| 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
Iskander Deployment Update
January 28, 2005 :: Itar-Tass :: News
Itar-Tass provides an update on the scheduled deployment of the first Iskander-M ballistic missiles to the Russian army later this year, quoting First Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Alexander Belousov. Itar-Tass also quotes head of the Russian Armed Forces’ Missile Troops and Artillery Colonel General Vladimir Zaritsky as specifying that that the first squad of Iskanders will be formed in the North Caucasian military district, and “Next year we will start re-equipment of missile brigades stationed in the Far East and the Siberian military district, in compliance with the armament program and the development concept.”
The Iskander short range ballistic missile has also been in the news for Russia’s reported plans to sell a version of the missile, the Iskander-E, to Syria, a state sponsor of terrorism. The Iskander has been characterized as a next-generation Scud, which the Soviet Union and Russia widely proliferated the world over, and as a replacement to the “SS-21 Tochka,” with much more advanced guidance and perhaps even the capabilities to avoid theatre ballistic missile defenses, such as the Patriot. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-26
Russia Backpedals Missile Proliferation to Syria, Hezbollah
January 13, 2005 :: News
The Russian newspaper Kommersant recently reported of Russian plans to sell a number of missile systems to Syria, a state sponsor of terrorism and in particular Hezbollah. These included the shoulder-fired SS-18 Igla anti-aircraft missiles, but also and more significantly, eighteen of Russia’s new and made-for-export SS-26 Iskander missile, and the S-300PMU-2 (SA-10) air and missile defense system, similar to that which rings Moscow, and other systems. The S-300PMU-2 system is one of Moscow’s most developed air and missile defense systems. The SS-26 has increasingly made the news for its touted capabilities to evade other air-defenses—possibly the U.S. Patriot interceptors—and the Russian’s plans to market it widely, including in the middle east. The export version of the SS-26 Iskander missile has a reported range of 280 km, sufficient for Syria to strike nearly all of Israel.
At this time, negative publicity may be sufficient reason for Russia to back out of the missile deal, but it nevertheless serves as yet another example of Russia’s long track record of being willing to proliferate missiles and missile technology throughout the world. (More »»»)
» January 12: Original report of planned missile sales by Russian newspaper Kommersant
» January 13: Ivanov denies plans to proliferate Iskanders to Syria
» January 12: Interfax: Colonel Vladimir Anokhin defends missile sales to Syria
» More stories on: Proliferation, Russia, Syria, Terrorism
» Missile details: SS-26
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble)
Putin: Russia to Develop New Strategic Missile
November 17, 2004 :: AP :: News
President Vladimir Putin noted today, in a speech to the Russian military leadership, that Russia has been developing a new form of strategic weapon. Putin has affirmed Russia’s intention to do so on a number of occasions. Previous reports have suggested that the new weapon may consist of a hypersonic cruise missile or a hypersonic warhead for an existing missile, either of which could evade U.S. ballistic missile defenses. The United States yesterday tested the X-43 hypersonic system, reaching a new speed record of ten times the speed of sound.
Although Putin’s speech today added few details, it is nevertheless notable. Putin said that Russia “is not only conducting research and successfully testing new nuclear-missile systems. I am sure that … they will be put in service within the next few years and, what is more, they will be developments of the kind that other nuclear powers do not and will not have,” according to ITAR-Tass, Russia’s state news agency.
Of particular interest is Putin’s understanding that strategic forces and concern with terrorism go hand in hand, rather than being in competition with each other. “International terrorism is one of the major threats for Russia. We understand as soon as we ignore such components of our defense as a nuclear and missile shield, other threats may occur.” By contrast, some missile defense opponents in America depreciate missile defense as a distraction from the war on terror, when both are essential to American national security. (More »»»)
» CNN on Putin speech
» Update: Nov. 18: Experts say Putin remark refer to Bulava
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-27, SS-NX-30, SS-26
Belarus to Acquire Iskander Missiles
November 12, 2004 :: News
In recent years Russia has been developing a new version of the SS-X-26 Iskander ballistic missile, a short range tactical weapon designed as a successor to the SS-21 “Tochka” short range missiles previously deployed in Europe. In recent months there have been reports that the newly designed missile—apparently designed to overcome advances with the American Patriot missile interceptor—will be deployed as soon as 2005.
Today the Minsk Belapan news agency reports that a number of these missiles will be sold to and deployed in Belarus sometime before 2010, citing a Colonel Henadz Shawrow.
The description of the Iskander-E missile matches that given in recent months, namely that it has a range of about 280km. New to this report is that the missile can reportedly deliver multiple conventional warheads of 480 kilograms each, each warhead consisting of 54 separate bomblets. (The weight of such payloads, however, may be too large to be correct.) The description also mentions that it is useful for either point or area targeting—implying it has a high degree of accuracy—and that it “can overcome any anti-ballistic missile system,” confirming earlier suggestions that it can overcome the Patriot.
The deployment will replace the Tochka-U (SS-21B) missiles currently in Belarus. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Former Soviet Republics, Russia
» Missile details: SS-26
New Chinese Missile, B-611
November 1, 2004 :: Reuters :: News
Citing Reuters, The New Zealand Herald reports that a new Chinese short-range ballistic missile was revealed November 1. The missile’s stated range is 80-150km makes it possibly sufficient to strike Taiwan (~160km distant), according to information distributed at the Zhuhai air show. The missile is given the appellation “B-611.” the B-611 was further described as “an effective weapon in the battlefield for fire support and an important attacking force in modern conventional wars.”
Update: November 11: East Asia Intel reports that Chinese descriptions of the missile at the airshow compared it to the Russian SS-X-26, also known as Stone, Tender, or Iskander. The missile is also said to have a payload capacity of 480kg, and an accuracy (Circular Error of Probability) of 150 meters. (Article, Link)
» Oct. 30: Chinese airshow to sport new military equipment
» Nov. 2: AFP: Display is first of Chinese surface-to-surface missiles
» More stories on: China, Taiwan
» Missile details: B-611, SS-26
Iskander (SS-X-26) to be Deployed in 2005
October 13, 2004 :: Jane's Information Group :: News
Russia will likely deploy an Iskander missile brigade in 2005, according to a recent report in the October edition of Janes Missiles and Rockets. The Iskander, also known as “Tender,” is apparently for Russian use, as distinct from the Iskander E, for foreign export. The Russian version may have a range of 400km, a 480kg payload capacity, whereas the export version has a reported maximum range of 280km. A prominent feature of the Iskander missiles is their ability to be retargeted during flight, permitting greater accuracy. (Link)
» Picture of Iskander
» More stories on: Russia
» Missile details: SS-26
Russia’s New Iskander Missile; Response to America’s Patriot?
August 27, 2004 :: RIA-Novosti :: News
Testing for a new Iskander missile has been completed, reports the Russian news agency, RIA Novosti.
President Putin is said to have asked Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Ivanov if the missile can be deployed quickly. Ivanov replied that it could be. Similar news reports suggest that the military may adopt the missile in 2005.
The relation of the “new” missile is unclear, however, to the much older SS-X-26 known as “Stone,” “Tender,” and “Iskander-E” (the export version, already marketed to a number of countries, including Syria and Iran). As noted in the 2001 National Intelligence Estimate on the foreign ballistic missile threat, the SS-21 (Tochka) and the SS-26 (Iskander) have both already been serving Russia well for its short range nuclear arsenal: “The SS-21 and SS-26 SRBMs provide Russian general-purpose ground forces with a rapid, precision-guided, theater deep-strike capability.” There was a report in October 2003, however, that the SS-26 Iskander missile was undergoing improvements.
The new Iskander is said to be capable of carrying either a nuclear or a conventional warhead. It was also described as a successor to the SS-21B “Tochka-U.” Unlike Tochka, however, the new Iskander system is said to have two missiles rather than one.
Channel One TV in Moscow gave a few more details of Iskander missile, which is describes as a “new generation weapon,” a “closely guarded secret,” and employing “stealth technology.”
Also of interest are the potential targets listed for the missile. These are said to include “missile systems, long-range artillery, aircraft at airfields, air defence and anti-missile defence systems and communications control centres” (emphasis added). The broadcast continued to say that “the system’s specifications show that the promising American air defence missile system, Patriot, will be unable to match Iskander.”
Could the Iskander be designed to destroy deployments of Patriot batteries? If so, marketing it to Syria and Iran would seem to indicate a clear purpose of negating America’s own attempts to counter the menace of those countries’ ballistic missile arsenals.
Moscow television news report also included a list of the missile’s characteristics:
Flight range: 280 km; Launch weight of missile: 3,800 kg; Warhead mass: 480 kg; Warhead type: cluster (54 submunitions), fragmentation-high explosive, penetrating; Number of missiles on launcher: two
The payload weight of 480kg would correspond to the previously known weights of the SS-X-26, but the reported range could indicate slight differences. Minister Ivanov is quoted as saying that the new Iskander has an effective range of up to 300 km, while also noting that it is a “high-precision missile.” Moreover, versions of the older Iskander had a range of between 280 (export version) and 400 km (Russian version). (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-21 B, SS-26
Second Russian Ballistic Missile Test in a Week
December 11, 2003 :: NTI :: News
Only six days after an SS-19 ICBM test launch, Russia has again reportedly tested yet another. According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, Russian radio reported that an SS-27 (“Topol M”) variant, the SS-N-30 Bulava (equipped as an SLBM) was tested today from the Russian Dmitriy Donskoi Typhoon-class nuclear submarine, launched from the North Sea to the Kamchatka Peninsula. The SS-27 is Russia’s single most advanced ballistic missile. (Link)
» More stories on: Russia, Testing - Foreign
» Missile details: SS-N-6, SS-26
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