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R-17 Elbrus

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R-17 Elbrus
An R-17 missile at the Muzeum Uzbrojenia (Museum of Armament), Poznań, Poland (2004)
TypeShort-range ballistic missile
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
In service1962−Present
Used bySee operators
WarsYom Kippur war
Iran-Iraq war
Soviet-Afghan war
Gulf war
Yemeni civil war (1994)
Libyan civil war
Yemeni civil war (2014–present)
2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Production history
DesignerViktor Makeyev[1]
Designed1955[2]−1961[3]
ManufacturerVotkinsk Machine Building Plant
Unit costUS$1,000,000 (equivalent to US$2,576,252 in 2023)[4]
Produced1959[3]−1987[5]
No. built10,000 (est.)[6]
Specifications
Mass5,682–5,950 kg (12,527–13,118 lb)
Length11.2−11.4 m (37 ft)
Diameter885 mm (34.8 in)
Wingspan1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
Crew7
Maximum firing range300 km (190 mi)
WarheadHE, cluster, chemical, nuclear
EngineIsayev/KBKhM 9D21 liquid (missile)
D-12-525A diesel (TEL)
Ground clearance0.44 m (1 ft 5 in)
PropellantTM-185 (kerosene derivative) / AK-27I (27% N
2O
4 73% NHO
3)
Operational
range
450 km (280 mi) (full load)
Maximum speed 45 km/h (28 mph)
Accuracy450–900 m (1,480–2,950 ft) CEP[2][7]
Launch
platform
9P117M TEL
References[8]

The R-17 Elbrus (Russian: Р-17, 9К72 «Эльбрус», named for Mount Elbrus),[9] GRAU index 9K72 is a tactical ballistic missile, initially developed by the Soviet Union. It is also known by its NATO reporting name SS-1C Scud-B. It is one of several Soviet missiles to carry the reporting name Scud; the most prolifically launched of the series, with a production run estimated at 7,000 (1960–1987). Also designated R-300 during the 1970s, the R-17 was derived from the R-11 Zemlya. It has been operated by 32 countries and manufactured in four countries outside the Soviet Union. It is still in service with some. The North Koreans reverse-engineered it as the Hwasong-5.

History

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The first mock-up was designed and built by Makeyev in 1958–1959, before the programme was transferred to the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant in 1959 for mass production. The first launch was conducted in 1961, and it entered service in 1962, mounted on the 2P19 tracked transporter erector launcher.[10]

The rear section of an 8K14 missile, showing the fixed fins and the graphite vanes that control the missile's path.
R-17 on reload transport trailer with ZIL-131 tractor

Design

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The R-17 featured important improvements over the R-11. The Isayev RD-21 engine used a combination of inhibited red fuming nitric acid (IRFNA) oxidiser and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) fuel, fed into the combustion chamber by fuel pumps that ensured a more consistent thrust. The guidance system, active only during the boosted phase, uses three gyroscopes, that give it a Circular Error Probable (CEP) of 450 m[2] (900 m according to western sources[7]). A nuclear warhead was designed for the R-17, with a selectable yield, from 5 to 70 kilotons. However it could also carry a chemical warhead, containing 555 kg of viscous VX; a conventional weapon, with a single high explosive warhead; or a series of fragmentation payloads, using either high explosive, anti-tank or anti-runway munitions.[2]

MAZ-543 Uragan carrying a 9K72 Elbrus

At first, the R-17 was carried on a tracked TEL similar to that of the R-11, designated 2P19, but this was not very successful, as the vibration of the tracks had a tendency to interfere with the launch electronics. Production of this model was halted after Khrushchev cancelled the production of heavy tanks in 1962, and a wheeled launcher was designed by the Titan Central Design Bureau, becoming operational in 1967.[11] The new MAZ-543 vehicle was officially designated 9P117 Uragan, and its Russian crews nicknamed it Kashalot (sperm whale), because of its size.[12] The eight-wheeled MAZ-543 has a loaded weight of 37,400 kg, a road speed of 55 km/h and a range of 650 km. It can carry out the launch sequence autonomously, but this is usually directed from a separate command vehicle. The missile is raised to a vertical position by means of hydraulically powered cranes, which usually takes four minutes, while the total sequence lasts about one hour.[2]

Constitution

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The units of the R-17 theater ballistic missile were organized with the following vehicles:

  • 9P117 Uragan Transport Standing Launcher × 3
  • 2T3M1 transport trailer x 4 (2SH3 container x 2)
  • GAZ-66 mobile command vehicle x 5
  • 1T12-2M weather observation vehicle x 2
  • 8T311 fuel neutralizer transport vehicle x 3
  • 9G29 missile fuel vehicle x 2
  • ASC-4-255B oxidizer tank car x 4
  • 9T31M1 mobile crane x 2
  • Ural-4320 warhead transport truck x 2
  • ZIL-131-MTO-V vehicle maintenance vehicles/ZIL-131-ITO-AT vehicle maintenance vehicle x 2
  • ZIL-131-9S436-1 Electronic control vehicle x 2
  • UAZ-469 small military car x 1
  • KP-130 field kitchen x 2
  • ZIL-157KG transport truck x 2
  • ATZ-4-131 fuel vehicle x 4

Combat use

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Afghanistan

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  • The most extensive use of the Scud took place during the final phase of the Soviet-Afghan war. When the Soviets began their withdrawal from the country in May 1988, the Afghan Army received R-17E missiles as a substitute for the Soviet airpower. While the Afghan Scuds were nominally assigned to the 99th missile brigade in Afshur, in reality they were mostly operated by Soviet personnel with Afghans being gradually integrated into the unit. They were used against the Afghan mujahideen ammunition dumps near the Pakistan border and at successful defense of Jalalabad, where 438 Scuds were launched in total.[4] Through October 1989, another 995 Scuds were launched against the Mujahideen. As the Soviets concluded their withdrawal and the country descended into protracted civil war, the number of Scud launches declined. By May 1991, the 99th Missile Brigade had fired 1,554 of the approximately 1,700 Scud missiles received. On 24 April 1992, the mujahideen forces of Ahmad Shah Massoud captured the Afshur military base alongside most its remaining Scud missiles (about 50 missiles) and launcher. Other mujahideen factions also captured a few missiles and TELs, but they couldn't launch them without the help of former 99th Missile Brigade personnel. During the Afghan civil war, about 44 missiles were fired between April 1991 and spring 1996 by several factions in various battles. The Taliban managed to capture part of the surviving stockpile during the fighting in the late 1990s, but due the poor state of the equipment and lack of trained personnel, only five missiles were fired after the summer of 1996. Following the United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the remaining four functional launchers were scrapped in the Panjshir Valley in January 2005.[13]

Armenia

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  • During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Armenians reportedly fired Scud and Tochka missiles on the city of Ganja, Azerbaijan. Analysts of the Center for Strategic and International Studies noted that Armenia probably used their Soviet-era Scud and Tochka missiles to conserve their small stockpile of the more advanced Iskander missiles and to avoid escalating the conflict beyond the Nagorno-Karabakh region. They also noted that both Armenia and Azerbaijan could hit most targets in the region with long-range rocket artillery, limiting the tactical value of using expensive ballistic missiles.[14]

Egypt

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  • Egypt received nine TELs and about 18 R-17E missiles in 1973, shortly before the beginning of the Yom Kippur War. They were assigned to the 65th Artillery Brigade, attached to the 3rd Field Army at the time. Anwar Sadat threatened to fire Scud missiles at Israeli cities, but when Israel placed its nuclear Jericho missiles in plain view of Soviet reconnaissance satellites, the Soviets forced Sadat to reconsider. The 65th Artillery Brigade would later fire three missiles (with the help of Soviet advisers) against Israeli pontoon bridges over the Suez Canal near Deversoir, but the missiles exploded too far to cause damage. The Israeli Defense Forces were unaware of the missile attack until they discovered the impact craters in the desert days later. After the war, the Soviets finished equipping the 65th Artillery Brigade, but support ceased during the late 1970s with the deterioration of relations between the Egyptians and the Soviets. As a result, Egypt decided to refurbish and improve its inventory of Scud missiles with North Korean assistance during the 1990s.[15]

Libya

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  • It has been rumoured that R-17s were fired by loyalist forces against rebels in the 2011 Libyan civil war during the first phase of the war.[16] On 14 August 2011 a confirmed R-17 launch was detected by a US Aegis destroyer, with the missile fired from Sirte and heading toward rebel positions in Ajdabiya. The missile fell 80 km off target in the middle of the desert, inflicting no damage.[17] Eight days later, on August 22, three more R-17 launches were detected by NATO.[18]

Specifications

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  • Range – 300 km,[19]
  • CEP – 500–900 m[5]
  • Type of fuel – liquid
  • Preparation time – 1 hour
  • Period of storage – 19 years (in stock), 6 month (in combat condition)
  • Flight time – 15 minutes

Operators

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Current

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Former

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Zaloga 2013, p. 13.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "SS-1 'Scud' (R-11/8K11, R-11FM (SS-N-1B) and R-17/8K14)". Jane's Information Group. 26 April 2001. Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
  3. ^ a b Zaloga 2013, p. 29.
  4. ^ a b Zaloga 2013, p. 92.
  5. ^ a b "Баллистические ракеты России" [Russian Ballistic Missiles]. InBSite.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-31. Retrieved 2015-09-14.
  6. ^ Zaloga 2013, p. 39.
  7. ^ a b "R-11/SS-1B SCUD-A R-300 9K72 Elbrus/SS-1C SCUD-B". Federation of American Scientists. September 9, 2000. Archived from the original on March 7, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  8. ^ Zaloga 2013, pp. 71−72.
  9. ^ "Soviet/Russian Missile Designations". Johnston's Archive. Archived from the original on 2008-10-08. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  10. ^ Zaloga 2013, p. 31.
  11. ^ Zaloga 2013, pp. 31−32, 35.
  12. ^ Zaloga 2013, p. 35.
  13. ^ Zaloga 2013, pp. 92−93.
  14. ^ Shaikh, Shaan; Rumbaugh, Wes (8 December 2020). "The Air and Missile War in Nagorno-Karabakh: Lessons for the Future of Strike and Defense". Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  15. ^ Zaloga 2013, p. 78.
  16. ^ Gilligan, Andrew (2011-05-08). "The forgotten frontline in Libya's civil war". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
  17. ^ McElroy, Damien (2011-08-16). "Gaddafi fires Scud missile at rebel forces". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
  18. ^ "NATO says Gaddafi forces fire three Scud-type rockets". Reuters. 2011-08-22. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
  19. ^ Krebs, Gunter Dirk. "Soviet Ballistic Missiles". Gunter's Space Page. Archived from the original on 2014-05-27. Retrieved 2014-05-26.
  20. ^ IISS 2024, p. 179.
  21. ^ Hinz, Fabian (16 June 2023). "After half a century Egypt's Scuds soldier on". Military Balance Blog. International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  22. ^ IISS 2024b, p. 348.
  23. ^ IISS 2024a, p. 282.
  24. ^ IISS 2024b, p. 386.
  25. ^ IISS 2024, p. 209.
  26. ^ Zaloga 2013, p. 93.
  27. ^ a b Zaloga 2013, p. 62.
  28. ^ Zaloga 2013, p. 80.
  29. ^ Zaloga 2013, pp. 81−83.
  30. ^ a b Zaloga 2013, p. 76.
  31. ^ Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (4 September 2022). "Houthi Drone And Missile Handbook". Oryx. Retrieved 20 November 2024.

Bibliography

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