Iran says Russia to supply new air defence system
by Stuart Williams Wed Dec 26, 7:58 AM ET
TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran announced on Wednesday it is to receive S-300 air missile defence systems from Russia, a move that risks angering the United States which has been critical of past arms sales to Tehran.
The S-300 system will be delivered to Iran within the framework of a contract agreed in the past," Iranian Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar was quoted as saying by state radio, without giving the date of the contract.
"The timing of the delivery will be announced at a later date," he added.
Earlier this year Moscow frustrated Washington by delivering to Tehran 29 TOR-M1 air defence missile systems, in a deal estimated to be worth 700 million dollars.
Iranian state media touted the S-300 as an even more sophisticated system than the TOR-M1, saying it could hit incoming enemy targets at a greater altitude. Iran said in January it had successfully test fired the TOR-M1.
The United States had urged Russia to cancel that sale, saying it was a mistake when the UN Security Council had imposed sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile industry as part of measures against its nuclear drive.
There was no immediate official confirmation of the new delivery from Russia, but the Interfax news agency quoted a senior Russian defence source as saying Iran would receive several dozen of the systems.
"In line with the contract signed several years ago, Russia will deliver to Iran several dozen 3RS S-300PMU1 anti-aircraft systems," the source said. Interfax said the deliveries would begin next year.
Russia, a veto-wielding permanent UN Security Council member, has important economic interests in Tehran.
A Russian contractor is also building and supplying fuel for Iran's first nuclear power station in the southern city of Bushehr, a much delayed project expected to be ready next year.
Moscow approved the two UN Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions against Tehran over the nuclear crisis, but also succeeded in watering down the measures and has been lukewarm on US efforts for a third.
Nevertheless, Russia has strongly urged Iran to obey the main demand of the West in the nuclear standoff -- that it suspends sensitive uranium enrichment activities.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia was actively working to persuade Iran to suspend enrichment, offering Tehran the prospect of full negotiations with world powers if it did.
"From the economic point of view, Iran has no need to continue its programme of enriching uranium," he told the Vremya Novosti newspaper.
"We are trying to persuade the Iranians that Iran would benefit by suspending its programme, as this would immediately mean negotiations with the six (world powers dealing with the crisis) including the United States."
Iran's announcement of the delivery of the surface-to-air S-300 defence system comes amid continued international tensions over the Iranian nuclear programme, which the West fears could be used to make nuclear weapons.
The United States has never ruled out military action to end Iran's defiance, although a US intelligence report published earlier this month appears to have momentarily taken the heat out of the standoff.
The report said Tehran had halted a nuclear weapons programme in 2003, undermining US President George W. Bush's claims that it had an active atomic bomb drive. Iran denied ever seeking atomic weapons.
Iranian officials have vowed never to initiate any attack but have warned the armed forces will strike back with crushing force if the country's territory is hit.
Originally posted by coolant:The tussle with Iran in the Middle East, kind of resemble that with Taiwan in Straits of Taiwan.
This is the news from Russia
[b]Russia Helps Iran Keep Balance of Power
http://www.kommersant.com/p839198/arms_sales/
A meeting of the Russian-Iranian intergovernmental commission on military-technical cooperation took place n Tehran at the end of last week. The commission discussed leasing Russian helicopters and deliveries of modified RD-33 engines for Iranian jet fighters. Head of the Federal Military-Technical Cooperation Service Mikhail Dmitriev stated that cooperation with Iran would continue with the goal of maintaining the balance of power in the region.
The engines will power multipurpose supersonic fighter jets developed in Iran to replace American F-5 models obtained in the 1970s and the Iranian modification of them, called the Azarakhsh (Lightening). The deal was discussed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Iran in October. A modification of the Ka-32 helicopter is also being considered. Iran began negotiations on the serial assembly of the Ka-32 two years ago, but those negotiations were discontinued. In 2006 and 2007, Russia supplied Iran with Tor-M1 air defense systems to defend the atomic power plant being built at Bushehr by the Russians. Talks on deliveries of S-300V air defense systems and MiG-29 and Su-30 fighter jets were also discontinued about a year ago.
A delay in the U.S.-Iranian war is implied by the recent publication of a U.S. intelligence report indicating that Iran closed down its military nuclear program in 2003. Russia is clearly taking advantage of the situation to sell as many weapons as possible. Dmitriev stated that “Russia and Iran are strengthening stability in the region.” He added that “We are talking about defensive types of weapons… Iran has never asked for and Russia would never give Iran offensive weapons to encourage any, conditionally speaking, aggression against anyone.”
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When's our's coming?Originally posted by tankfanatic:vietnam already got one battery
Although the S-300 is Russian, it is still the first operational anti-ballistic missile defence which have been employed to protect 2 large countries' capitals namely Moscow and i think Beijing.Originally posted by LazerLordz:The S-300 was supposedly a potential contender for sale to us as well.