Posted on 10/10/2005 5:21:59 AM PDT by strategofr
Iskander SS-26: Too fast and flexible for known electronic defenses to stop
Two generals were in Moscow on the same day, September 26: the head of Israel’s National Security Council Maj.-Gen (Res.) Giora Eiland and the Syrian chief of staff General Ali Habib. Both also called on the Russian chief of staff, Gen. Yuri Baluyevski. The Syrian general came out of his meeting with a brilliant contract for the sale of the advanced Iskander SS-26 surface missile. The Israeli general ran into a blank wall when he tried to persuade the Russian to withhold the missile from the Assad regime. Last January, when the deal was first broached, the Bush administration stepped in and obtained a promise from president Vladimir Putin to call off the sale, as did Israel’s Ariel Sharon during the Russian president’s visit in May.
Putin has broken those pledges.
DEBKA-Net-Weekly 224 revealed in its detailed report on September 30 -
For a speedy delivery in the first quarter of 2006, the Syrians paid cash.
The value of the transaction is unknown but it certainly runs into hundreds of million dollars, given that Syria has purchased 26 of the most advanced missile of its kind in use anywhere in the world.
The United States and NATO have code-named the Iskander SS-26 “Stone.” They have nothing in their missile arsenal to match its unique attributes.
With a 400-km range and a 480-kilo warhead composed of 54 elements, the missile hits a target within a 20-meter radius. Two missiles with a range of 280km are mounted on each launch pad. The system can be used against small and large targets alike, easily overcoming air defenses. It is almost impossible for existing electronic weapons systems to prevent the Iskander’s launch because of its speed and high flexibility. Its targets are found in mid-flight by satellites, accompanying airplanes, conventional intelligence centers or a lone soldier directing artillery fire. Targets may also be found by feeding photos into the missile’s computer by means of a scanner.
The self-direction device functions even in fog, darkness or storms. The name Iskander is Alexander (the Great) in the Turkoman language. Weighing 3,800 kilos it is operated by a crew of three. It comes in two versions: the 500-kilo version provided the Russian Army and the 280-kilo missile sold to Syria.
So impressive is the Russian “Stone”, that in 2004, the Americans sought to include it in various treaties signed with Russia for precluding the manufacture and sale of certain weapons. Moscow balked. A Western missile expert says: “Even a small quantity of these missiles is capable of radically changing the balance of strength in local conflicts.” It is a strategic weapon for countries with a small area like Syria.
Nine months ago, on January 12, 2005, Moscow “leaked” the news of a big new arms deal with Syria that included the following missiles: the Iskander SS-26, SA-10 Grumble ground-to-air, and SA-18 Grouse (Igla 9K38) shoulder-launched anti-air missiles capable of hitting objects at an altitude of 3,600 meters and range of 5,200 meters.
Israeli raised the ceiling over this transaction as radically shifting the balance of strength between the Jewish state and Syria. Washington embarked on a quiet diplomatic dialogue to deter Damascus from acquiring the new hardware, maintaining it posed a threat to the US army in Iraq.
After weeks of palaver and pressure, president Vladimir Putin and defense minister Sergei Ivanov relented and promised Washington and Jerusalem to withhold the Iskander SS-26 from Syria. The other items would have their aggressive options “neutered” and rendered fit for defensive use alone.
It is now clear that Putin’s promise to the Americans and Israelis to withhold the missile’s sale was no more than a time-winning ploy until an opportunity presented itself to go through with the transaction.
DEBKAfile’s military experts add four points:
1. Assad had need of a sop to his armed forces if he intends to go through with the exercise DEBKA revealed earlier, to follow in Muammar Qaddafi’s footsteps and make his peace with Washington. The Syrian ruler will demonstrated that he is the only Middle East leader capable of providing his army with a weapons system as sophisticated Iskander SS-22. This may divert the generals from plotting to overthrow him if he throws some of his top security officers to the wolves over the Hariri assassination.
2. Putin’s motivation in breaking his promises to Bush and Sharon is his fundamental urge to show Washington and Paris they are not the only players in the Middle East and Syrian-Lebanese arena. He hopes by the missile sale to prevent the Assad regime from collapsing.
3. The Bush administration refrained from interceding in the deal this because, as DEBKA revealed before, the White House has not yet decided finally whether to finally topple Assad or let him survive. Washington’s silence on the missile sale points to the latter option.
4. Israel’s failure to stop the delivery even after the kudos Sharon collected over the pullout from Gaza means that the country’s basic security situation and international influence remain unchanged by the sacrifice of its strategic presence in Gaza.
A certainty of the world: Communists lie.
Didn't they go through this same basic exercise with Syria back in the seventies? And didn't it ultiamtley result in not only the destruction of the Russian missiles in the Bekka Valley, but also the destruction of most of the Syrian air force when they tried to defend them?
That's where this is going to lead IMHO.
Russia, the ancient and future enemy of Israel, is also America's enemy.
A target for a snatch-and-grab raid... having one to study
would be very useful to us as well as the IDF.
I dont get it....
Its just a scud that might actually hit its target.
The write-up read's like this is a fundamentally different class of weapon, did the specs come from pravda?
1000 lb warhead... what???
And all-in-all he Syria got only 26 of them...
Dont get me wrong, I dont think Syria should have any of these, but I just dont think there as cool as people make them out to be... Is there something I dont understand about this weapon system?
Spookadelic
Let them buy whatever they want. The sooner they use it the sooner the good guys can take them out...
From global security, the SS26 is just an improved mobile surface-to-surface scud missile (mobility make it difficult for "air defences" to destroy it on the ground.)
I don't think WMD-capable Syria should have semi-accurate 480 km range missiles.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/russia/ss-26.htm
Heh... Ironically the Iskander SS-26 has Israeli technology in it among many other joint Russian, Indian and Chinese weapons systems.
"A certainty of the world: Communists lie."
So do former Communists. I don't believe Putin wants to have the gov't take over the factories in Russia. But that has become a side issue for the worldwide organized hard left (WOHL), which Putin is the secret leader of.
" That's where this is going to lead IMHO."
Hope you're right.
"Russia, the ancient and future enemy of Israel, is also America's enemy."
Yep. Giving Iran a combination of long range missle- and nuclear weapon-technology is one clue of that.
"A target for a snatch-and-grab raid... having one to study
would be very useful to us as well as the IDF"
You're reading my thoughts.
Nah. The Israelis will just buy these from money-hungry people in the Syrian military.
"Dont get me wrong, I dont think Syria should have any of these, but I just dont think there as cool as people make them out to be... Is there something I dont understand about this weapon system?"
1) You know more than me on this.
2) Your perception may well be completely correct. DebKa Files is a private company made up of Israelis. In my opinion, their info tends to be good. I occassionally detect a clear political bias (in terms of something that would cause distortion.)
3) In my view, the value of this weapon is its extremely effective combining and balancing of many different types of capabilities. For example, wouldn't someone looking at the spec sheet of the T-34 tank when it came out have a similar reaction to yours? Yet, the weapon was superb. That might be the case here.
"Moral of the story is.....never trust liberals, socialist or communists. They are all from the same incestuous leftist family."
100% agreement.
I would add that they are all part of the same, loose knit organization, one I name the worldwide organized hard left (WOHL.) I call it that because the Russian FSB itself, whose predecessor the KGB was the creator of the Worldwide Communism, is no longer Communist or under the control of Communists.
"Nah. The Israelis will just buy these from money-hungry people in the Syrian military."
Works either way.
"Punish France, ignore Germany, forgive Russia"
Russia the oh-so forgiveable coutry...
There are no launchpads.
It's mobile and not detectable.
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