Use of Scuds in Afghan Civil War From 1989-1992 and Response of Pakistan

[Sine Nomine]

Scud-B in Kabul
The most intensive - and less well-known - use of Scud missiles occurred during the civil war in Afghanistan between 1989 and 1992. As compensation for the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, the USSR agreed to deliver sophisticated weapons to the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA), among which were large quantities of Scud-Bs, and possibly some Scud-Cs as well.[1] The first 500 were transferred during the early months of 1989, and soon proved to be a critical strategic asset for the DRA. Every Scud battery was composed of three TELs, three reloading vehicles, a mobile meteorological unit, one tanker and several command and control trucks.[2] During the mujahideen backed by an infantry brigade of the Pakistani Army attack against Jalalabad, between March and June 1989, three firing batteries manned by Afghan crews advised by Soviets fired approximately 438 missiles in defense of the embattled garrison.[3] Soon all the heavily contested areas of Afghanistan, such as the Salang Pass and the city of Kandahar, were under attack by Scud missiles.

Scud launcher of the Afghan National Army

Due to its imprecision, the Scud was used as an area bombing weapon, and its effect was psychological as well as physical: the missiles would explode without warning, as they travelled faster than the sound they produced in-flight. At the time, reports indicated that Scud attacks had devastating consequences on the morale of the Afghan rebels, who eventually learned that by applying guerilla tactics, and keeping their forces dispersed and hidden, they could minimize casualties from Scud attacks.[4] The Scud was also used as a punitive weapon, striking areas that were held by the resistance. In March 1991, shortly after the town of Khost was captured, it was hit by a Scud attack. On 20 April 1991, the marketplace of Asadabad was hit by two Scuds, that killed 300 and wounded 500 inhabitants. Though the exact toll is unknown, these attacks resulted in heavy civilian casualties.[5] The explosions destroyed the headquarters of Islamic leader Jamil al-Rahman, and killed a number of his followers.[6]

In all, between October 1988 and February 1992, with 1,700 to 2,000 Scud launches,[4] Afghanistan saw the greatest concentration of ballistic weapons fired since World War II.[7][ After January 1992, the Soviet advisors were withdrawn, reducing the Afghan army's ability to use their ballistic missiles. On 24 April 1992, the mujahideen forces of Ahmad Shah Massoud captured the main Scud stockpile at Afshur. As the communist government collapsed, the few remaining Scuds and their TELs were divided among the rival factions fighting for power. However, the lack of trained personnel prevented a sustained use of such weapons, and, between April 1992 and 1996, only 44 Scuds were fired in Afghanistan. When the Taliban arrived in power in 1996, they captured a few of the remaining Scuds, but lack of maintenance had reduced the state of the missile force to such an extent that there were only five Scud firings, until 2001. Following the U.S. intervention in Afghanistan, the last four surviving Scud launchers were destroyed in 2005.[3]
Attacks on Pakistan and Response of Pakistan
Database of Afghan Ballistic Missile Attacks on Pakistan (1989 -1990)
At least 16 attacks were detected on our soil above thread tells all about it,ISI CAD did took care of some launchers.ISI did an operation like MI-24 helicopters it did good job by getting some equipment and launchers which may have aided in development of Pakistani missiles.These missiles were unguided but still posed a serious threat and fear in attackers but today all Pakistani Ballistic missile are equipped with sophisticated electronics and guidance system which gave them CEP of 100-50m.After that Afghan Army was having 1568 tanks, 828 armoured personnel carriers, 4880 artillery pieces, 126 modern fighter-bombers and 14 attack helicopters.
After 1992 this all was scattered in Afghanistan with millions of small arms, 0.3million mines and thousand tons of explosive and ammunition of different kinds,this all was tried to smuggled into Pakistan you have seen Ak-47 in hands of common folks in Pakistan it's all outcome of that,After raise of Taliban it was in Pakistan interest to support a strong group in order to save it's own border,there are some tom,dick and harry claiming any stratgetic depth in it,folks there was nothing like that it's all,(offtopic)Pakistan supported them to stop this all and it was stopped those TTP scums we saw after 2005,if ISI never supported Taliban this would have happened long before that...
@Horus @syedali73 @Zarvan @levina @Akheilos @pomegarnate
1- "SS-1 `Scud' (R-11/8K11, R-11FM (SS-N-1B) and R-17/8K14)". Jane's Information Group. 26 April 2001. Archived from the original on 2007-12-15. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
2- Yousaf & Adkin, p. 230
3- Zaloga, p. 39
4- Perrimond, Guy (2002). "1944–2001: The threat of theatre ballistic missiles" (PDF). TTU Online. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
5- Lewis, George, Fetter, Steve and Gronlund, Lisbeth (1993). Casualties and damage from Scud attacks in the 1991 Gulf War. Defense and Arms Control Studies Program, Center for International Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, p. 13
6- Adamec, Ludwig (2011). Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan. Scarecrow Press, p. 226. ISBN 0810878151
4- Perrimond, Guy (2002). "1944–2001: The threat of theatre ballistic missiles" (PDF). TTU Online. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
7- Marshall, A.(2006); Phased Withdrawal, Conflict Resolution and State Reconstruction; Conflict research Studies Centre; ISBN 1-905058-74-8 [1]
3 Zaloga, p.39

 

[syedali73]

Scud-B in Kabul
The most intensive - and less well-known - use of Scud missiles occurred during the civil war in Afghanistan between 1989 and 1992. As compensation for the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, the USSR agreed to deliver sophisticated weapons to the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA), among which were large quantities of Scud-Bs, and possibly some Scud-Cs as well.[1] The first 500 were transferred during the early months of 1989, and soon proved to be a critical strategic asset for the DRA. Every Scud battery was composed of three TELs, three reloading vehicles, a mobile meteorological unit, one tanker and several command and control trucks.[2] During the mujahideen backed by an infantry brigade of the Pakistani Army attack against Jalalabad, between March and June 1989, three firing batteries manned by Afghan crews advised by Soviets fired approximately 438 missiles in defense of the embattled garrison.[3] Soon all the heavily contested areas of Afghanistan, such as the Salang Pass and the city of Kandahar, were under attack by Scud missiles.

Scud launcher of the Afghan National Army

Due to its imprecision, the Scud was used as an area bombing weapon, and its effect was psychological as well as physical: the missiles would explode without warning, as they travelled faster than the sound they produced in-flight. At the time, reports indicated that Scud attacks had devastating consequences on the morale of the Afghan rebels, who eventually learned that by applying guerilla tactics, and keeping their forces dispersed and hidden, they could minimize casualties from Scud attacks.[4] The Scud was also used as a punitive weapon, striking areas that were held by the resistance. In March 1991, shortly after the town of Khost was captured, it was hit by a Scud attack. On 20 April 1991, the marketplace of Asadabad was hit by two Scuds, that killed 300 and wounded 500 inhabitants. Though the exact toll is unknown, these attacks resulted in heavy civilian casualties.[5] The explosions destroyed the headquarters of Islamic leader Jamil al-Rahman, and killed a number of his followers.[6]

In all, between October 1988 and February 1992, with 1,700 to 2,000 Scud launches,[4] Afghanistan saw the greatest concentration of ballistic weapons fired since World War II.[7][ After January 1992, the Soviet advisors were withdrawn, reducing the Afghan army's ability to use their ballistic missiles. On 24 April 1992, the mujahideen forces of Ahmad Shah Massoud captured the main Scud stockpile at Afshur. As the communist government collapsed, the few remaining Scuds and their TELs were divided among the rival factions fighting for power. However, the lack of trained personnel prevented a sustained use of such weapons, and, between April 1992 and 1996, only 44 Scuds were fired in Afghanistan. When the Taliban arrived in power in 1996, they captured a few of the remaining Scuds, but lack of maintenance had reduced the state of the missile force to such an extent that there were only five Scud firings, until 2001. Following the U.S. intervention in Afghanistan, the last four surviving Scud launchers were destroyed in 2005.[3]
Attacks on Pakistan and Response of Pakistan
Database of Afghan Ballistic Missile Attacks on Pakistan (1989 -1990)
At least 16 attacks were detected on our soil above thread tells all about it,ISI CAD did took care of some launchers.ISI did an operation like MI-24 helicopters it did good job by getting some equipment and launchers which may have aided in development of Pakistani missiles.These missiles were unguided but still posed a serious threat and fear in attackers but today all Pakistani Ballistic missile are equipped with sophisticated electronics and guidance system which gave them CEP of 100-50m.After that Afghan Army was having 1568 tanks, 828 armoured personnel carriers, 4880 artillery pieces, 126 modern fighter-bombers and 14 attack helicopters.
After 1992 this all was scattered in Afghanistan with millions of small arms, 0.3million mines and thousand tons of explosive and ammunition of different kinds,this all was tried to smuggled into Pakistan you have seen Ak-47 in hands of common folks in Pakistan it's all outcome of that,After raise of Taliban it was in Pakistan interest to support a strong group in order to save it's own border,there are some tom,dick and harry claiming any stratgetic depth in it,folks there was nothing like that it's all,(offtopic)Pakistan supported them to stop this all and it was stopped those TTP scums we saw after 2005,if ISI never supported Taliban this would have happened long before that...
@Horus @syedali73 @Zarvan @levina @Akheilos @pomegarnate
1- "SS-1 `Scud' (R-11/8K11, R-11FM (SS-N-1B) and R-17/8K14)". Jane's Information Group. 26 April 2001. Archived from the original on 2007-12-15. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
2- Yousaf & Adkin, p. 230
3- Zaloga, p. 39
4- Perrimond, Guy (2002). "1944–2001: The threat of theatre ballistic missiles" (PDF). TTU Online. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
5- Lewis, George, Fetter, Steve and Gronlund, Lisbeth (1993). Casualties and damage from Scud attacks in the 1991 Gulf War. Defense and Arms Control Studies Program, Center for International Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, p. 13
6- Adamec, Ludwig (2011). Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan. Scarecrow Press, p. 226. ISBN 0810878151
4- Perrimond, Guy (2002). "1944–2001: The threat of theatre ballistic missiles" (PDF). TTU Online. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
7- Marshall, A.(2006); Phased Withdrawal, Conflict Resolution and State Reconstruction; Conflict research Studies Centre; ISBN 1-905058-74-8 [1]
3 Zaloga, p.39

That was some good piece from history. Thanks for sharing my friend.

 

[Sine Nomine]

That was some good piece from history. Thanks for sharing my friend.

Well i am sick of that strategic depth statements i talked with a retired folk he told me there is nothing like that,we have enough strategic depth in Baluchistan and FATA....