| 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
Bulava Said to Carry Six Warheads
April 4, 2006 :: Analysis
Russia’s Bulava (SS-NX-30) submarine-launched ballistic missile will carry six warheads, according to the January 2006 START Treaty Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Pavel Podvig comments at RussianForces.org that the number of warheads “seems to be final.”
The MOU also mentions that the throw-weight of the missile will be 1,150 kg. Podvig, however, comments that this weight seems light in comparison with the latest generation Soviet SLBMs. By comparison, the SS-N-23 carrying four warheads weighed 2,800 kg, while the SS-N-20 carrying ten warheads weighed 2,550 kg. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Analysis, Russia
» Missile details: SS-26
RIA-Novosti Column on Putin Boasts
February 6, 2006 :: RIA-Novosti :: News
Viktor Litovkin, military commentator for RIA Novosti, argues that Russia’s newest missiles are “indeed unrivalled” and that President Vladimir Putin was correct in his recent boast that these weapons can penetrate any existing missile defense system. Litovkin contends that the SS-27 (Topol-M) ICBM and the SS-NX-30 (Bulava) SLBM pick up speed so fast upon launch that early warning systems monitoring the Earth’s surface from space do not have enough time to take appropriate countermeasures. He adds that these weapons are not “strictly ballistic” in their trajectories. They begin the midcourse phase ballistically, but can dive unexpectedly or maneuver to avoid destruction. In the terminal phase, both accelerate to hypersonic speeds that are beyond the limits of all operational and most future anti-missile defenses.
Litovkin vigorously defends Putin’s decision to boast about Russia’s missile capabilities: “A man who governs a state with such a deterrent capability has reasons to be proud of it.” He takes issue with “the perception of this praise as muscle-flexing or saber-rattling, let alone drum-banging.” According to Litovkin, the Topol-M and the Bulava “have no particular targets and pose no threat to anyone.” Moreover, “Russia has never drawn its nuclear sword—and most likely never will—in a power game.” He adds that the continuous development and upgrade effort of the Strategic Missile Troops “in no way amounts to an arms race,” as Russia’s overall ballistic missile capability is being reduced. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Maneuverable Warheads, Russia
» Missile details: SS-N-6, SS-26
Putin Again Boasts Missiles Can Pierce Defenses
February 1, 2006 :: News
Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted on Tuesday January 31 that Russia has ballistic missiles capable of penetrating any missile defense system. At a news conference, Putin said,
Russia last year tested missile systems that no one in the world has and won’t have for a long time. These missile systems don’t represent a response to a missile defense system, but they are immune to that. They are hypersonic and capable of changing their flight path.
Putin recently discussed the same “hypersonic” systems at a similar format of a press conference in September 2005, noting their ability to maneuver in course and altitude and evade ballistic missile defense such as those being developed by “partner countries,” a probable reference to the ground-based mid-course defenses being deployed by the United States. (Article, Link)
» Sep. 27, 2005: Putin on Hypersonic Maneuverable Warheads
» More stories on: Maneuverable Warheads, Russia
» Missile details: SS-N-6, SS-26
Second Launch of Russian Bulava Missile, From Submerged Position
December 21, 2005 :: News
Russia today tested its Bulava (R-30/SS-NX-30) ballistic missile. The successful launch was only the second test of the Bulava system, the newest missile being developed by Russia. The missile was fired from the Dmitry Donskoy submarine of Russian navy’s Northern Fleet, from within the White Sea. In the previous test on September 27, the missile was fired while the submarine was at the surface. Today, however, the submarine was moving underwater at the time the missile was launched.
The missile’s payload traveled some 6,000km to its target at the Kura testing range on the Far Eastern Kamchatka peninsula. Interfax reported that twelve missiles will be based on each submarine. RTR television in Moscow reported that the solid fuel Bulava missile can “carry at least 10 nuclear MIRV warheads and its range is about 8,000 km.” RTR television also showed President Putin and Defense Minister Ivanov commenting on the test:
[Ivanov] We can now already talk boldly about all the design and engineering decisions that were put into this new missile system having vindicated themselves.
In 2006 we will continue flight tests in the various modes of this system and we are already firmly counting on the fact that this system - and also the new submarine that is being built, as you know, alongside this system - will be accepted to be with our fleet by 2008.
[Putin] This is a good present to the country from all of those who have worked on this subject matter for the New Year. I congratulate you, well done!
Ivanov was also quoted by RIA Novosti as emphasizing that, “What is important is that the submarine was moving [underwater], it was not stationary.” He noted that further Bulava testing would continue in 2006, and that “We are fairly certain that the [Bulava] missile system, and a new submarine to be equipped with it, will be deployed by our navy in 2008.”
RIA Novosti noted that Chief of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces Gen Nikolai Solovtsev recently declared Moscow’s plans to test-fire several nuclear-capable cruise missiles in 2006. (Link)
» RIA Novosti: Ivanov on launch significance
» Moscow RTR television quotes Putin and Ivanov on launch
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-26
Bulava Footage Shown on Russian Television; Exotic Claims Again Touted
October 13, 2005 :: BBC Worldwide Monitoring :: News
Russian state television has aired footage from the first test flight of the new Bulava ballistic missile, which test took place on September 27. The footage was apparently displayed on weekly current affairs program “Vesti Nedeli” on October 9.
“Here are declassified pictures of the first real firing of the brand new Bulava missile,” the presenter announced. He went on to explain how three rocket stages take the missile to a certain point where individually targeted warheads separate along with dozens of decoy warheads. Viewers were told that the Bulava is “virtually impossible to intercept, and is faster than all other equivalent missiles.”
The edition of Vesti Nedeli on the 2 October had quoted a senior naval commander, Adm Mikhail Zakharenko, the man in charge of the Bulava project, as saying that footage of the firing was being kept secret because of the missile’s uniqueness.
A word should be said here about the steady stream of reports—coming from President Putin to Sergey Ivanov all the way down—that Russia has supposedly devised new and “invulnerable” strategic systems which have been said to be deployed on the new Topol-M and Bulava missiles. One should take these reports seriously, and if new strategic weapons have been devised, we should consider what sort of strategic defenses are necessary to counter them.
At the same time, the Russian government may be exaggerating the capabilities of the new missiles and the payloads they deliver, especially by claiming that they are invulnerable to every conceivable missile defense. One purpose for such exaggeration would be to impair public or political support for missile defense programs here in the United States. If we may be made to think that missile defense is a technical implausibility, or at least that offensive systems have an inherent technological superiority to defensive ones, we may not pursue necessary defenses as aggressively or ambitiously as we should.
It is important to note, however, that all of the admittedly limited descriptions given of the Bulava and Topol-M capabilities suggest only midcourse or terminal phase maneuvering. Both missiles are still in their essence ballistic missiles, rather than cruise missiles, and as such remain quite vulnerable in what has always been the most vulnerable phase for ballistic missiles, the boost phase. During the boost phase, no release of countermeasures or exotic maneuvering (hypersonic or otherwise) is physically possible.
It is plausible that the new Russian ballistic missiles—and indeed, even older Russian missiles—are capable of evading the sort of ground-based midcourse defenses such as those being deployed in Alaska and California. In this sense, the Russian claims may be true—insofar as they are applied to the systems currently being pursued. But it remains quite doubtful that any ballistic missile could avoid boost phase defenses, were the United States to again pursue these seriously. The relative ease with which midcourse and terminal phase defenses can be overcome points to the importance of destroying missiles in their boost phase. Loose claims by Russia must not be interpreted as an excuse to abandon the pursuit of robust defenses. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Maneuverable Warheads, Russia
» Missile details: SS-26
Baluyevsky: Bulava Intended for Land and Sea Basing
October 7, 2005 :: Itar-Tass :: News
The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, General Yuri Baluyevsky, said today in Kaliningrad that the SS-N-30 Bulava ballistic missile, recently tested on September 27, is intended to ultimately be interoperable, capable of being launched from either sea or land, reports Itar-Tass. Previously, the Bulava has only been discussed as a sea-launched system—specifically, the sea-launched version of the SS-27 Topol-M missile. Excerpt from Itar Tass:
“The intention is that the state-of-the-art Bulava missile system should eventually be standardized, capable of being used either at sea or on land,” Baluyevsky said. The army general did specify how many systems would come into service in the near future. “Of course, we in the military—both ground forces and the navy—would like to have many up-to-date weapons. But we appreciate that the country also has other problems which require large financial resources,” Baluyevsky noted.
At the same time the CGS emphasized that in the new state defense program which “is being drafted and will be submitted to the president in the first half of 2006, procurement of armaments and military hardware is, effectively, being increased by 50 per cent.” “The state defense order for 2006 is the start of our progress towards the formation of this new state program,” Baluyevsky stressed.
(Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-26
Technical Data on Bulava Released; Differs from Topol-M
October 7, 2005 :: News
A site maintained by Pavel Podvig, author of Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces, has acquired hitherto unreleased technical data on the new Bulava ballistic missile, and has compared it side by side with the Topol-M missile. Russian sources had previously said the two missiles were quite similar, that the Bulava was the sea-launched version of the Topol-M. The information released, which comes from START exchange data, suggests that they are a bit more different. As noted by Russianforces.org, “In reality [the Bulava] is about a third shorter and quite a bit ‘stockier.’ …The missile, which was designated RSM-56 for the purposes of the [START] treaty, is quite compact—its launch weight is about 37 tonnes, its length is about 12 meters.” (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-26
Russia Tests Bulava SS-NX-30 SLBM For First Time
September 27, 2005 :: RIA-Novosti :: News
Russia today conducted the much anticipated first flight test of its new Bulava SS-NX-30 intercontinental ballistic missile. The missile was successfully launched from the Dmitry Donskoy Typhoon-class submarine of the Northern Fleet from the White Sea, and it traveled to its designated target at the Kura testing range on the Kamchatka peninsula.
The Bulava had undergone surface and underwater “pop-up” tests in September 2004 to test the submarine release mechanism, but it did not involve the firing of any missile engines.
The test comes a day after President Putin affirmed that Russia continues to develop hypersonic maneuverable warheads for its new missile systems which are capable of evading the sort of midcourse missile defenses being deployed by the United States. The Bulava is the sea-based variant of the Topol-M missile, said to carry such warheads.
Russian Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo told Itar Tass that the Borey-class nuclear submarines will be equipped with the Bulava missiles; two such submarines are being constructed at the Sevmash plant in Severodvinsk in the Arkhangelsk region. The first submarine, the Yury Dolgoruky, will be commissioned in 2006 and the second, the Alexander Nevsky, in 2007. (Article, Link)
» September 26: Putin reaffirms development of maneuverable hypersonic vehicles
» September 23, 2004: Russia conducts “pop-up” test of Bulava
» Sep. 27: Itar Tass on Bulava launch
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-26
Zaitsev on Bulava, Russian SLBMs
September 9, 2005 :: RIA-Novosti :: Analysis
A recent opinion piece by Yuri Zaitsev for RIA Novosti discusses the status and role for the Bulava SS-NX-30 ballistic missile, yet under development, as well as the history of Russia’s various SLBMs.
Text of Zaitsev’s piece: (More »»»)
» Missile details: SS-26
Bulava Testing Again Delayed until 2006
July 9, 2005 :: RIA-Novosti :: News
Russia now plans to complete flight testing of the new Bulava (SS-NX-30) missile system in 2006, reports RIA-Novosti. The Bulava is the submarine-launched version of the Topol-M (SS-27), Russia’s most advanced ICBM. The Bulava will have a range of up to 8,000 km, and is capable of carrying up to 10 independently targetable nuclear warheads. The Bulava has experienced considerable delays in its testing program, however.
Update: July 28, 2005: RIA Novosti quotes Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov saying that flight tests of the Bulava will begin before the end of 2005. Ivanov was speaking to journalists from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. (Article, Link)
» July 28, 2005: RIA Novosti says Bulava may be tested before end of year
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-26
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