Meng’s new Scud B looks like it wants to wipe out all opposition - new CADs to add to what we already have...

MENG releasing the 1/35 Russian 9K72 Scud-B Mobile Tactical Missile System seemed like a bit of a pipedream a little while ago – but in the last month It has indeed been announced as well as the Scud C from Trumpeter so it seems the fight for tactical supremacy is now on! We have some great new pictures of the kit in near lifelike CAD that almost smells like plastic pointing out all the features of this anticipated kit.

 

 MENG Bring us more of their journey up Mount Elbrus

Russian 9K72 Scud-B Mobile Tactical Missile System

SS-007

1/35th scale
Plastic, vinyl and PE parts

MENG have promised an SS-007 with excellent fit, rich details and various options to you. Now, let’s have a look at its boxtop artwork from Mr. MASAMI ONISHI, the well-known international boxtop artiest!

The highest mountain in Russia——Mount Elbrus at an altitude of 5642m is a dormant volcano. Located in the Greater Caucasus mountains in southwestern Russia, it’s also the highest peak in Europe. If one weapon is endowed with a designation of Mount Elbrus, it undoubtedly carries too much expectation and confidence from the Soviet Union. Just like a silent volcano, it must burst out the frightening energy once it erupts. It is the 9K72 Mobile Tactical Missile System with NATO reporting name Scud-B. 

9K72 emerged from the FAU-2(A-4) missile system of the Third Reich. It was designed by Long-Range Missiles Special Design Bureau (Code 385, also known as Design Bureau 385, СКБ-385) located in the Miass City Chelyabinsk of former Soviet Union under the leadership of Viktor Petrovich Makeyev （Виктор Петрович Макеев，1924-1985）. 9K72 was the main equipment for long-range strike in the Soviet army or army’s operational and tactical rocket brigade. Each brigade had 12-18 launching vehicles, and each launching vehicle was equipped with two missile transport vehicles with 4 missiles. The whole brigade had 48-72 missiles in total with 50-300km range and 300m Hit CEP. 9K72 had an important position in the Soviet army’s offensive theory. It was mainly used for fire preparation, support and assault before and during attacks. It could destroy the high-value targets such as airports, transportation hubs, logistics bases, command centres, deeply within the enemy territory with long-range NBC and conventional firepower. 

It could destroy enemy’s tactical nuclear weapons and hit the enemy’s main military group and its staging ground. During defences, it could also destroy mountain passes, bridges, or directly change the key terrain which was hard to defence, so as to delay enemy’s attack. They were the key ways to beat enemy for the Soviet army commanders. Although the anticipated war didn’t break out all the time, 9K72 was always an important weapon which NATO focused on and the Soviet Union and Warsaw pact troops significantly deployed and strictly protected. In addition to the Soviet Union and the Warsaw pact countries, 9k72 have also been exported to Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Iran and Vietnam. According to the declassified former Soviet Union minister’s meeting record, the 9k72 was still in production in the early 1990s.

Probably, 9K72 is doomed not to be an ordinary weapon. Although there were no collisions between east and west forces on European plain, it has been frequently used in other areas and made an unforgettable impression on enemies. In the fourth Middle East War in 1973, Egypt used 9K72 to launch three missiles; during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, both sides fired almost a thousand rounds of conventional warheads and chemical warheads with 9K72; in the Afghanistan war in 1979, Soviet army used it to fire over one thousand blast warheads.

In August 1990, finally the Gulf War made 9K72 achieve its culmination. During the war, Iraq fired 93 missiles with 9K72, 27 of which hit the targets. Faced with unknown Scud-B strikes, the coalition's air defence system had difficulty in defence. In order to destroy the 9k72, coalition forces used a large number of aircrafts and Special Forces, but the effect was still not ideal. If the coalition forces’ ground offensive didn’t work, 9k72 would cause coalition forces greater damage and loss. So far, Scud has been widely known. According to statistics, from 1973 to 2011, 9k72 launched a total of 5176 missiles, being the top tactical missile launched in battles.

The model

The vehicle can be built to one of 9P117M, 9P117M-1, 9P117M1 and 9P117M1-1 to meet modellers’ need of different SCUD-Bs in different countries at different times.

As for the breakdown of the missile body, MENG have kept details to the max and also make it easy to assemble. Three kinds of warheads are included.

Many doors of the launcher can be built open. The ladder can be dropped down.

Movable suspension system makes the model more interesting. 

Two pairs of front wheels are steerable. 

The cables connected to the missile and pipelines on the locking arms are well reproduced.

Cables can be built (when in the field or launching position) or not (when travelling).

Well detailed left and right cabs 

Well detailed left and right cabs; mirror film provided for rear-view mirrors.

 

The right cab can be built upward in the maintenance position to better show the interior details.

The right cab can be built upward in the maintenance position to better show the interior details.

Well detailed auxiliary system and fuel tank are perfectly represented.

The chassis, engine and transmission are well detailed.

The Д12А-525 diesel engine is accurately reproduced.

 

Assembly jigs for PE light covers are included.so you needn’t have trouble folding!

The tyres are well detailed.

The doors are also well detailed.

Cold-proof covers for MAZ-543A and 9P117 series launchers and leather curtain for the control room are included in this kit to better show the features of Russian vehicles.

The finished model is very detailed with flexible options. The erector frame can be modelled at different angles.

Decals of five paint schemes of Scud-Bs used in different countries at different times are included in the kit. Decals of another four paint schemes will be presented as a gift through other channels.

More about this kit as it comes to hand – you can always look up Meng’s website to see what is new in their world until then