On the evening of October 26, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin oversaw a scheduled training exercise by the Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Four intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and an unknown number of air-launched cruise missiles were fired during the exercise. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, nuclear submarines from the Pacific and Northern Fleets, as...
On October 16, Syria’s national “Air Force and Air Defense Day,” a Syrian S-200 surface-to-air missile system fired on several Israeli aircraft flying reconnaissance over Lebanon. The missile interceptor failed to hit its target, and the aircraft safely exfiltrated Lebanese airspace. Several hours later a separate Israeli sortie launched four missiles at the S-200 site...
On October 6, the U.S. State Department approved a potential $15 billion Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and related support, equipment, and services. The deal comprises 44 THAAD launchers, 360 missile interceptors, seven AN/TPY-2 radar systems, and other related parts, training, and equipment. A day before the...
On October 5, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced two of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet submarines, the Veliky Novgorod (B-268) and the Kolpino (B-271), fired ten SS-N-30 Kalibr cruise missiles from a submerged position at ISIS targets near the town of Mayadin in the Deir ez-Zor province. The strike targeted ISIS command posts, ammunition depots,...
On October 5, Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television reported that the Kingdom had agreed to buy Russia’s S-400 air defense system. The announcement came during a visit by Saudi King Salman to Moscow. In addition to the S-400 ‘Triumf’, the Memorandum of Agreement signed between the two countries also includes Saudi procurement of other weapon systems. The...
The Russian military is conducting exercises involving over 60 road-mobile Topol, Topol-M, and Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the maneuvers are taking place between the Tver region northwest of Moscow and the Irkutsk region located in eastern Siberia. These drills follow the joint Russian-Belarusian Zapad exercise that...
On Tuesday the Russian Strategic Missile Forces test fired a Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Kapustin Yar testing range in the southern Astrakhan region. The purpose of the launch was to test advanced warheads for Russian ballistic missiles, according to the Russia’s defense ministry. The experimental warhead reportedly hit its target at the Sary Shagan range...
On September 22, the Russian submarine Veliky Novgorod (B-268) fired an unknown number of Kalibr cruise missiles (SS-N-27/30A) from a submerged position at targets in Syria’s Idlib province. The missiles traveled 300 km before striking command centers, armored vehicles, and training facilities. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the missile launch was a counter-offensive...
On September 20, Russia successfully test fired a SS-29 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile on the final day of the Zapad 2017 military exercise. As part of the exercise, Russian missile crews practiced relocating the missile, testing its mobile variant rather than the silo-based variant tested on September 12. The missile was launched from Plesetsk launch...
On September 18, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the successful test of the Iskander-M missile as part of the ongoing Zapad 2017 military exercises. The short-range ballistic missile was launched from the Kapustin Yar test range in Russia’s southern Astrakhan region, and travelled close to its maximum 500 km range before hitting a target...
