Missile troops in Russia's Far East have carried out the first electronic launches from the Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile system, the Tass news agency reported Friday.

The exercises took place at the Kapustin Yar range in the Astrakhan region of southern Russia.

"The electronic launches of missiles were carried out on different targets at a distance of up to 500 kilometers," Eastern Military District spokesman Col. Alexander Gordeyev was quoted by Tass as saying.

The drills involved 150 troops and 50 units of armaments and military equipment.

The Iskander-M tactical missile system was introduced into service earlier this month, Tass reports.

Crews underwent retraining before the missile systems were delivered to troops.

Iskander-M systems are designed to destroy enemy targets at a distance of up to 300 miles.

It fires an alterable trajectory with rapid acceleration, allowing it to overcome missile defense systems.

It can also operate in extreme heat and cold.