OTR-23 Oka

OTR-23 Oka SS-23 Spider
A 9P71 TEL at the National Museum of Military History in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Type	Tactical ballistic missile
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
Used by	See operators
Production history
Designer	KBM (Kolomna)
Manufacturer	Votkinsk Machine Building Plant
Produced	1979 – 1987
Specifications
Weight	4,360 kg (9,610 lb)
Length	7.53 m (24.7 ft)
Diameter	0.89 m (2 ft 11 in)
Warhead	Nuclear 50-100 kt, HE fragmentation, submunition, or chemical

Engine	Single-stage Solid-fuel rocket
Operational range	500 km (310 mi)
Guidance system	Inertial with terminal topographic DSMAC active radar
Accuracy	30-150 m CEP
Launch platform	Mobile TEL

The OTR-23 Oka (Russian: OTP-23 «Ока»; named after Oka River) was a mobile theatre ballistic missile (Russian: оперативно-тактический ракетный комплекс) deployed by the Soviet Union near the end of the Cold War to replace the obsolete SS-1C 'Scud B'. It carried the GRAU index 9K714 and was assigned the NATO reporting name SS-23 Spider. The introduction of the Oka significantly strengthened Soviet theatre nuclear capabilities as its range and accuracy allowed it not only to strike hardened NATO targets such as airfields, nuclear delivery systems, and command centers, but moving targets as well. It also had a fast reaction time, being able to fire in approximately five minutes, and was nearly impossible to intercept, thereby allowing it to penetrate defenses.^[1]

The main components of the 9K714 system were:^[2]

the transport and launch vehicle PU 9P71 (Russian: cамоходная пусковая установка), based on the amphibious BAZ-6944;
the similar transporter-loader TZM 9T230 (Russian: транспортно-заряжающая машина) with one spare missile and equipped with a hydraulic crane;
the re-supply vehicle TM 9T240 (Russian: транспортная машина), a ZIL-131 tractor with semi-trailer to transport a missile (in transport container 9Ya249) and a warhead (in 9Ya251 container).

The operational life of the Oka was limited and controversial. The Soviet military asserted that the Oka only had a maximum range of 250 miles (400 km). American experts on the contrary estimated it had a greater range. In 1987, Mikhail Gorbachev proposed to George Schultz that he would unilaterally remove all Okas, if it would prevent the United States from building up its own short-range nuclear forces in Europe, despite the fact that the Soviet military was in favor of the Oka. Schultz however lacked the authority to act on the suggestion.^[3] Gorbachev included the Oka in the class of systems to be discontinued as part of the INF Treaty as a gesture of goodwill, even though Soviet assertions of its maximum range did not put it outside of the specifications of the treaty.

There was diplomatic controversy over this weapons system in April 1990 when the Soviets informed the US of their covert transfer of at least 120 missiles to the Warsaw Pact states of Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and East Germany during the time of negotiation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Evidence indicates that the missiles were transferred with conventional warheads only, although equipment to load Soviet nuclear warheads was apparently retained.^[4]

Missile Variants

The 9M714B missile armed with the AA-60 (9N63) nuclear warhead and possessing a maximum range of 500 km.
The 9M714F missile armed with a FRAG-HE warhead weighing 450 kg and possessing a maximum range of 450 km.
The 9M714K missile armed with a submunitions warhead 9N74K weighing 715 kg and possessing a maximum range of 300 km.

In addition to these warheads, the SS-23 was also reported to be able to deliver chemical munitions.

Operators

Soviet Union: Eliminated as directed by the INF Treaty.
East Germany: Eliminated in the 1990s.
Bulgaria: Eliminated in 2002.
Czechoslovakia: Passed on to successor states.
Czech Republic: Eliminated in the 1990s.
Slovakia: Elimination in 2000.

Notes

↑ http://www.missilethreat.com/missilesoftheworld/id.142/missile_detail.asp MissileThreat: SS-23
↑ ru:Ока (ОТРК)
↑ David Hoffman, The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and Its Dangerous Legacy (Random House, 2009), 283-284.
↑ https://fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/theater/ss-23.htm SS-23 SPIDER - Russian / Soviet Nuclear Forces

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to OTR-23 Oka.

Russian, Ukrainian, and former Soviet armoured fighting vehicles after World War II

Tanks

T-10 T-54/55 T-55AGM PT-76 T-62 T-64 T-72 T-80 T-84 T-90 T-14

Armoured personnel carriers

Tracked	BTR-50 MT-LB BTR-D GT-MU

Wheeled	BTR-3 BTR-4 BTR-7 BTR-40 BTR-60 BTR-70 BTR-80 BTR-90 BPM-97 BTR-94 BTR-152 Bulat (APC)

Infantry fighting vehicles

BMP-1 BMP-2 BMP-3 BMD-1 BMD-2 BMD-3 BMD-4 BTR-T ATOM BMPT

Self-propelled artillery

Guns	1K17 Szhatie 2S1 Gvozdika 2S3 Akatsiya 2S4 Tyulpan 2S5 Giatsint 2S7 Pion 2S9 Nona 2S19 Msta 2S23 Nona-SVK 2S25 2S27 Msta-K 2S30 Iset 2S31 Vena 2S33 Msta-SM 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV ASU-57 ASU-85 A-222 Bereg

MRLs	BM-14 BM-21 Grad BM-24 BM-25 BM-27 Uragan TOS-1 BM-30 Smerch 9A52-4 Tornado

Missiles	2K6 Luna (FROG-3/5) 9K52 Luna-M (FROG-7) 9K79 Tochka (SS-21 Scarab) R-400 Oka (SS-23 Spider) Iskander (SS-26 Stone) K-300P Bastion-P

Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapons

Guns	BTR-40A BTR-152A BTR-152D ZSU-57-2 ZSU-23-4 2S6 Tunguska Pantsir-S1

Missiles	2K11 Krug (SA-4 Ganef) 2K12 Kub (SA-6 Gainful) 9K22 Tunguska (SA-19 Grison) 9K31 Strela-1 (SA-9 Gaskin) 9K33 Osa (SA-8 Gecko) 9K35 Strela-10 (SA-13 Gopher) 9K37 Buk (SA-11 Gadfly) 9K330 Tor (SA-15 Gauntlet) S-300 (SA-10 Grumble) Pantsir-S1 (SA-22 Greyhound)

NATO designation for Russian and former Soviet Union missiles

Air-to-air missiles complete list

AA-1 Alkali AA-2 Atoll AA-3 Anab AA-4 Awl AA-5 Ash AA-6 Acrid AA-7 Apex AA-8 Aphid AA-9 Amos AA-10 Alamo AA-11 Archer AA-12 Adder AA-13 Arrow

Air-to-surface missiles complete list

AS-1 Kennel AS-2 Kipper AS-3 Kangaroo AS-4 Kitchen AS-5 Kelt AS-6 Kingfish AS-7 Kerry AS-8 AS-9 Kyle AS-10 Karen AS-11 Kilter AS-12 Kegler AS-13 Kingbolt AS-14 Kedge AS-15 Kent AS-16 Kickback AS-17 Krypton AS-18 Kazoo AS-19 Koala AS-20 Kayak

Anti-tank missiles complete list

AT-1 Snapper AT-2 Swatter AT-3 Sagger AT-4 Spigot AT-5 Spandrel AT-6 Spiral AT-7 Saxhorn AT-8 Songster AT-9 Spiral-2 AT-10 Stabber AT-11 Sniper AT-12 Swinger AT-13 Saxhorn-2 АТ-14 Spriggan АТ-15 Springer AT-16 Scallion

Ground based	SA-1 Guild SA-2 Guideline SA-3 Goa SA-4 Ganef SA-5 Gammon SA-6 Gainful SA-7 Grail SA-8 Gecko SA-9 Gaskin SA-10 Grumble SA-11 Gadfly SA-12 Gladiator/Giant SA-13 Gopher SA-14 Gremlin SA-15 Gauntlet SA-16 Gimlet SA-17 Grizzly SA-18 Grouse SA-19 Grison SA-20 Gargoyle SA-21 Growler SA-22 Greyhound SA-23 Gladiator/Giant SA-24 Grinch Morfey S-350E

Naval based	SA-N-1 Goa SA-N-2 Guideline SA-N-3 Goblet SA-N-4 Gecko SA-N-5 Grail SA-N-6 Grumble SA-N-7 Gadfly SA-N-8 Gremlin SA-N-9 Gauntlet SA-N-10 Grouse SA-N-11 Grison SA-N-12 Grizzly SA-N-14 Grouse SA-N-20 Gargoyle

ABMs	ABM-1 Galosh ABM-3/53T6 Gazelle S-500

Ground based	SS-1 Scud SS-2 Sibling SS-3 Shyster SS-4 Sandal SS-5 Skean SS-6 Sapwood SS-7 Saddler SS-8 Sasin SS-9 Scarp SS-10 Scrag SS-11 Sego SS-12 Scaleboard SS-13 Savage SS-14 Scamp/Scapegoat SS-15 Scrooge SS-16 Sinner SS-17 Spanker SS-18 Satan SS-19 Stiletto SS-20 Saber SS-21 Scarab SS-22 Scaleboard SS-23 Spider SS-24 Scalpel SS-25 Sickle SS-26 Stone SS-27 Sickle B SS-28 Saber 2 SS-29

Naval based	SS-N-1 Scrubber SS-N-2 Styx SS-N-3 Shaddock SS-N-4 Sark SS-N-5 Sark/Serb SS-N-6 Serb SS-N-7 Starbright SS-N-8 Sawfly SS-N-9 Siren SS-N-12 Sandbox SS-NX-13 SS-N-14 Silex SS-N-15 Starfish SS-N-16 Stallion SS-N-17 Snipe SS-N-18 Stingray SS-N-19 Shipwreck SS-N-20 Sturgeon SS-N-21 Sampson SS-N-22 Sunburn SS-N-23 Skiff SS-N-23 Sineva SS-N-23 Liner SS-N-24 Scorpion SS-N-25 Switchblade SS-N-26 Strobile SS-N-27 Sizzler SS-N-28 SS-N-29 SS-N-30 SS-NX-32

OTR-23 Oka

Missile Variants

Operators

Notes

See also

External links