Between September 17-19, the Russian armed forces flight tested several 9M723 Iskander ballistic missiles during military exercises in Kazakhstan. According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, the exercises successfully struck their targets from “several hundred kilometers away.” The Iskander missile entered Russian service in 2006 and has a range of 500 km. Related Links: Пуски ракет...
According to an internal government document, Russia plans to deploy Bastion-P coastal defense units to two islands in the disputed Kuril Island chain, Kyodo News reported on August 2. Russian government officials have noted the systems have “already been moved and are now being prepared for operation.” The P-800 Oniks antiship missile which the Bastion-P...
On August 27, Iran revealed a new cruise missile, named “Mobeen,” at Russia’s MAKS military exhibition. According to state media, the subsonic cruise missile has a range of 450 km and weighs 670 kg when armed with a 120 kg payload. According to the exhibit, the missile entered service in 2018. Related Links: Iran Displays...
On August 26, Russia began military drills near the Black Sea, mobilizing over 8,000 troops in an interservice exercise. During the drills, the Southern Military District’s Iskander-M crews practiced electronic missile launches and reloading procedures. According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, the exercises were designed to simulate “a massive strike against the notional enemy’s command...
On August 27, Russia delivered a second batch of S-400 missile defense equipment to Murted Air Base near Ankara, Turkey. In a statement, Turkey’s defense ministry said that delivery of the second S-400 battery is expected to take a month. Turkey received its first battery of S-400 missiles on July 25. First tested in 1999,...
On August 18, the U.S. Department of Defense flight tested a ground-launched cruise missile from San Nicolas Island, California. Launched from a MK-41 Vertical Launch System, the Tomahawk cruise missile struck its target “after more than 500 kilometers of flight.” Variants of the Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missile (TLAM) are capable of ranges between 1,250...
On August 2, the United States withdrew from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a U.S.-Russian pact limiting deployment of land-based missiles capable of ranges from 500 to 5,500 km. Since 2014, Washington has publicly accused Russia of deploying treaty-noncompliant missiles—the 9M729 (SSC-8)— a claim the Kremlin denies. In a statement on Friday, Secretary of...
On July 26, Russia flight tested a Topol-M (SS-27) ICBM from a range in Kasputin Yar. In a statement, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said the missile “hit the target at the Sary-Shagan range in Kazakhstan to the specified accuracy.” The Topol-M is a road-mobile missile capable of delivering a single nuclear warhead to an 11,000...
On July 17, Russia tested the Tor-M2DT, a short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed for arctic use. First revealed in 2017, the M2DT is a winterized variant of the Tor missile system built on a DT-30PM tracked chassis. The Russian armed forces first tested the missile at Kasputin Yar in June 2019. The weapon is...
On July 18, the Russian Ministry of Defence released video footage of naval drills in the Sea of Japan. Two vessels of Russia’s Pacific Fleet—a missile boat and a destroyer—participated in the exercise. Each ship launched one or more SS-N-22 Sunburn (Moskit) antiship missiles, striking a floating target located 60 km from the warships. The...
