Profile
- Type
- Short-range ballistic missile
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Service note
- Cold War design, still retained by some post-Soviet and export operators
Munitions
R-17 Scud-B ballistic missile
The R-17 Elbrus, known to NATO as the SS-1C Scud-B, is a Soviet road-mobile, liquid-fueled short-range ballistic missile built for deep strikes with conventional, chemical, or nuclear payloads. Armenian forces used Scud-B missiles in strikes on Ganja during the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, and Houthi-aligned forces fielded inherited Yemeni R-17E/Scud-B stocks during the Yemen Civil War, illustrating the continued battlefield and political risk of older, inaccurate ballistic missiles in regional wars.
- Conflict side
- ArmeniaArtsakhHouthi-aligned forces
- Built by
- Votkinsk Machine Building Plant
- Built in
- Soviet Union
Service History
- In service
- Entered Soviet service in the early 1960s; later exported or inherited by multiple states
- Used by
- Armenian Armed Forces, Houthi-aligned forces
- Wars
- Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, Yemen Civil War
Production History
- Designer
- Viktor Makeyev
- Designed
- Late 1950s to early 1960s
- Built by
- Votkinsk Machine Building Plant
- Built in
- Soviet Union
- Produced
- 1959-1980s production period reported for Scud family missiles
- Variants
- R-17 / SS-1C Scud-B, R-17E export variant
Specifications
- Range
- About 300 km for Scud-B
- Guidance
- Inertial guidance
- Accuracy
- About 450-900 m CEP
- Warhead
- Single conventional, chemical, or nuclear-capable payload; conventional payload about 985 kg
- Propulsion
- Single-stage liquid propellant
- Launch platform
- Road-mobile transporter-erector-launcher
Conflict Usage
- Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
- Side: ArmeniaArtsakhRole: Long-range ballistic missile strikes against urban rear-area targets
Armenian forces fired Scud-B ballistic missiles at Ganja during the 2020 war; Human Rights Watch documented Scud-B remnants from strikes on October 11 and October 17, while CSIS assessed the attacks as part of Armenia's limited ballistic-missile use.
- Yemen Civil War
- Side: Houthi-aligned forcesRole: Legacy ballistic missile stockpile for cross-border strikes
Houthi-aligned forces inherited and fielded former Yemeni R-17E Elbrus/Scud-B missiles after taking Sanaa; later reporting says four surviving prewar R-17 Scud-B or Hwasong-6 missiles were fired into Saudi Arabia, while broader 2015 Scud-launch reporting often does not distinguish the exact variant.
R-17 Scud-B ballistic missile Images
Related Weapon Systems
Burkan-1 ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileBurkan-1 is the Houthi designation for a locally upgraded Scud-family short-range ballistic missile unveiled in 2016 and used for cross-border strikes from Yemen into Saudi Arabia during the Yemen Civil War.
Burkan-3 ballistic missileMedium-range ballistic missileBurkan-3 is the Houthi name for a long-range liquid-fueled ballistic missile unveiled in August 2019. Open-source analysis links it to Iran's Qiam lineage, and Houthi forces used it in Yemen Civil War strikes that expanded their reach to Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast.
Hwasong-6 ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileThe Hwasong-6 is a North Korean Scud-C-derived short-range ballistic missile with a longer range and smaller payload than earlier Scud-B types. In the Yemen Civil War, Houthi-aligned forces used Scud-C/Hwasong-6-class missiles for cross-border ballistic strikes against Saudi Arabia, making the system part of the conflict's long-range missile and air-defense record.
Scud-C ballistic missileShort-range liquid-fueled ballistic missileThe Scud-C is an extended-range member of the Soviet Scud ballistic-missile family, trading payload and accuracy for a roughly 550 km range. In the Yemen Civil War, Houthi-aligned forces used Scud-series missiles for cross-border strikes against Saudi targets, and CSIS reporting identifies Scud-C launches early in the 2015 missile campaign..jpg?width=480)
Qaher-1 ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileQaher-1 is the Houthi-aligned forces' Yemeni conversion of Soviet S-75/V-755 surface-to-air missiles into a land-attack ballistic rocket during the Yemen Civil War. The system mattered because it gave the movement a locally modified, cross-border strike option against Saudi targets starting in late 2015.
Qaher-M2 ballistic missileShort-range ballistic missileQaher-M2 is a Houthi-improved short-range ballistic missile derived from the Soviet S-75/V-755 family and used in cross-border strikes from Yemen into Saudi Arabia during the Yemen Civil War. Open-source reporting describes it as a March 2017 upgrade with a longer reported range and heavier warhead than Qaher-1.Sources
Armenia: Unlawful Rocket, Missile Strikes on AzerbaijanPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct use: fired by Armenian forces at Ganja on October 11 and October 17, 2020, with Scud-B remnants documented at impact sites. | Accessed: 2026-06-20The Air and Missile War in Nagorno-KarabakhPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct use: used by Armenia in reported Scud and Tochka attacks on Ganja, and supports conflict missile context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20The Houthi War Machine: From Guerrilla War to State CapturePublisher: Combating Terrorism Center at West Point | Note: Supports Yemen Civil War direct use context: fielded by Houthi-aligned forces after they inherited R-17E Elbrus (SS-1C Scud-B) missiles during the seizure of Sanaa. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Yemen's Southern HezbollahPublisher: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy | Note: Supports Yemen Civil War direct use context: fired by Houthi-aligned forces, with four surviving prewar R-17 Scud-B or Hwasong-6 missiles reported fired into Saudi Arabia. | Accessed: 2026-06-20The Missile War in YemenPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports Yemen Civil War direct use context: fired by Houthi-aligned forces as early Scud missiles from inherited Yemeni missile stocks, while noting variant ambiguity in some 2015 launch reporting. | Accessed: 2026-06-20R-11 (SS-1) ScudPublisher: Missile Threat, Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports Scud family background, Soviet origin, road-mobile basing, liquid propulsion, warhead classes, and Scud-B specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20R-17 Elbrus (SS-1 Scud-B)Publisher: Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance | Note: Supports Scud-B designation, designer/producer attribution, range, guidance, warhead, payload, propellant, and TEL launch context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20What's a Scud?Publisher: Smithsonian Magazine | Note: Supports Scud background, R-17/Scud-B development context, Votkinsk production, proliferation, and inaccuracy context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20R-17 Elbrus Scud missile imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY-SA 4.0 licensing for the primary Scud missile setup image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20SCUD 2 imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain licensing for a Scud missile in Afghan National Army service. | Accessed: 2026-06-20MAZ-543 TEL front view imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and U.S. Air Force public-domain licensing for a MAZ-543 TEL used to represent Scud missile launchers. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Scud B by Dennis MosherPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and Defense Intelligence Agency public-domain status for a Scud-B reference illustration. | Accessed: 2026-06-20