MOSCOW, July 18./ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry this year will receive two sets of the Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile system to equip the missile brigades, a source in the military-industrial complex told ITAR-TASS on Friday.

“The delivery of the first this year and third in succession brigade set will be made today under the contract, signed in 2011 between Russian Defense Ministry and the NPK Machine Building Design Bureau (included into the JSC NPO Vysokotochnye kompleksy (High Precision Systems), the source said.

“The main feature of the contract is the package supply of the tactical ballistic missile systems. The Defense Ministry previously had to purchase the system’s elements separately under separate contracts with each enterprise of the co-operation,” said the source.

Under the contract, the Machine Building Design Bureau shall deliver to the troops two sets of the system annually. In 2013, the Iskander systems were delivered in accordance with the schedule approved by the Ministry of Defense. This year’s second (fourth in succession) brigade set of the Iskander-M system will be sent to the customers in November.

Iskander-M (NATO reporting name SS-26 Stone) is a version of the Iskander tactical missile system supplied to the Russian Armed Forces. It is capable of hitting targets deep inside the enemy lines. The system’s firing range is up to 500 km. The complex comprises a launcher with two missiles, a missile-transporter loader, a command post vehicle, a technical maintenance vehicle, a set of arsenal equipment, a data processing unit, as well as training facilities.