OTR-21 Tochka

The initial Scarab A entered service with the Soviet Army in 1975. It carries one of three types of warhead:

• 482 kg (1,063 lb) of conventional HE
• fragmentation (lethal radius more than 200 m (660 ft)
• nuclear

The minimal range is about 15 km (9.3 mi), maximum range is 70 km (43 mi); its circular error probable (CEP) is estimated to be about 150 m (490 ft).

9M79K missile for 9K79 Tochka missile system

The improved Scarab B (Tochka-U) passed state tests from 1986 to 1988 and introduced in 1989. Improved propellant increased the range to 120 km (75 mi). CEP significantly improved, to less than 95 m (312 ft).

A third variant, Scarab C, was developed in the 1990s. Again, range increased to 185 km (115 mi), and CEP decreased to less than 70 m (229 ft). Scarab C weighs 1,800 kg (4,000 lb).

• 9M79 missiles with various types of warheads (-9M79-1 for Tochika U Complex).
• Launcher 9P129 or 9P129-1M (SPU);
• Transport and loading machine 9T218 or 9T128-1 (TZM);
• Transport vehicle 9T222 or 9T238 (TM);
• Automatic testing machine 9V819 or 9V819-1 (AKIM);
• Technical service vehicle 9V844 or 9V844M (MTO).
• Set of weapon equipment 9F370-1 (KAO);

Educational means

• Simulator 9F625M;
• Missile overall weight model (such as 9M79K-GVM).
• 9M79-UT training missile and 9N123F (K) -UT, 9N39-UT warhead. 9H123F-R UT;
• 9M79-RM missile and 9N123K-RM missile split training model.

• In early December 2014, the Syrian Army fired at least one Tochka against Syrian rebels during the Siege of Wadi al-Deif (near Maarat al-Numan, in Idlib province) .[7]
• On 26 April 2016, the Syrian Army fired a Tochka at Syrian rebels in the Syrian Civil Defense Center in west Aleppo[8]
• On 14 June 2016, the Syrian Army fired a Tochka at Syrian rebel groups Al-Rahman Legion and Jaysh Al-Fustat in Eastern Ghouta, killing several fighters.[9]
• On 20 March 2018, the Syrian Army fired a Tochka towards the Turkish Hatay province, which fell in the border district of Yayladağı without causing any casualties or damage.[10][11]
• On 23 July 2018, the Syrian Army fired two Tochka missiles near the Israeli border. Initially thought to be inbound to Israel near the Sea of Galilee, two David's Sling interceptors were fired by Israel. A few moments later it became clear they were going to strike within Syria, as such one interceptor was detonated over Israel while the other one fell inside Syria.[12] One Tochka missile landed 1 kilometer inside Syria.[13]
• On 5 March 2021, the Syrian Army reportedly fired a KN-02 Toksa, a North Korean copy, solid fuelled short ranged missile against a major oil facility in the country’s Idlib governorate, which is currently under the control of Turkish-backed insurgents.[14][15] The strike near oil facilities ignited major blazes and killed one and wounded 11 people.[15]

• On 4 September 2015, Houthi forces fired a Tochka missile at Safir base in Marib killing over 100 Saudi-led coalition personnel.[16][17][18]
• On 14 December 2015, Houthi forces fired another Tochka missile at Bab Al Mandab base killing over 150 Saudi-led coalition personnel stationed there.[19][20][21]
• On 16 January 2016, Houthi forces fired a Tochka at Al Bairaq base in Marib killing dozens of Saudi-led coalition personnel [22][23]
• On 31 January 2016, Houthi forces fired a Tochka at Al Anad base in Lahj killing and wounding over 200 Saudi-led coalition personnel[24][25][26]

• Azerbaijan claimed Armenia fired Tochka-U rockets at its territory during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Armenia denied this, stating that Azerbaijan is making "disinformation to justify the use of a similar system or a system of a higher caliber."[27]

• On 24 February 2022, Ukrainian forces launched a missile attack on Russian Millerovo Airbase in Rostov Oblast, using two Tochka-U ballistic missiles in response for the Russian invasion of Ukraine and to prevent further air strikes by the Russian air force against Ukraine.[28] The attack left one Su-30SM destroyed on the ground.[29]
• On 24 February 2022, a 9M79 Tochka missile was fired by Russian forces struck near a hospital building in Vuhledar, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, killing 4 civilians and wounding 10. An Amnesty International investigation confirmed that the hospital was not a military target.[30]
• On 14 March 2022, the Russian Federation and the government of the separatist Donetsk People Republic blamed Ukrainian forces of launching a Tochka-U missile which killed 23 civilians and wounded 28 in Donetsk.[31] The housing facility was supposedly used as a barracks for separatists forces.[32]
• On 19 March 2022 Russian forces claimed they shot down a Ukrainian-fired missile near Berdyansk.[32]
• On 24 March 2022, the Russian Navy Alligator-class landing ship Saratov, docked in Berdyansk port in Ukraine, caught fire and sunk. The ship was likely hit by a Ukrainian Tochka-U missile.[33]
• On 8 April 2022, the railway station in Kramatorsk under Ukrainian control was hit by two Tochka-U ballistic missiles. The attack killed at least 52 civilians and injured at least 87 more. At first, Russian media said it had hit a Ukrainian military target. Later, Russia falsely blamed Ukraine for the strike.[34] The message in Russian "Za detei", meaning for or on behalf of the children, had been daubed on the missile in white.[35][36][37]

 Armenia

3+[39]

 Azerbaijan

4[40]

 Belarus

36[41]

 Bulgaria

18[42]

 Kazakhstan

12[43]

 North Korea

Unknown numbers of KN-02 Toksa variant.

 Russia

As of 2019, Russia possessed 24 launchers.[44] Russian missile systems have been upgraded since 2004 (replacing the onboard automated control systems)[45][46] and were scheduled to be replaced by the 9K720 Iskander missiles.[47][48] It was reported that in late 2019, the 448th Rocket Brigade, last rocket brigade operating the Tochka ballistic missiles was rearmed with the 9K720 Iskander missiles, marking the end of operation of the type with the Russian Armed Forces. However, some systems are expected to remain in use at the Kapustin Yar missile test range.[49][50][51] Despite these claims, Russian news reports and social media footage show Russian army still displaying Tochkas at public events in 2021, including at Victory Day parade in Krasnodar.[52] During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, it is assumed that Tochka-U launchers have been returned to service;[53] this was denied by the Russian government.[54] Amnesty International, the investigative journalists of the Conflict Intelligence Team, and a number of unnamed military experts had already reported the use of Tochkas by Russian forces in multiple parts of Ukraine prior to the strike on Kramatorsk.[55] Moreover, investigators from the open-source Belarusian Hajun Project had published videos of several Russian trucks with Tochka missiles heading from Belarus to Ukraine with 'V' markings on 5 March and 30 March.[56] In addition, the Institute for the Study of War assessed that the Russian 8th Guards Combined Arms Army, which is active in the Donbas area, is equipped with Tochka-U missiles.[57]

 Ukraine

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, as of April 2022, Ukraine possess 38-90 Tochka missile launchers and several hundred missiles.[51] The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) states that Ukraine has 500 Tochka-U missiles in its arsenal in 2022.[58] Globalsecurity claims that Ukraine owns 90 Tochka-U launchers in 2022, the same amount it had in 1995.[59]

 Syria

Inherited unknown numbers of KN-02 Toksa variant from North Korea.[14] In February 2017, according to a Fox news report, US officials claimed Russia has also supplied 50 Tochka-U missiles to Syria.[60] Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed that Russia has no such information, and the Russian Ministry of Defense denied it.[61]

 Yemen

Unknown numbers.

 Czechoslovakia

Passed on to successor states.

 Czech Republic

Inherited from Czechoslovakia, retired.

 East Germany

Passed on to Germany.

 Germany

Retired.

 Poland

4[62] retired in 2005, because of lack of rockets and service parts.

 North Yemen

Ordered 12 launchers and around 100 missiles. Declared operational in 1988.[63] They were probably used during the 1994 civil war,[64] and were passed on to unified Yemen after.[65] They have also seen action during the ongoing civil war.[66]

 Slovakia

Inherited a small number from Czechoslovakia, all retired.

 Soviet Union

Passed on to successor states.