Ramping up for conflict: Russia boosts Iskander missile production
According to Ukrainian media, Russia has increased the production of Iskander ballistic missiles. They are now able to supply their army with dozens of units each month. This is a concerning development for Ukraine, as the capabilities of Iskanders are known to pose significant challenges for air defence.
Russia has Iskander-M systems, Iskander-K, and Iskander-E in their arsenal (mainly for export). It most frequently uses the Iskander-M for attacks on Ukraine. The missiles launched from this system are over 7 metres long and approximately 1 metre in diameter, with weights ranging from about 3,000 kg to 5,000 kg (depending on the payload).
Their range reaches up to 500 km, but the main problem for air defence is their speed. Iskander ballistic missiles can climb to an altitude of up to 50 km and accelerate to a hypersonic speed of Mach 6 to 7 (from about 7,350 km/h to 8,600 km/h).
How many Iskander missiles does Russia produce?
As noted by the Unian agency, Russian defence plants can produce an average of about 40 Iskander ballistic missiles per month. Unofficial estimates indicate that the current army reserves nearly 200 such missiles.
The increased production is confirmed by reports from the Ukrainian army about the growing number of attacks using Iskander ballistic missiles and Kh-22 missiles. By May of this year, Russians had deployed more than 50 Iskander launch systems along the border with Ukraine.
According to data from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Russians currently have about 750 long-range missiles. In addition to the Iskander ballistic missiles, they are also steadily accumulating hypersonic Zircon missiles, various versions of Kalibr cruise missiles, and even Kh-69, previously described as the "Kremlin's secret weapon".
The latter are comparable to Western AGM-158 JASSM missiles. They weigh about 770 kg, with the warhead making up about 300 kg. Their primary carriers are the highly modern Su-57 fighters. The Kh-69 missiles can be launched from 200 metres to nearly 11 km.
