Posted on 05/30/2007 1:31:00 PM PDT by kronos77
29 May 2007
Moscow: Russia is due to test fire its new cruise missile, Iskander- M, on Tuesday, according to first deputy prime minister, Sergei Ivanov. He made this announcement at a meeting of government members and Russian president, Vladimir Putin, on Monday.
The missiles will be tested at the Kapustin Yar range in the southern part of the Astrakhan region, he said.
According to Ivanov, the test firing will be of an advanced version of this tactical missile, which is meant for ground troops.
The base version has already been inducted with the divisions based in the North Caucasus Military District, he said.
The Kolomna Machine Building Design Office has designed the Iskander-M missile.
Iskander M/E The Isknader M/E versions are solid fuel missiles, meant to take on small ground targets with pinpoint accuracy, up to a maximum range of 280 kilometers, in the case of the export version. It can carry a warhead of a maximum weight of 480-kilogrammes, and can be guided in flight through space-based assets as well as unmanned aircraft. While the 'M' version has a range of up to 400 km, and is meant for the Russian land forces, the 'E' version is meant for export.
The Iskander launcher is equipped with two missiles that can be fired at one-minute intervals. Its road mobile nature also allows for quick dispersal of the system, making it virtually immune to counterstrikes.
The Iskander is a modified version of the Soviet-built Oka missile (SS-23), which was scrapped under the terms of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty signed by Presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.
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“Iskander” is Russian for “rustbucket.”
“Russia is due to test fire its new cruise missile”
But, it’s our testing of ABM systems that threatens the peace and threatens to ignite the “powder keg” that is Europe.
That “E” Version will wind up in Iran in 15 minutes. Clinton and Gore - what morons.
OH MY! Should I start practising my *duck and cover* routine, again?
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