The Russian defense industry, fulfilling orders from the military department, continues to develop various weapons systems. According to the latest reports, not so long ago the main work was completed as part of the creation of a promising guided missile for the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system. Apparently, in the near future, this product will go into service and increase the strike potential of the missile forces.
New information on the development of the Iskander-M missile system was published on October 18 by the Ministry of Defense. On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the first rocket launch from the 4th state central interspecific training ground (Kapustin Yar), the head of this structure, Major General Oleg Kislov, spoke about the latest events. Among other things, the head touched upon the topic of testing promising missile weapons. Recently, several test launches of certain products have been carried out at the Kapustin Yar test site.
One of the most significant events recently carried out by the 4th State Center for Contemporary Art was interdepartmental testing of a new missile for the Iskander complex. At the same time, however, General Kislov did not specify the technical or other details of the recent checks. Thus, the general public was able to find out only about the very fact of the completion of work on a new rocket, without any additional information of particular interest.
It is known that in 2012 the industry and the Ministry of Defense completed all the necessary tests of the Iskander-M OTRK, after which it was decided to continue the development of the existing project. Checks have shown that the complex has significant potential, which should be used when creating new types of missiles. Using some common developments and solutions, specialists of the Kolomna Machine-Building Design Bureau have developed seven missiles of different types by now.
At the same time, the development of the missile system does not stop. In mid-September, Valery Kashin, General Designer of the Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau, spoke about Iskander's prospects. According to him, the bureau has prepared a technical proposal describing further ways of developing existing missile systems. The proposal was approved by the client and was in the approval phase at the time of the interview.
The consistent development and modernization of existing complexes, it was argued, will allow them to be kept in service for the next two or three decades. It is obvious that during this period the requirements for OTRK will change, but the Iskander-M systems will have to meet the new challenges arising in the course of the development of the armed forces.
Much to the regret of specialists and amateurs of military equipment, the leadership of the developer organization and the Ministry of Defense are in no hurry to disclose the details of the latest missile project for the Iskander-M complex. As a result, so far we have to rely only on various assumptions and estimates. A significant amount of available data allows one to make certain predictions, but - for obvious reasons - the versions expressed may in one way or another not correspond to reality.
According to available data, the Iskander family of OTRK ammunition range includes at least seven missiles of different models belonging to two main classes. To hit targets, it is proposed to use ballistic (or rather, quasi-ballistic with the ability to maneuver on a trajectory) and cruise missiles. It is not known what class the new product, which has recently passed interdepartmental testing, belongs to.
The management of the Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau and officials from the Ministry of Defense have repeatedly specified that the new missiles for the Iskander family of complexes have minimal external differences, and also slightly differ in their characteristics. At the same time, the development of products is carried out by improving the onboard missile equipment and using new warheads. Apparently, the newest project continues this development logic.
Due to the lack of official information in the press, various assessments and assumptions appear regarding the appearance of the new rocket. So, in its publication on this topic, RIA Novosti quotes the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Arsenal of the Fatherland" Viktor Murakhovsky. He believes that this time, tests were carried out on a not completely new rocket. At the same time, the tested product differed from the previous ones with new combat equipment.
What kind of warhead could be installed on the experimental missiles - the specialist could not specify. At the same time, he noted that new missiles of the Iskander family can be equipped with penetrating and cluster warheads. In the latter case, self-aiming submunitions can be used as a combat load.
Other publications cite other experts expressing certain versions. At the same time, all experts interviewed by the press agree that the new missile - regardless of the features of its technical appearance - should differ from existing products by higher technical and combat characteristics. In addition, the presence of a new missile can have a positive effect on the potential of the Iskander-M OTRK in the military-political context.
For example, Viktor Bondarev, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense, who previously held the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, described the main consequences of the appearance of a new rocket in the context of the international situation. According to RIA Novosti, V. Bondarev believes that the Iskander-M OTRK is capable of withstanding even a nuclear threat, and this is relevant in the light of recent events on the Korean Peninsula.
Complexes of the Iskander family are highly mobile, accurate and powerful. Thanks to this, they can withstand even a nuclear threat. Recent events in the Far East, as well as the reaction to them from the United States, show the relevance of such opportunities. Thus, the development of Russian operational-tactical missile systems turns out to be the most important deterrent.
V. Bondarev said that the development and adoption of new missile systems with high firing accuracy, capable of hitting targets of the enemy's anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense, is a guarantee of security, both Russian and international.
The technical details of the newest rocket project have not yet been published. The class and purpose of the recently tested missile also remain unknown. Nevertheless, having a sufficient amount of information about the Iskander family, one can draw some conclusions and assumptions that can justify themselves in the future.
Apparently, the newest domestic missile, belonging to the class of quasi-ballistic or cruise, has compatibility with existing combat vehicles already adopted by the missile forces and artillery. Thus, it can be used by all or almost all of the units equipped with the Iskander OTRK range. The tactical and strategic implications of this are clear.
It can be assumed that the rocket of the new type will not significantly differ from its predecessors in terms of flight data. The firing range cannot exceed 450-480 km, which is stipulated by the current international agreements. A month ago, V. Kashin, General Designer of the Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau, argued that in their striving to improve the complex, the designers are trying not to bring the matter to a violation of contracts or even to suspicion of it. A direct consequence of this is the impossibility of firing at a range of more than 500 km, which allows Iskander to maintain the status of an operational-tactical class complex.
One of the ways to develop the existing family was the creation of missiles with a different combat load. It is known about the existence of high-explosive fragmentation warheads in monoblock and cluster versions, as well as a concrete-piercing warhead. There is information about the existence of a special warhead. A recently tested rocket can carry any of these types of payloads. In addition, we cannot yet exclude the possibility of creating new combat equipment for one purpose or another.
The recent completion of interdepartmental tests suggests that in the very near future there will be an order to accept a promising missile into service with the subsequent launch of mass production. Thus, in a few years it will be possible to replenish the arsenals of missile units, thereby increasing their potential.
The creation of a new missile is of great importance in the context of the current modernization of missile forces and artillery. According to existing plans, in the foreseeable future the Iskander OTRKs will have to completely replace the existing Tochka-U systems. The presence of a large number of launchers capable of launching missiles of various types will significantly increase the effectiveness of the missile forces in solving various combat missions.
The defense industry and the Ministry of Defense regularly report on the progress of creating new missile weapons, but they are in no hurry to disclose the most important details of such projects. Nevertheless, in the future, certain information still becomes public knowledge. Probably, the same will happen with the new Iskander-M missile for the OTRK, which has recently passed one of the stages of checks. Detailed and accurate information about this product will become available in the future. In the meantime, we have to rely only on assumptions and estimates.
