Scud Ballistic Missile, a Soviet Era Weapon Still Found Today

MOSCOW – The Scud ballistic missile was developed as a nuclear asset Soviet Union during the Cold War. Even though it is very old, the DNA of this missile has spread throughout the world.

Currently, Scud missiles are no longer produced or used by the Russian military. However, its use is still found among other armed forces in the world.

Not in its original version, the design and capabilities of the Scud missile were used as a benchmark for the development of other missiles. Therefore, it is not surprising that this missile DNA is now found in new missiles such as those made by North Korea and Iran.

What is Scud Ballistic Missile?

Scud or R-11 (original name) is a tactical ballistic missile developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Its development was carried out by captive German scientists and was based on the Nazi V-2 rocket that was used to attack London during World War II.

Quoting Missile Threat, Friday (3/5/2024), Scud was originally developed to carry nuclear warheads. The first ‘Scud A’ variant entered service in 1955 and had a range of up to 190 km.

In 1958, the missile was equipped with a 50 kT nuclear warhead. Unfortunately, its performance is poor, making it more suitable for use against large stationary soft targets.

After that, the basic design of the Scud was updated and gave rise to the Scud-B in 1965. In terms of capabilities, this version was better than its predecessor.

Over time, development of the Scud was still carried out. These missiles continued to be produced and marketed, at least until the fall of the Soviet Union.

However, the collapse of the Soviet Union was not the end of the Scud. This missile is still found in use in countries such as Iran and Libya.

Reflecting on its capabilities, other countries began designing their own missiles based on the Scud’s capabilities. For example, Iraq, this country makes its own version of the Scud called Al Hussein with a range of up to 400 miles.