Belarus buys missile systems Iskander

Belarus is to purchase missile systems Iskander in Russia, commander of the Belarusian Missile Forces and Artillery Col. Mikhail Puzikau said at a briefing in Minsk.

"It is planned that one brigade of the Missile Forces and Artillery will be equipped with Iskander missile systems", Puzikau said.

According to him, the equipment will be delivered within the framework of the Belarusian state military equipment program up to 2015, Interfax reports.

The Belarusian army will be equipped with Iskander missile systems by 2020, the commander of the Belarusian Missile Forces and Artillery added.

According to him, a brigade currently armed with Tochka missile systems will be equipped with Iskander.

M. Puzikau noted that Russia didn’t deliver Iskander to Belarus "for free. "We have reserved funds to buy Iskander at beneficial terms within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) at Russian domestic prices", the military said.

The Iskander tactical missile system, designed in Machine-Building Design Bureau (Kolomna, the Moscow area) is produced in two versions Iskander-M (for Russian army forces) and Iskander-E (for export). The export version is different from that produced by the order of the Russian Defense Ministry.

The missile system Iskander is capable of engagement hostile fire weapons, air and antimissile defense weapons, aircraft at airfields, command posts and communications nodes, critical civilian infrastructure facilities. The missile follows a non-purely-ballistic path in flight, which allows to overcome ballistic missile systems and air defense systems. Missile actively maneuvers after the launch and in flight.

If hostile has up-to-date anti ballistic weapon, the missile system Iskander is capable of efficient engagement of small and area targets, providing covert launch preparation.