KOLOMNA, Moscow Region. Jan 21 (Interfax-AVN) - State tests of the Iskander-E tactical missile system are expected to be over in 2002, head and chief constructor of the Machine-Building Design Bureau Nikolai Gushchin said on Monday.
The program of test launches is 40 percent completed at the moment, Gushchin told Interfax-Military News Agency.
The Iskander-E system is intended for secret preparation and delivery of efficient missile strikes on small and area-type targets. The Defense Ministry considers the asset to be an unconditional priority, as it has a high fire output and can fire at two targets with an interval of one minute, Gushchin said.
The official stressed that designers of the system met all requirements of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and agreements on non-proliferation of nuclear technologies that limit Russia's right to export missiles with the range of over 300km and payload of over 500kg. The Iskander E has the range of 50 to 280km, launch weight of 3,800kg and payload of 480kg.
The system's missile is made on the stealth technology and has a small dispersion surface. The major part of its trajectory has the altitude of 50km that reduces the chances of hitting it from above or from below. The overload varies between 20 and 30g depending on the type of the trajectory. An antimissile launched to intercept the Iskander-E system's missile must withstand the load at least two to three times higher. Thus, developers of systems intended to combat the Iskander-E are facing almost overwhelming difficulties.