A view of S-300 anti-aircraft systems
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Russia to Supply S-300 Missile Systems to Iran
Russia will supply to Iran advanced anti-aircraft systems by the end of 2008 or early 2009, Reuters reported with reference to a source with Israel’s Ministry of Defense.
According to the source, Russia will supply advanced S-300 anti-aircraft systems to Iran. The delivery of first consignment has been slated for September, but deploying and making the systems operable will take from six to 12 months.
Iran has TOR-M1 surface-to-air missiles of Russia’s make. The U.S. Department of State expressed its concern, but the Kremlin rebuffed by saying that TOR-M1 was of purely defense nature.
Tehran announced past December it had ordered S-300 missile-defense systems in Russia, but Moscow denied that the deal had been clinched.
In the U.S. military community, they speculate that Iran may acquire RSD-10 missiles (SS-20 under NATO’s classification) in Russia. But Defense Secretary Robert Gates declared about two weeks ago that Tehran would hardly obtain the missile-defense systems of Russia.
S-300 is a mid-range anti-aircraft system (SA-10 under NATO’s classification) designed to defend big industrial and administrative facilities, military bases and control points against aerospace attacks.
www.kommersant.com
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