Russia test-fires two ballistic missiles

RIA Novosti

28/11/2007 10:10 MOSCOW, November 28 (RIA Novosti) - A missile brigade from the Siberian Military District test fired two SS-21 Scarab short-range ballistic missiles during a tactical exercise at a test site in south Russia, a military spokesman said on Wednesday.

The SS-21, or Tochka, is a road-mobile single-warhead ballistic missile designed for tactical deployment. It has been in service with missile units of the Russian Ground Forces since 1976 and has a range of 70 km (45 miles).

"A missile brigade conducted missile firing practices [at the Kapustin Yar testing site in the Astrakhan Region] and test launched two Tochka tactical missiles," Colonel Valery Shcheblanin said.

The Tochka (SS-21 Scarab A) and Tochka-U (SS-21 Scarab B) missiles are to be gradually replaced with new Iskander-M (NATO reporting name SS-26 Stone) short-range missiles, capable of carrying multiple warheads.