The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that Russia is also increasing its logistical and correctional bases in the region.
Experts say to “Sky News Arabia” that Russia’s use of these missiles aims to deliver messages to the West that it is capable of resolving the battle for Ukraine at any time.
And the American newspaper “Washington Post” reported that these ballistic missiles contain a surprise because they are equipped with devices capable of deceiving air defense radars and thermal missiles.
Iskander missile capabilities
The “Iskander” system was named after the Macedonian commander Alexander the Great, who is considered one of the greatest military generals in history. Legend says that he wore a helmet with two horns, and that system had two missiles.
The missile maneuvers in its path to evade hostile radars, and with booby-traps thrown in flight, it would be nearly impossible to intercept for hostile defense systems.
Developed by the Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau, its combat vehicle is designed to destroy important enemy targets at distances of more than 300 km.
The “Iskander” operational-tactical missile system uses two types of missiles: one is the “Iskander-M” and “Iskander-I”, a winged missile that has been in service in the Russian Armed Forces since 2006, and both have a working range of about 500 kilometers.
The missile sub-munitions contain electronic equipment, not explosives, and it has 6 slots with booby traps, where a jamming device is thrown by the Iskander missile during its flight to evade the air defense that is trying to confront it.
These booby-traps reproduce the enemy’s radar signal and reproduce it with false information to deceive the enemy’s radar and radar-guided missiles.
The Russian Iskander missile can also fire with accuracy between 2 and 5 meters from a distance of 310 miles, and its explosive warhead weighs from 480 to 700 kilograms and comes in various forms as a bunker-buster, as a smart submunition, and as a thermal warhead.
The Washington Post quoted US government documents as saying that “the Iskander missile, which is equipped with a solid-fuel propulsion engine, can reach targets at a distance of more than 330 kilometers, and each mobile launcher can launch two missiles of this type before being refilled.”
Richard Stevens, an explosive ordnance disposal specialist, says he’s dealt with a lot of Chinese and Russian weapons, but he’s never seen such devices with an Iskander before.
The missile also uses advanced guidance developments and warheads and poses a major threat to many American goals and Washington interests, according to a Washington Post report.
Military reports say that the missile has a stealth coating, which means that it is almost invisible to radar and makes it maneuverable in flight.
Russia used Iskander missiles for the first time in the 2008 Georgia war, and they are designed to confuse defensive missiles by flying at a low altitude.
“It is likely that the Iskander missiles will be able to target and destroy the targets at which they are fired accurately,” said Timothy Wright, a research analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
He adds that “Russia appears to have about 150 launchers that can also guide cruise missiles.”
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