Iskander-M Iskander SS-26 Stone 9K720 9M72 9P78-1

Mobile Tactical Ballistic Missile System - Russia

Iskander Missile SS-26 Stone is a short-range tactical missile system developed and produced in Russia. The system replaces the Oka SS-23 SPIDER which had been terminated under the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Development of the system was undertaken by the Kolomna Engineering Design Bureau development during the 1990s under the project name "Tender". The Iskander SS-26 Stone theatre missile system is designed to destroy enemy weapons, command posts, communications nodes, tactical aircraft parked on airfields, air and missile defense installations and other critical targets in operational depth round the clock and in any season when countered by heavy regular and precision-guided munitions, weapons of mass destruction, as well as anti-missile defense and EW assets. All Iskander vehicles feature cross-country wheeled chassis making them very mobile. The missile is solid-fuelled, single-staged with continuous guidance along the whole trajectory. It features a non-separable warhead with a self-contained INS coupled with an optical homing head. The warhead can house a cluster bomb, HE-fragmentation or penetration charge. The Iskander-M is an upgraded version of the previous version of the Iskander which has a range of 400 km. In December 2018, the Russian Defense Ministry has announced that The missile troops of the Russian Ground Forces will be fully reequipped with the Iskander-M missile systems in 2019. During a military parade on February 8, 2018, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Korean People’s Army, North Korea’s armed forces displayed a number of missile systems including a new mobile missile platform that looked very similar to the Russian 9K720 Iskander-M which is in service the Russian armed forces. According to information published by Russian Press Agency TASS on August 7, 2020, Russian Iskander NATO code-named SS-26 Stone short-range tactical missiles will be used for coastal defense. In May 2022, Belarus confirmed the purchase of the Russian-made Iskander mobile ballistic missile system. Citing information published in October 2022, the Iskander-M will be fitted with a new missile that will enhance its combat potential. On December 16, 2022, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko announced the deployment of Iskander on Belarus territory.

Iskander Iskander-M variants:

- Iskander-M: Range 400 km with a potential for extension to INF Treaty violating 500 km. Speed Mach 6-7, flight altitude up to 6–50 km, nuclear-capable stealth missile, controlled at all stages, not ballistic flight path. Immediately after the launch and upon approach to the target, the missile performs intensive maneuvering to evade anti-ballistic missiles. The missile constantly maneuvers during flight as well.
- Iskander-E: export version, range: 280 km.
- Iskander-K: new version, unveiled in 2007, with a new cruise missile R-500, range: 280 km max.