OTR-21 Tochka

OTR-21 Tochka (Russian: оперативно-тактический ракетный комплекс (ОТР) «Точка»; English: Tactical Operational Missile Complex "Tochka", "Point") is a Soviet tactical ballistic missile. Its GRAU designation is 9K79; its NATO reporting name is SS-21 Scarab. It is transported in a 9P129 vehicle and raised prior to launch. It uses an inertial guidance system.

The OTR-21 forward deployment to East Germany began in 1981, replacing the earlier FROG series of unguided artillery rockets.

Description

The OTR-21 is a mobile missile launch system, designed to be deployed along with other land combat units on the battlefield. While the 9K52 Luna-M is large and relatively inaccurate, the OTR-21 is much smaller. The missile itself can be used for precise strikes on enemy tactical targets, such as control posts, bridges, storage facilities, troop concentrations and airfields. The fragmentation warhead can be replaced with a nuclear, biological or chemical warhead. The solid propellant makes the missile easy to maintain and deploy.

OTR-21 units are usually managed in a brigade structure. There are 18 launchers in a brigade; each launcher is provided with 2 or 3 missiles. The vehicle is completely amphibious, with a maximum road speed of 60 km/h (37 mph) and 8 km/h (5.0 mph) in water. It is NBC-protected. The system has been in development since 1968. Three variants have been created.

Scarab A

The initial Scarab A entered service with the Soviet Army in 1975. It carries one of three types of warhead:

• 482 kg (1,063 lb) of conventional HE
• fragmentation (lethal radius more than 200 m (660 ft)
• nuclear

The minimal range is about 15 km (9.3 mi), maximum range is 70 km (43 mi); its circular error probable (CEP) is estimated to be about 150 m (490 ft).

Scarab B

The improved Scarab B (Tochka-U) was passed state tests from 1986 to 1988, introduced in 1989. Improved propellant increased the range to 120 km (75 mi). CEP significantly improved, to less than 95 m (312 ft).

Scarab C

A third variant, Scarab C, was developed in the 1990s. Again, range increased (185 km (115 mi)), and CEP decreased to less than 70 m (229 ft). Scarab C weighs 1,800 kg (4,000 lb).

Use in combat

• 1994 The Yemeni government used Tochka missiles against southern forces during the 1994 Yemen civil war.^[1]
• 1999 Russia used the missiles in the Chechen Wars.^[2]
• 2008 At least 15 Tochka missiles were deployed by Russian forces from August 8–11 during the 2008 South Ossetia war.^[3]
• CNN reported that at least one has been used near Donetsk during the War in Donbass by the Ukrainian army; which they denied.^[4][5][6]
• 2014 The Syrian Army fired at least one Tochka against the insurgents during the battle of Wadi al-Deif (near Ma'rat al-Nu'man, in the province of Idlib) in December 2014.^[7]
• On 20 August 2015 during the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen (2015-present), Yemeni Republican Guard loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh fired an OTR-21 targeting a Saudi base.^[8]
• On 4 September 2015 Yemeni Republican Guard forces fired a Tochka missile at Safir base in Marib killing over 100 Saudi-led coalition personnel.^[9][10][11]
• On 14 December 2015 Yemeni Republican Guard fired another Tochka missile at Bab Al Mandab base killing over 150 of the Saudi-led coalition personnel stationed at the Base.^[12][13][14]
• On 16 January 2016 Yemeni Republican Guard fired a Tochka at Al Bairaq base in Marib killing dozens of Saudi-led coalition personnel ^[15][16]
• On 31 January 2016 Yemeni Republican Guard fired a Tochka at Al Anad base in Lahj killing over 140 Saudi-led coalition personnel ^{[17][18][19][20]}
• On 26 April 2016 the Syrian Army fired a Tochka at opposition forces in the Syrian Civil Defense Center in west Aleppo^[21][22]
• On 14 June 2016 the Syrian Army fired a Tochka against Islamists groups Al-Rahman Legion and Jaysh Al-Fustat in Eastern Ghouta killing several fighters.^[23]

Operators

Map of OTR-21 operators in blue with former operators in red

Ukrainian OTR-21 Tochka missiles during the Independence Day parade in Kiev

Current operators

 Armenia

At least 8 launchers Tochka

 Azerbaijan

3 Tochka launchers with 4 missiles

 Belarus

36^[24]

 Bulgaria

18^[25]

 Kazakhstan

unknown number

 North Korea

unknown number of variant KN-02

 Russia

220 launchers.^[26] Missile systems have been upgraded since 2004 (replacing the onboard automated control systems)^[27][28] and are scheduled to be replaced by the 9K720 Iskander missiles^[29][30] by 2020.^[31]

 Ukraine

90^[32]

 Syria

unknown number

 Yemen

unknown number

Former operators

 Czechoslovakia

passed on to successor states.

 Czech Republic

inherited from Czechoslovakia, retired.

 East Germany

passed on to Germany.

 Germany

retired.

 Lithuania

retired.

 Poland

4^[33] retired in 2005, because of lack of rockets and service parts

 Slovakia

small number, inherited from Czechoslovakia, all retired.

 Soviet Union

Passed on to successor states.

Comparable missiles

• 9K720 Iskander
• P-12
• Prahaar (missile)
• LORA (missile)
• MGM-140 ATACMS

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to OTR-21 Tochka.

• CSIS Missile Threat SS-21
• CSIS Missile Defense Project - The Missile War in Yemen
• SS-21 Scarab article on Warfare.ru
• Tochka-U Video
• SS-21 Scarab (9K79 Tochka)
• (in Russian) OTR Tochka