The Russian military has adopted a new 9M729 Novator cruise missile as part of the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system (OTRK). The maximum flight range in its original version was 490 kilometers, said retired Colonel Viktor Baranets.
According to him, the warhead of the missile is about 500 kg, and it can be either nuclear or conventional. The flight speed is up to 240 km/h.
"Novator" has a circular probable deviation of only 1 meter even at the maximum flight distance. Imagine what a crater is formed when it explodes in soft ground - the upper part is 35–40 meters, the depth is 15–16 meters.
The specialist emphasized that the main meaning of "Novator" is in basing on a mobile launcher.
Try to find a missile somewhere in the forests that changes its location every 15 minutes. This is practically impossible. Moreover, we need different tools for destruction, and for this we need warheads of different power. With "Novator" this can be implemented.
According to preliminary information, the tests of the 9M729 missile began back in 2008. At the same time, the name 9M729 was originally given to it in foreign sources. Preliminarily, "Novator" was made according to the usual aerodynamic scheme.
