MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. The Russian top brass has no plans of re-creating the Soviet Union’s Oka tactical missile systems, since the Iskander systems that are currently in operation can successfully perform all its functions, a high-ranking Russian general has told TASS.
When asked about the possibility of re-creating the Soviet Union’s famous Oka missile system, Head of the Missile Troops and Artillery of Russia’s Ground Forces Lieutenant-General Mikhail Matveyevsky replied: "No, because all of Oka’s functions are now performed by Iskander."
The OTR-23 Oka tactical ballistic missile system entered service in the Soviet Army in 1983, and, at the time, was the world’s first-ever system that could penetrate all missile defenses. According to military experts, the Oka systems made the most advanced US newest Patriot air defense missile systems completely ineffective at that time.
The system was fully autonomous and had the ability to cross any terrain and water obstacles. It could be promptly delivered to any location worldwide by rail, air or sea, and required a crew of just three.
The Oka system had a range of 400 km (248.5 miles) and, consequently, was excluded from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) but was nonetheless scrapped under the treaty.
Iskander-M 9K720 (SS-26 Stone by NATO classification) is designed to destroy multiple launch rocket systems, missile and air defense, aircraft and helicopters at airfields, command posts and infrastructure. A brigade set includes over 50 units of hardware, including launchers, transloaders, command-staff and service vehicles. It fires ballistic and cruise missiles to a range of 500 km. Those missiles are successfully used during Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.