The new Russian Iskander-M1 operational-tactical missile system (OTRK) has significantly expanded the military's capabilities to strike any targets at ranges of up to 1,500 kilometers. The system's characteristics were described by military expert Aleksandr Stepanov of the Institute of Law and National Security at RANEPA.
He recalled that each self-propelled launcher of the Iskander-M1 is now armed with four launch containers instead of two.
This provides the capability for a simultaneous massive dispersed salvo by one division using 16 high-precision cruise missiles.
The flight range of each has been increased to 1,500 km, which de facto erases the boundaries between tactical and strategic weapons, making it possible to strike rear military infrastructure.
Earlier it became known that this refers to the 9M723-2 missile with a higher-impulse and heavier solid-fuel engine. It provides a maximum speed of 7-8.5 Mach in the boost phase.
Military expert Evgenii Damantsev explained that the 9M723-2 can carry cluster or high-explosive fragmentation payloads weighing up to 300-350 kg.