9 photos of Russian troops setting up and test firing the Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile

Russian Defense Ministry

Russia's Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile will be unmatched until at least 2025, Russian state-owned media TASS reported in March. 

"According to designers, foreign states will be able to create its counterpart no earlier than in 2025," Russian Ground Forces Commander-in-Chief Col. Gen. Oleg Salyukov said.

Salyukov's statement came just a few days after Russian troops successfully test fired the Iskander-M at the Kapustin Yar testing grounds in southern Russia.

The missile hit its target about 62 miles away, according to RT, another Russian state-owned media outlet.

“Everything is fine. The missile has found its target,” the commanding officer said.

Here's what the test fire looked like and what the ballistic missile can do:

The Iskander is a mobile short-range ballistic missile that became operational in 2007.

It's also known as the SS-26, Stone, Tender, 9M720, 9M723, or "Son of Scud," because it replaced the Scud B. 

Source: CSIS

It has three different variants: the Iskander-M, the Tender, and the Iskander-E, which is the export version.

Source: CSIS

It's about 24 feet long, about three feet wide, and has a launch weight of about 8,378-8,863 pounds.

Source: CSIS

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