According to TASS, the commander of the Russian Rocket and Artillery Forces component stated that the brigade, permanently deployed in the Kaliningrad region, is going to be equipped with the Iskander tactical missiles. This is going to happen not later than in 2018.

Deployment procedures pertaining the Iskander missiles which are to be stationed in the Kaliningrad area had already been trained by the Russians. Iskander is a mobile missile system which may be sent to the operational area in a relatively short period of time. The 152nd Missile Brigade stationed in Kaliningrad has the Tochka-U missiles at its disposal – their range reaches a distance of 120 km. There were some suggestions that this unit would be equipped with the Iskanders in the future.

Procurement of the Iskander missiles is one of the top-priorities of the modernization process related to the Russian Armed Forces. According to the available information, by 2018, ten missile brigades are going to be equipped with the Iskander systems. As we reported it earlier, acceleration of the process, the aim of which is to equip the Russian units with the Iskander missiles, could have been observed recently.

Iskander-M ballistic missiles were designed in a way which would allow them to penetrate dense air-defence environments. These missiles are said to have an estimated range of ca. 400 kilometres. Additionally, Iskander-K cruise missile variety is also available within the same missile system – its range is officially said to reach 500 km. In practical terms this missile could be capable of reaching targets at distances of up to 2 thousand kilometres. This may be a probable cause for a breach of the INF treaty by the Russians.