MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th February, 2021) The Russian tactical missile system Iskander-M has demonstrated its reliability during tests and the recent criticism of its performance is of purely political nature, a Russian military expert has told Sputnik.
Alexei Leonkov, the chief editor of the Russian military magazine Arsenal Otechestva, commented on an interview by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who told the 1in.am website on Tuesday that some of Iskander missiles fired by Armenian troops during the Karabakh conflict did not explode.
"It is a purely political statement. The politician said it in an effort to strengthen his slumping ratings. The system is functional, and Armenia is the only country that got the system from Russia, its military ally... Russia does not sell equipment that is out of commission. It is thoroughly tested and screened before going into service," Leonkov said.
The pundit described the Iskander ballistic missile system as a complex but easy-to-use piece of equipment that the state-of-the-art hypersonic missile Kinzhal was based on. Iskander-M is designed to engage a wide range of targets, from manpower to air defense weapons, at a range of up to 500 kilometers (311 miles).
