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SS-1 (Scud) / 9P117

1957 COLD WAR GULF WAR

History

The SS-1 (NATO reporting name "Scud") is a tactical ballistic missile system developed for the Soviet Army in the 1950s. It was exported in large quantities to various allies and customers, and eventually developed into localized variants by North Korea, Iraq and Iran.

Eventually, three main Soviet variants emerged, starting with the "Scud-A" in 1957, to the "Scud-B" in 1954, the "Scud-C" in 1965, and the "Scud-D" in 1989 . During the Gulf War with Iraq, televised operations targeting civilian areas in Israel and Saudi Arabia achieved varying degrees of success. While some global militaries in Armenia, Egypt, Libya, North Korea, Vietnam and elsewhere continue to use the type, many operators have abandoned it -- a Cold War relic by modern standards.

The Scud missile component was placed on a 9P117 series 8x8 wheeled heavy truck with good maneuverability - the crew fired and then moved the vehicle away from the potential fighter. The car is an armored split tractor with a diesel engine located in the center of the front. The 8x8 wheel arrangement uses eight large wheels on four axles, separated by a central crew compartment, forming two front and two rear axles. The missile component sits above the top of the vehicle and contains a complete powertrain that raises the missile when it is ready to launch.

The recoil legs at the rear of the vehicle's chassis have been lowered to counteract the effects of launching missiles. When the rocket fires, the crew must make sure they are in the cabin or away from the launch pad.

The original missile design was heavily influenced by German WWII missile data - especially the V-2 Terror missile launched against the United Kingdom. Korolyev's design firm worked with captured German scientists and engineers on the research.

The initial version of the missile was named "R-11", then R-17 and R-300 "Elbrus".

The missile is 36.9 feet tall, weighs 9,700 pounds, and has variable warhead types. The 2,170-pound warhead can consist of conventional, nuclear or chemical payloads to suit battlefield roles. Propulsion is via a single-stage liquid fuel design with a range of up to 110 miles. Guidance was provided by an inertial-based device, which made early models very low-accuracy - a range of about 9,800 feet. This is mainly due to the missile's unguided navigation mechanism, especially when it runs out of fuel.

The subsequent B model had a range of 190 miles with greatly improved accuracy (1,480 feet), while the C model had a further increase in range (340 miles) but decreased accuracy (2,300 feet). The most modern D models have a range of up to 190 miles and an increased accuracy of 160 feet.

The missile reached a speed of Mach 5 in flight.

Some 30 Gulf War deaths were blamed on the Iraqi Scud missile attack, which turned out to be a horrific psychological weapon rather than an accurate death tool.

Missile programs established in Pakistan, North Korea, and Iran continue to develop the Soviet Scud to produce like-minded battlefield missiles with a range of up to 930 miles. Combined with the ability to carry explosive, chemical, biological or nuclear payloads, civilian areas bordering these states have been on constant alert. The North Korean models are the Hwasong-5, Hwasong-6 and Rodong-1 series of missiles. The Hwasong-6 became the "Shahab-2" in the Iranian inventory and entered service in 1987.

The upgraded Iraqi Scud-B missiles became "Al-Hussein" and these missiles were used from 1987 to 1991.

In addition to its use in the 1991 Gulf War, the Scud series was also used in rage during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. This line was also used in the 1989-1992 Afghan Civil War.

Recent usage has been observed in the Yemen civil war in 1994, the Libya war in 2011, and the Syrian civil war that also originated in 2011.

The United States procured 4 launchers and approximately 30 Scud B missiles in 1995. These are later converted to targets and discarded.

The Russian army has since replaced the outdated stock of Scud launchers with the modern 9K720 "Iskander" (SS-26 "Stone") introduced in 2006. The weapon system has a missile range of 250 miles, 5 gauge accuracy and a more advanced guidance system.