Iskander M Missile: Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised broadcast on June 25, 2022 that Russia will supply Belarus with Iskander-M missile systems, which can use ballistic or cruise missiles, in the coming months.
He said this at the start of his televised meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in St. Petersburg. The details and logistics of the weapons transfer will be discussed by the defense ministers of the two countries.
The delivery of the Iskander M missile systems is expected to take place within a few months.
What is Iskander M Missile?
The Iskander-M is a mobile guided missile system that can carry conventional or nuclear warheard. The missile system has a range of up to 500 km (300 miles). It can carry a payload of up to 700 kg.
Iskander M Missile Systems: Know Key Facts
1. Iskander M Missile System is a mobile guided missile system code-named "SS-26 Stone" by NATO, which replaced the Soviet 'Scud' missiles.
2. Iskander-M is a term used by Russia to define both short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) and transporter-erector launch system.
3. The Iskander-M missile system's two guided missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometers (300 miles).
4. It can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. The conventional warheads can be equipped with cluster bombs, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) warheads and bunker-buster munitions.
5. The missile system can also fire ground-launched cruise missiles (GLCMs) – the SSC-7 and the SSC-8.
6. The Iskander-M system has been exclusively used by the Russian military, while the export variant is Iskander-E system that has a range of 280km with a reduced 489kg payload.
7. The Iskander missile system was inducted by Russia in 2006. It was Russia's second attempt to replace the Soviet Scud missile, first being Oka SRB, or OTR-23, which was banned under the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty.
8. Russia first used the Iskander m missile in combat in Georgia in 2008.
Why is Russia supplying Iskander m missile system to Belarus?
The Russian made the announcement of sending nuclear-capable Iskander m missile systems to Belarus at a time when the G-7 leaders are convening in Germany for their Summit. The announcement has once again brought the mention of nuclear weapons amid Russia's war in Ukraine. It is being seen as a sort of warning to the West as it steps up its arms and ammunition support to Ukraine.
Russia had said in 2012 that the missile system could be used to target Europe's missile defences. The Iskander system has already been deployed in Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave, from where it can be used to target NATO forces in Poland, the Baltic States and Sweden.
In the latest meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, the latter had expressed concern about the "aggressive", "confrontational" and "repulsive" policies of its neighbours Lithuania and Poland.
Lukashenko reportedly asked Putin to help Belarus mount a "symmetrical response" to what he described as nuclear-armed flights by the US-led NATO alliance near Belarus' borders. While Putin said that he did not see any need for a symmetrical response, he added that Belarus' Russian-built Su-25 jets could be upgraded in Russian factories to make them capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
According to US-based think tank- CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies), the Iskander missiles are designed to confuse missile defences by flying on a low trajectory and manoeuvring in flight to strike targets within 2 to 5 metres accuracy.
Significance
Belarus has been a major part of the Russian war against Ukraine, serving as a staging ground for the Russian troops to invade Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Ukraine also claimed on June 25th that Russian troops had fired dozens of missiles at the Ukrainian cities of Zhytomyr and Chernihiv from Belarus.
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