9 photos of Russian troops setting up and test firing the Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile
The Iskander is a mobile short-range ballistic missile that became operational in 2007.
It has three different variants: the Iskander-M, the Tender, and the Iskander-E, which is the export version.
Source: CSIS
It's about 24 feet long, about three feet wide, and has a launch weight of about 8,378-8,863 pounds.
Source: CSIS
The Iskander has a range of about 300 miles, which is just under the threshold set forth by the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty.
Source: Popular Mechanics
It has a single warhead payload that can be equipped with high explosives, submunitions, fuel-air explosives, high explosive penetrators, or nuclear warheads.
High explosive penetrators are for hitting bunkers.
Source: CSIS, Popular Mechanics
Since it's a short-range ballistic missile, it launches into a ballistic arc at an altitude of about 163,000 feet before the warhead separates from the missile and then flies down on its target at hypersonic speeds.
Source: CSIS
And here it goes ...
... Up ...
... And up ...
The Iskander is "an extremely flexible battlefield system," according to CSIS, and has been deployed to Kaliningrad, where it can reach Poland, Sweden, and the Baltics.
However, it's not invincible to the US' Patriot PAC-3 missiles, according to Popular Mechanics.
You can read more about the Patriot system here >>
Russia has sold the Iskander to Armenia, Algeria and possibly Iran and Syria, CSIS reported. Russia also deployed the Iskander to its Latakia base in Syria in early January 2017.
Watch the Iskander-M in action at the Kapustin Yar testing grounds below:
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