Belarus 'selling Iran Iskander-M missiles'

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

Belarus 'selling Iran Iskander-M missiles'
Fri, 01 May 2009 18:16:46 GMT

Amid speedy relationship developments between Belarus and Iran, a report says the former Soviet state is selling Tehran the Russian-made Iskander-M tactical missile systems.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday said that he would like to implement top-level agreements with the government of Tehran.

"We will sacredly fulfill our agreements with Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and expect more activity in projects earmarked for joint implementation," President Lukashenko said in a message handed to the visiting Iranian Judicial chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi.

An article published by Ria Novosti said that the swiftness of relation-building between the two states is an indication that President Lukashenko is selling the short-range missiles to Iran.

The Iskander-M system is equipped with two solid-propellant single-stage 9M723K1 guided missiles with "quasi-ballistic" capability with a range of approximately 310 miles.

The report comes shortly after Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar visited Moscow to push for further military cooperation with Russia.

Iran is also interested in Russia's sophisticated air defense missiles, the S-300 surface-to-air system, to enhance its defensive prowess against a potential Israeli attack on the country's nuclear infrastructure.

Link (http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=93244&sectionid=351020101)

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/1372/davari20090501223739828.jpg
An undated file picture shows Russian missile complex
"Iskander" on display.

[spider1]

Well, if its right, its against Gulf stats because it cant reach Israel.

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

Well, if its right, its against Gulf stats because it cant reach Israel.

Interesting, you may be right.
Probably drive more defense spending by the Sunni-majority states.

[rOjOdogg]

Well with the US giving Abrhams main battle tanks to the Iraqis they are going to need all of the weapons systems they can lay thier hands on.

[Mackie]

One word: Technology
I guess they are more interested in engines and electronics.

[Estopped]

Well with the US giving Abrhams main battle tanks to the Iraqis they are going to need all of the weapons systems they can lay thier hands on.

Are you suggesting that Iran provides the ballistics while Iraq provides the tanks in a potential conquest of Saudi Arabia?

[User_Name]

BS news, Belorussia do not have such systems and in the near future they would not get them from Russia. So only thing they can sale is a early version of S-300

[Zarak]

Belarus doesn't even have any Iskander-Ms and KBM (the manufacturer) is located in Russia. Who keeps pushing these retarded ideas (IE: Propaganda and lies) that don't even mash with reality? Its rediculous.

[Invisigoth]

Are you suggesting that Iran provides the ballistics while Iraq provides the tanks in a potentiial consquest of Saudi Arabia?

No he is suggesting that Iraq might one day turn around and open a can of whoopass on their Iranian neighbors.

[Estopped]

No he is suggesting that Iraq might one day turn around and open a can of whoopass on their Iranian neighbors.

The point of my post is that Iraq is now an Iranian ally. Why would Iraq want to open a can of whoopass on its biggest trade partner and shi'ite kin. Hell, half of the Iraqi leaders spent their exile in Iran.

[Panchito12]

At 310 miles in range, the only target for those crazy Iranians is the Saudis.

And the Saudi's have between 30-50 ex-Chinese DF3 IRBM's of roughly 3,000nm range.

My money is on the Saudi's

[crush6655]

At 310 miles in range, the only target for those crazy Iranians is the Saudis.

And the Saudi's have between 30-50 ex-Chinese DF3 IRBM's of roughly 3,000nm range.

My money is on the Saudi's
But Iran can reverse engineer those and give them to terrorists like hizbullah and hamas to kill civilians as always,..

[void]

If Belarus has Iskander-M (which I seriously doubt) that would mean Russia violated the MTCR (selling missiles >300km in range), and in turn Belarus is violating the MTCR. This would be a rather big issue.
Instead, Belarus probably has Iskander-E missiles (300km in range, within the MTCR), and the journalists just got it blatantly wrong (miles, km, whats the difference right?).

Russia takes specific care not to break the MTCR, developing export versions of many missiles to fit specifically within the 300km envelope, which is why I am almost certain this article is full of crap.

[Panchito12]

But Iran can reverse engineer those and give them to terrorists like hizbullah and hamas to kill civilians as always,..

One thing is a tiny 122mm rocket. An ISKANDER would be seen by Israel as a carde blanche to attack either of them.

Even stupid Iran is not that stupid.

[TR1]

Belarus selling Iskanders? I lol at this impossibility.

[Zarak]

But Iran can reverse engineer those and give them to terrorists like hizbullah and hamas to kill civilians as always,..

If you can build a 7.2m long 3800kg TBM in your garage I will pay you $5,000,000. I am completely serious. Give it a try.

[non]

The source is strictly Iranian(Press TV and Tehran Times). So, if it's propaganda it's theirs alone. There was a report in RIA that claimed the system would be supplied to Belarus in response to US missile shields, but that was in 2008.
Why is Iran making such claims, though?

[void]

Iskander would be purely a military weapon anyway, there is no sense using it against civilians. The Iranians have longer ranged missiles than the Iskander, albeit much less accurate. These are the ones you would use on civilian targets, while Iskander you would use against pinpoint military targets.

The entire point of Iskander is high accuracy, high mobility, low response time. This is what it excels at, but these are features which are pointless except against military targets.

[GazB]

The entire point of Iskander is high accuracy, high mobility, low response time. This is what it excels at, but these are features which are pointless except against military targets.

It is an accurate scud. The Iranians would be interested in learning the composition of its solid fuel and its guidance and control systems, such a missile could certainly be scaled up considerably and its guidance accuracy is not really dependant on range. Basically an aerial image of the target (either aircraft or Satellite derived... google maps is probably good enough level of resolution) is scanned and uploaded into the guidance system. The terminal guidance system uses the image to guide directly to an impact point within about 3-10m of where it is aimed. It manouvers all the way to the the target so it really can't be called a ballistic missile.

[void]

Yes, but my point was that it's silly to assume that the targets of an Iranian Iskander are going to be civilian, since it's overkill, you might as well use a crappy old Scud or an indigenous design, since you dont need accuracy for that role.

Comparing the hypothetical situations of Iran acquiring 50 Iskanders or 50 Scuds/Shahabs, I would be more worried about the latter since the only thing a Scud is good for is targeting civilians, while the Iskander can be used against legitimate military targets such as airfields/bases.

[GazB]

Yes, but my point was that it's silly to assume that the targets of an Iranian Iskander are going to be civilian, since it's overkill, you might as well use a crappy old Scud or an indigenous design, since you dont need accuracy for that role.

Sorry, I thought I was actually agreeing with you. Iran is hardly going to hand a Scud to terrorists for them to use against Israel. They wouldn't have the skills to use it effectively and of course it is too large and conspicuous. Having a more accurate Scud makes it no better as a terrorists weapon as you mention. It does however make it more useful to Iran.

[calimero2]

Belarus doesn't even have any Iskander-Ms and KBM (the manufacturer) is located in Russia. Who keeps pushing these retarded ideas (IE: Propaganda and lies) that don't even mash with reality? Its rediculous.


BS news, Belorussia do not have such systems and in the near future they would not get them from Russia.

Well, no one said that the Iskanders will come from Belarusian stocks or Belarusian production. Maybe Russia is using the Belarusian company BelTechExport for this deal, instead of Rosoboronexport, for whatever reason.

[Stainless Steel Rat]

Interesting, you may be right.
Probably drive more defense spending by the Sunni-majority states.

Some already have, LTC:

http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2008/UAE_08-79.pdf

http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2008/UAE_08-79.pdf

Iran is like the Puffer Fish, filling itself to make it seem larger and more dangerous than it is. What isn't known is how much is bluff and how much is real...unless somebody decides to call their hand.

[spider1]

Some already have, LTC:

http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2008/UAE_08-79.pdf

http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2008/UAE_08-79.pdf

Iran is like the Puffer Fish, filling itself to make it seem larger and more dangerous than it is. What isn't known is how much is bluff and how much is real...unless somebody decides to call their hand.
Your president wants to appease them, so they will probably will use it to do even more things and they will reach their goals.

[Hyde]

I heared france is selling Abrams tanks to georgia.

[HakkaPelitta]

Isn't the Iskander missile basically a SCUD?

And why is MP so eager to monitor everything Iran does? Iran can't even buy a pack of tissues unnoticed.

Is it warmongering or fearmongering?

[dindin]

interesting

[Estopped]

Is it warmongering or fearmongering?

Both.

It's where they want to have their cake and eat it. On one hand Iran is a dangerous, suicidal regime that would love nothing better than to randomly nuke Europe and the rest of the world. On the other they are a paper tiger that can be easily taken out so as to solve the worlds ills.

Another example: On one hand they are crazy, suicidal nazi's who would love nothing more than to start a war regardless of the casualties of their own people. On the other hand they are devious foxes who can outwit the international community and conceal a nuclear programme and their irrational, suicidal desire to use it at any time.

Somtimes i'd wish they'd make up their mind. Because otherwise it is intellectually dishonest and plain insulting to anyone with a reasonable intellect.

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

Isn't the Iskander missile basically a SCUD?

And why is MP so eager to monitor everything Iran does? Iran can't even buy a pack of tissues unnoticed.

Is it warmongering or fearmongering?


Both.

It's where they want to have their cake and eat it. On one hand Iran is a dangerous, suicidal regime that would love nothing better than to randomly nuke Europe and the rest of the world. On the other they are a paper tiger that can be easily taken out so as to solve the worlds ills.

Another example: On one hand they are crazy, suicidal nazi's who would love nothing more than to start a war regardless of the casualties of their own people. On the other hand they are devious foxes who can outwit the international community and conceal a nuclear programme and their irrational, suicidal desire to use it at any time.

Somtimes i'd wish they'd make up their mind. Because otherwise it is intellectually dishonest and plain insulting to anyone with a reasonable intellect.
You two having fun guessing what motives someone may have for posting a military news story?

[-Fighter-]

Isn't the Iskander missile basically a SCUD?

It's far more advanced.

[Estopped]

You two having fun guessing what motives someone may have for posting a military news story?

:cantbeli:

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

Some already have, LTC:

http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2008/UAE_08-79.pdf

http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2008/UAE_08-79.pdf

Iran is like the Puffer Fish, filling itself to make it seem larger and more dangerous than it is. What isn't known is how much is bluff and how much is real...unless somebody decides to call their hand.

Interesting, thank you.

[GazB]

Isn't the Iskander missile basically a SCUD?

It replaces the SCUD in Russian military. It has similar range, similar payload, but is much smaller. The Iskander launch vehicle is slightly smaller than the launch vehicle for the SCUD but carries two missiles ready to launch, an the missiles are solid fuelled don't follow a ballistic path (they manouver to evade air defences) and are much more accurate. CEP of SCUD is about 1.2km. CEP of Iskander is about 20m with inertial guidance and about 6m with optical guidance.

[TR1]

Even less than 6 meters from what I read Gaz!

of course at that accuracy with a big warhead there is little diffirence.