Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on November 5 that Russia would deploy high-precision Iskander-M guided missile systems in its westernmost Kaliningrad exclave "to neutralize, if necessary, the anti-ballistic missile system in Europe."
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The Iskander Tactical Missile System is considered to be among the most advanced surface / surface missiles available today.
Iskander-E is the export version of the Iskander M (9M72) short-range ballistic missile currently in service with the Russian Armed Forces (known by NATO designation SS-26). An earlier version is the SS-21 Tochka/Scarab, which was extensively used by the russian Army during the 2nd Chechnya war and during the conflict between Russia and Georgia in August 2008. The missile is designed for mobile, autonomous operation and is capable of striking point and area targets at ranges of 50 – 280 km. (The M version is believed to have a range of 400 km). Typical missions include the engagement of enemy fire support, such as MLRS and long range artillery, air defenses and missile defense assets, airfields, command, control and communications nodes and infrastructure targets.
The Iskander-E missile is a single stage, solid fuel missile weighing 3.8 tons, carrying a payload of 480 kg. it can be loaded with cluster, blast-fragmentation or penetration warheads. A Thermobaric warhead is also believed to be part of the missile's warhead options. An unconventional warhead could also be an option, including a tactical nuclear warhead.
The missile uses on-board navigation and flight control to shape its ballistic trajectory at the boost and terminal phases of its trajectory. Boost phase maneuvering enable the missile to correct the ballistic trajectory to best match the flight plan and mission (for example, to minimize detection range by enemy missile defenses). It also contributes to optimize the trajectory based on in-flight data. Terminal maneuvering is used to avoid missile defenses and further improve the hit accuracy, utilizing terminal sensor. According to Russian sources, the missile uses special composite materials to reduce the radar signature of the missile (or TEL?) to evade targeting radars employed by enemy surveillance sensors, UAVs and smart weapons.
Iskander M/E (SS-21 / SS-26)
Overall Test Record:
• Across all programs, 36 of 45 “Hit-to-Kill” intercept attempts have been successful since 2001
• 12 of 13 “Hit-to-Kill” intercepts have been successful since 2007
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense: 5 of 5 intercept attempts, 1 “no-test”
• Current test program began in 2006
• No-test: FTT-04 target malfunctioned after launch
http://www.mda.mil/mdalink/pdf/testrecord.pdf
People are under the mistaken impression that Missile Defense is a single Missile system or type is fixed and therefor vulnerable based on that Missile type. The fact is that Missile defense includes many different kinds of Radars and Missiles , both Sea based, and land based and yes space based. This also includes high altitude lasers as well as THAD which is another defense Missile. The Russian threat to Poland is simply based on the current dictator of that country needing to insure that the Russia's stranglehold on European Natural Gas is no threatened in anyway. The United States by nullifying the ability of Russias Natural Gas partner and Russia to threaten it's neighbors into providing them with even more wealth cannot be stepped on in anyway. Thus the the reason why you have the Russian positioning an IRBM that is quite cabable if being shot down on the border of Poland.
