The Soviet "Scud" missile family
 

Norbert Brügge, Germany

Update: 24.02.2020

R-11 (8A61)

       
8A61 (R-11)

R-11A (Sounding rocket)

R-11

            
R-11F & R-11FM (SLBM)
 

R-11M (Scud-A) on TEL (ISU-152)

German Scud-A

Forward tank segment                                                         Intertank segment                                                                           Engine bay                    
 

R-11MU (8K12)

The R-11MU / 8K12 is an upgrading of the R-11M - a topic of research "Ural". Development began in SKB-385 (chief designer Makeyev)  in 1957 by project will upgrade missiles (duplicate circuits and components of equipment improve performance) without changing the composition of complex equipment. Due to changes in the mass range of equipment needed to maintain a more powerful engine with a turbo pump assembly for fuel (instead of the displacement system). The project is proposed to use engine EDB S3.42T-3 (chief designer  Sevruk) which range is estimated to be 150 km. With the new engine developers proposed the creation of a new missile modernization instead of the R-11M. By resolution 1958 were asked to develop on the basis of the R-11MU missiles R-17 (version 1).
Single-chamber rocket engine EDB S3.42T-3 (chief designer Sevruk). The engine is designed based on the engine S3.42A, used for V-300 La 217. The engine S3.42T-3 is similar to the later version Isayev S5.1 .
Starting method: Self-ignition of the starting fuel and oxidizer. Fuel supply - turbopump assembly running from the gas generator.
Thrust:  13,000 kg (approx.)
Fuel:  TM-185
Oxidizer:  AK-27
Starting fuel:  TG-02 "Samin"

R-11M  propulsion

Scud-A engine S2.253 (8D511)

Rear of a Scud-A with its special characteristics

R-17 (8K14, Scud-B) & R-17M (8K14M, Scud-C)

R-17/8K14 was designed by the Soviet Makeev design bureau (SKB-385) in the late 1950s. The 9D21 engine for the R-17 was designed by the Isayev design bureau. The nominal length of the missile is 10.944 m (conventional WH), the nuclear WH version is 11.164 m long.
Significant differences between the Scud-B (R-17) and the Scud-C (R-17M) is the abolition of the intertank section for increasing of propellant and possibly a shorter guidance section. A notable finding of the investigations is that a Scud-C does not have stainless steel tanks as the Scud-B, but that they made of aluminum alloy. Pictures of a Soviet Scud-C have not been found so far.

Comparison between Scud-B and Scud-C

One of the first's R-17 missiles on mod. Scud-A TEL

One of the first's R-17 missiles on mod. Scud-A TEL (ISU-152K)

Rear of a Scud-B  missile with jet vanes

               
Scud-B intertank section                                                                                  Tank bottom and engine bay
       
Guidance section

Scud-B warhead types

                   
Warsaw pact WH's

WH 9N33

WH 8F44 standard export variant

Libyan Scud with WH 8F44ZU

                                                                               Iraqi WH variant                                                                                                                             Syrian WH variant

   R-17  propulsion

                                 
Shahab-2 engine                        

               
9D21

Injector plate
 

R-17 (version 1) - single-chamber rocket engine EDB S3.42T-3 (chief designer  Sevruk) - used in the design stage of R-11MU and in the first series of R-17. The engine is designed based on the engine S3.42A used for V-300 La217. The engine S3.42T-3 is similar to the later version Isayev S5.1 .
Starting method: Self-ignition of the starting fuel and oxidizer
Fuel supply: Turbo pump assembly running from the gas generator.
Dry mass:  160kg
Thrust:  13,000 kg (approx.)
Fuel:  TM-185
Oxidizer:  AK-27
Starting fuel:  TG-02 "Samin"

R-17 (version 2) - single-chamber rocket engine S5.2 / 9D21 DB-5 (chief designer Isayev), motor open circuit with TNA and gas generator, turbine drive gas out of the starting powder chamber. The engine was produced commercially from 1962 to 1985 Votkinsk Machine Building Plant. Design support LRE is the same Votkinsk plant.
Starting method: Self-ignition of the starting fuel and oxidizer
Fuel supply: Turbopump assembly running from the gas generator
Thrust: 13,310-13,380 kg (various sources)
Specific Impulse (s.l.):  226 sec
Specific Impulse (vac):  258 sec
Fuel consumption:  57.83 kg/sec
Length: 1,490 mm
Maximum diameter:  770 mm
The diameter of the combustion chamber:  380 mm
Nozzle throat diameter:  124.5 mm
Nozzle exit diameter: 400 mm
The pressure in the combustion chamber:  69.4 kg /cm2
The pressure at the nozzle exit:  0.827 kg /cm2

Fuel:  Kerosene mixture of TM-185 (B6 OCT-02-43-84).
Weight:  822 kg kg (20 degrees C)
Ingredients:
Polimerdistillate: 56 +/- 1.5%
Light Oil Pyrolyse:  40 + /- 1.0% (to increase the density and resistance to oxidation)
Trikrezol:  4 +/- 0.5% (prevents crystallization of water)
Oxidizer:  AK-27I ("Melange" Standard V18112-72)
Weight: 2,919 kg (20 degrees C)
Ingredients:
Concentrated Nitric Acid:  69.8 - 70.2%
Nitrogen Tetroxide:  24 - 28%
Water:  1.3 - 2%
Aluminum salts (not more than 0.01% )
Iodine:  0.12 - 0.16% (inhibitor)
Density:  1.596 - 1.613
Starting fuel:  TG-02 "Samin" (GOST V17147-71)
Weight:  30-35 kg + 1 liter is filled into the rocket just before launch.
Ingredients:
Isomeric Xylidines:  50 +/- 2%
Triethylamine Technical:  50 +/- 2%
Water:  0.4% ( 0.835-0.855 kg)

Refuelling of the Scud missile

Turbopumps of  Shahab-2 engine

Cutaway of a Shahab-2 engine

R-17 VTO (8K14-1F, Scud VTO)

The R-17 VTO / 8K14-1F "Aerofon" is a missile with a warhead that has the ability with optical instruments to locate the target. Experimental design tests of MS "Aerofon" began at Kapustin Yar from November 1977 to September 1979 with starts on 8K14-1 missiles. During state testing conducted 22 missile launches with MS "Aerofon."

                               
Scud-B with optical warhead "Aerofon"

Scud-B on TEL with optical warhead "Aerofon"
 

Shahab-1 (Scud-B)

Shahab-1
 

Shahab-1  with winged WH
 

Hwasong-5 (Scud-B)

     
North Koreas's Hwasong-5 (and -6 ?)
 

 
Hwasong-5 (?) with new guided WH (=HS-5G)
  

Shahab-2 (Scud-C)

         
Silo based Shahab-2 (without fins and biconic WH).  It is not a Qiam-1: It is a standard Scud-C with a long guidance unit.

                      
Burkan-2 missile with fins: It is a standard Scud-C with a short guidance unit and biconic WH like Qiam-1

Hwasong-6 (Scud-C)

Hwasong-11 ? (mod Scud-C)

A rare photo of an unknown missile is tell-tale.
This show clearly a North Korean origin (forested mountain on horizon).
 The projectile has no fins and is similar Qiam or Burkan

Hwasong-6 shown with standard WH

Qiam-1 (mod Scud-C)

                   The Qiam-1 is a modified Scud-C without fins

                             All of Iran's Scud variants

Qiam with its typical short guidance section

Qiam-2 with mini-fins and winged WH

Qiam-2 attack against ISIS

     
Burkan-H2 with mini-fins similar Qiam-2

 
Burkan-2H missiles have a short guidance unit as we know it from the Qiam-1

R-17MU (8K14MU, Scud-D)

A completely unknown vehicle, here called R-17MU (8K14MU), was developed and tested from 1964 to 1968. It is possible that the R-17MU missile with the Western designation Scud-D corresponds. This Scud-D misssile maybe a stretched R-17 (about 1.7 m) with a new propellant combination of UDMH/AK-27. The new engine could be a downscaled Isayev "Nodong" engine.
A sketch of the R-17MU (Scud-D) missile was accidentally found on the North Korean freighter "Kuwolsan" (Schmucker Technologie). The plotted dimensions documents a total length of 12.406 m of the missile. According to reports was decided in the late 1960s not to take over for the series production the R-17MU missile. Therefore divided the R-17MU the same fate with the R-17K (Nodong), which was also developed and tested in the 60s. The fuel combination UDMH/AK-27 is for a tactical missiles completely unsuitable because must be a on-site refueling.

But it is obvious that the R-17MU as well the R-17K have outlived their scrapping and some missiles was exported to North Korea. There were made reproductions, known as Hwasong and "Nodong". What the North Korean Hwasong variant of the Scud-D is assigned can not be verified. Maybe it is the Hwasong-9.
In Iran, the Shahab-1 and Shahab-2 probably equivalents of the Scud-B and Qiam with the Scud-C, while the Shahab-3 with the "Nodong" corresponds. An Iranian Scud-D equivalent is not known.

Significant differences between the Scud-B (R-17) and the Scud-D (R-17MU) is the abolition of the intertank section, the missing guidance section and the transfer of the pressure-gas bottles from the engine bay to the place below the warhead as toroidal tank. The oxidizer tank was moved to the top, the fuel tank to the base of the construction.

Note: At places in Afghanistan have been found alleged UDMH-containers now, which stand in connection with Soviet Scud rockets from the war in Afghanistan. Since is supposed, that also other Scud's were stationed, the idea is obvious, that this missile is of other quality as the Scud-B/C.

Alleged UDMH storage containers in Afghanistan

Excerpt

Rocket fuel storage area
Location 2: It served as a storage area for cylindrical containers presumably filled with the rocket propellant dimethylhydrazine (UDMH). All of 107 containers � with an estimated capacity of 500 litres each � were kept in two separate stockpiles.
Closer inspection of the open containers revealed the presence of a white residue at the bottom.
Although none of the containers were found to be leaking, a faint, acrid, ammonia-like odour was clearly perceptible in their immediate vicinity.
These old factory indications are consistent with the degradation process of hydrazine compounds, which form ammonia, hydrogen, and nitrogen when exposed to ultraviolet radiation (WHO, 1987).
Soil quality
Methylhydrazine was found in elevated concentrations in two composite samples, including that recovered from the superficial soil surrounding the rocket fuel containers stored at ground level (location 2). A pH of 3.9 was also recorded from this particular sample, suggesting that the soil in this area was reasonably acidic.
Given that hydrazines are basic compounds, the low pH reading could be attributable to a spill or leak of nitric acid in the past. This hypothesis is further supported by the relatively strong presence of nitrates in samples taken from this area, suggesting that UDMH and nitric acid were mixed there during rocket fuelling. Note: The results of field studies are unfortunately not convincing.
  

A proposal for the origin of the unknown Scud-D engine
 

Hwasong-9 (Scud-D)

Older picture: Possibly a Hwasong-9

This scheme from an extended range Scud missile was found on the captured freighter "Kuwolsan"

Paektusan-1 second stage ?

Right: Hwasong-9 with new double-conic WH

Al-Hussein / Al-Hijarah / Al-Abbas (homemade)

The Iraqi Scud variants are changed Soviet Scud-B missiles (export variant with conventional warhead). They are homemade on base of cannibalised Scud-B missiles. All variants used TM-185 and AK-27I propellants.
It is characteristic for the Iraqi variants, that five of the six air pressure bottles were moved from the tail section to the empty cavity of the missile warhead.

Rear of a Iraqi Scud missile



Air pressure bottles in front of the missile

Iraqi Scud engine                    

Destroyed Iraqi Scud missile with visibly engine S5.2

       
Iraqi Scud on static launch pad

Al-Hussein ?

Al-Hijarah

                    
Al-Abbas ?

Iraqi Al-Abbas (?) in launch position on Al-Nida launch pad

Al-Hijarah

A rare picture with an Iraqi  Al-Abbas (?) on stretched TEL without erector
Al-Abbas was fired from a static pad !

Picture from an Al-Nida launch pad with erector