OTR-21 Tochka is a Soviet tactical ballistic missile. Its GRAU designation is 9K79. Its NATO reporting name is the SS-21 Scarab. One missile is transported per 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 Luna-M series of unguided artillery rockets. The system was scheduled to be decommissioned by the Russian Armed Forces in 2020 in favour of the 9K720 Iskander, but they have been observed in use against Ukrainian targets during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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 two or three missiles. The vehicle is amphibious, with a maximum road speed of 60 km/h and 8 km/h in water. The vehicle is NBC-protected. The system began development in 1968. Three variants were developed.

Tochka

The initial version, Tochka, NATO reporting name Scarab A, entered service with the Soviet Army in 1975. It carried one of four types of warhead: The minimum range was about 15 km, maximum range was 70 km. Its circular error probable (CEP) is estimated to be about 150 m.

Tochka-U

The improved Tochka-U, NATO reporting name Scarab B, passed state tests from 1986 to 1988, and was introduced in 1989. A new motor propellant increased the range to 120 km. The CEP significantly improved, to 95 m. Six warhead options have been reported, a unitary high explosive warhead, an anti-personnel submunition dispenser, an anti-radar warhead, an EMP warhead and two nuclear warheads.

Scarab C

An unconfirmed third variant, designated Scarab C by NATO, may have been developed in the 1990s, but was likely never operational. Range increased to 185 km, and the CEP decreased to less than 70 m (229 ft). Scarab C weighed 1800 kg.

Configuration

Educational means:

Operational history

Syrian civil war (2011–present)

Yemeni civil war (2014–present)

2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war

Russo-Ukrainian War

Operators

Current operators

Former operators