Tochka (SS-21 Scarab) Short-range ballistic missile (Russia)
Channel: Main Battle Tank
Date: 2023-01-22

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The Tochka short-range ballistic missile system (Western reporting name SS-21 or Scarab) was developed to replace the Luna-M (FROG-7B) battlefield rocket. Its development began in 1968. Production commenced in 1973. Officially this missile system entered service with the Soviet Army in 1976. It was exported to a number of Warsaw Pact countries and other Soviet allies.

   The main targets for this missile are airfields, command posts, ammunition and fuel storages, support facilities, radars and air defense batteries, bridges, concentrations or troops and armored vehicles.

   The Tochka can carry conventional, nuclear or chemical warheads. Maximum range of fire is 70 km. It has a CEP of 160 m. Such accuracy was considered acceptable as far as nuclear and chemical warheads were available. A standard missile is 6.4 m long and weights 2 000 kg. Warhead weights about 480 kg, depending on the type.

   This missile has an inertial guidance system. It takes less than 20 minutes to launch the missile from traveling. Missile is erected to near vertical position, prior to launch. After launch the TEL vehicle can leave its position within 1.5 minutes.

   In flight the Tochka ballistic missile follows a ballistic arc.

   Missile is transported and launched by a BAZ-5921 6x6 mobile launcher vehicle. Vehicle is fitted with an NBC protection system and is fully amphibious. On water it is propelled by two waterjets. However some sources claim that cross-country mobility of this vehicle is limited.

   In traveling order the missile is hidden inside the TEL vehicle, where it is protected from direct hits, environment and NBC threats. While traveling this missile is hard to intercept due to its speed and mobility. Vehicle is also capable of rapid redeployment. Operational use of these ballistic missiles revealed that it is complicated to fing and destroy the launcher vehicles.

   The TEL vehicle is supported by a reloading vehicle, based on a similar BAZ-5922 6x6 amphibious wheeled chassis. It carries two reload missiles and is fitted with a crane. The TEL vehicle is reloaded within 20 minutes.

   The Tochka units are usually managed in brigade structure. There are 18 launcher vehicles in the brigade.

Variants

   Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab-B), improved variant of the Tochka with a maximum range of 120 km. and improved accuracy. It entered service in 1989. Minimum range of fire is 20 km. Missile travels this distance within 55 seconds. It can reach its 120 km maximum range within 4.5 minutes. Ukraine used a number of its Tochka ballistic missiles with high explosive warheads against Russian-backed separatists in Donbas region. These missiles were widely used against military bases and industrial installations and proved to be accurate and extremely effective. In some cases Russian air defense systems could not intercept these ballistic missiles. In 2022 Ukrainians widely used these  missiles against the Russian forces. However Russians had more advanced air defense systems than the so-called Donbas separatists and many of these Ukrainian missiles were intercepted before reaching their targets. Still though there were numerous occasions when Ukrainians successfully used these missiles against Russian airbases, ammunition depots, railway facilities and other targets.

   SS-21 Scarab-C is a further improved variant with a 185 km range and even greater accuracy. Its Russian designation is unknown. This missile system was developed in the 1990s but never reached production.

   Oka (SS-23 Spider), essentially a longer version of the Tochka, with a maximum range of 480 km. The SS-23 Spider was eliminated due to the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (or INF treaty) during the late 1980s.

   KN-02, North Korean reversed-engineered and upgraded version of the Scarab-A, with a longer range and improved CEP.