomakh. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Sea-Based Systems
» Missile details: SS-26
Baluyevsky: Russia Tested Defense-Penetrating System in February, Criticizes U.S. Conventional-Armed ICBMs
May 18, 2006 :: News
General Yuri Baluyevsky, chief of staff of the Russian Armed Forces, announced on Thursday that Russia successfully tested a new defense-penetrating missile system in February. Speaking at a news briefing in Moscow, he stated that the new system will be ready “in the nearest future.” The new warheads, designed to zigzag on their approach to targets, are to be fitted on the new mobile land-based Topol-M (SS-27) ICBM and the sea-based Bulava (SS-NX-30) SLBM currently under development. In his state-of-the-nation address last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the new high-precision weapons would allow Russia to maintain a strategic balance of forces with the U.S. even with a smaller arsenal.
At the same briefing, Baluyevsky criticized U.S. plans to deploy non-nuclear warheads on ICBMs, warning that if launched they could provoke an accidental retaliatory nuclear strike. “This may cause an irreversible reaction on the part of nuclear powers which will be unable to identify the type of missile warhead and establish whom it has been launched against,” he said. Baluyevsky noted that, although early-warning systems register all ICBM launches, they do not provide information about warhead types and possible targets. (Link)
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-N-6, SS-26
Putin: Arms Race Not Over
May 10, 2006 :: Washington Times :: News
In an hour-long speech today, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the U.S.-Russian arms race is not over and called for a strengthening of his nation’s nuclear and conventional forces. His remarks followed sharp criticism from the U.S., in particular Vice President Dick Cheney, who accused Moscow of stifling democracy and using its vast energy resources as a tool for “intimidation and blackmail” against its neighbors. In response, Putin accused Washington of exerting unwarranted pressure on Moscow, and stated that Russia needs to catch up with the U.S. in order to resist foreign demands: “We must always be ready to counter any attempts to pressure Russia in order to strengthen positions at our expense. The stronger our military is, the less temptation there will be to exert such pressure on us.” Putin noted that Russia would soon deploy mobile Topol-M (SS-27) intercontinental ballistic missiles and Bulava (SS-NX-30) submarine-launched ballistic missiles, thus strengthening its nuclear deterrent. He added that Moscow would not repeat “the mistakes of the Soviet Union and of the Cold War” by draining the country’s resources, a reference to the Kremlin’s inability to keep up with U.S. arms spending during the Reagan administration. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-N-6, SS-26
Solomonov: Mobile Topol-Ms Operational This Year; Bulava to be Tested This Year, Operational in 2008
April 17, 2006 :: BBC Worldwide Monitoring :: News
Russia has announced the testing and deployment schedule for its mobile Topol-M (SS-27) ICBM and sea-based Bulava (SS-NX-30) SLBM. Yuriy Solomonov, chief designer of Russian ICBMs, was quoted as saying that the first missile regiment armed with truck-mounted Topol-M missiles will be put on combat duty in 2006. The Topol-M is capable of hitting targets at a range of more than 10,000 kilometers (6,000 miles), and is said to be the core of Russia’s modernized missile arsenal. Solomonov added that the Bulava (the sea-based version of the Topol-M) will begin a three-year test schedule in June/July 2006, and will be deployed on the submarine Yuriy Dolgorukiy in 2008. Asked how many trials the Bulava will undergo during this period, Solomonov replied “no less than ten.”
Solomonov also recently said that the Topol-M (SS-27) ICBM and Bulava (SS-NX-30) SLBM will provide an offensive deterrent through at least 2050. In recent weeks, Russian defense analysts have expressed their concern that the number of Russian nuclear weapons could fall below the threshold of the Strategic Offensive Reduction Treaty, which requires the U.S. and Russia to cut their nuclear arsenals to between 1,700 and 2,200 warheads by 2012. At present, only five or six new single-warhead Topol-Ms are added to the Russian inventory each year, while an increasing number of Soviet-made missile carrying multiple warheads are decommissioned. Solomonov said that the Russian military will announce later this year a plan to adapt the sea-based Bulava, which can carry six warheads, for ground-based launches. The chief designer did not elaborate any further, but assured reporters that the number of active Russian warheads would be no less than 2,000 by 2020. (Article, Link)
» Interfax: Bulava-M to undergo testing this summer
» Defense News: Russian arsenal adequate, says designer
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-N-6, SS-26
Russia Claims Missiles Can Still Reach US, Despite Defenses
April 5, 2006 :: BBC Worldwide Monitoring :: News
A prominent Russian general has claimed that the U.S. will not be able to intercept Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles until 2020, reports Interfax. Colonel-General Viktor Yesin, a former chief of staff of the Russian Strategic Missile Troops, recently stated that new strategic missile systems such as the Topol-M (SS-27) ICBM and the Bulava (SS-NX-30) SLBM feature “such design solutions as to make U.S. missile defense systems useless.” Yesin, however, noted that U.S. defenses would have a considerable impact on Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces if they were modified and deployed near Russian borders. “In this event Russia will have to take additional measures aimed at countering missile defense measures to maintain its nuclear potential,” Yesin said. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-N-6, SS-26
 |
| Total Records: 28 |
[1]
2
3
»
|
