[HAL9000]

From RIA Novosti -

What the Russian papers say

VEDOMOSTI

Iran to get Russian missile interceptors

Moscow will sell Tor M-1 (SA-15 Gauntlet) surface-to-air missiles capable of knocking down cruise missiles and aircraft bombs to Iran. This contract does not violate any of the Kremlin's international commitments.

"Several days ago, Russia and Iran signed a contract for the delivery of Tor M-1 SAM systems," a defense factory manager said. "This concerns missiles that were produced on a previous Greek contract," an air defense industry official added. In all, Athens bought 21 Tor M-1 systems and had the right to purchase another 29. However, it decided to scrap this deal in the late 1990s.

"The Greek contract was worth $526 million, while the Iranian contract's price may exceed $700 million," Dmitry Vasilyev, an expert at the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, said.

"In 2000, Moscow withdrew from a Russian-U.S. agreement that restricted arms deliveries to Iran. Consequently, it was believed that Iran would become the third largest importer of Russian combat hardware after China and India. But Tehran spent not more than $300-400 million on Russian weaponry because it was not sure whether Moscow could implement its military-technical policies without asking Washington's advice," said Mikhail Barabanov, scientific editor of Arms Exports magazine.

"The sale of Tor M-1 missiles to Iran should be viewed as a purely commercial operation because they are tactical weapons," Vagif Guseinov, director of the Institute for Strategic Assessments and Analysis, believes. "Iran must defend the Bushehr nuclear power plant due to be completed by Russia by 2007, because Israel has repeatedly said that it was examining a possible preventive strike against that facility," Professor Sergei Druzhilovsky from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), explained.

"Iran is not covered by any international arms-trade sanctions," Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the State Duma's international affairs committee, noted. In his opinion, the Russian-Iranian contract does not therefore violate any of Moscow's international commitments. "Instead of taking legal action, the West would react politically to this deal," Kosachev stressed.

[R. Scott]

The Tor M1 would be ineffective defending against a Stealth attack. It would be open to attack from Wild Weasels – HARM range in excess of 48 km, Tor range 1-12 km.

[TomasUSMC]

As long as the USAF gets the proper jamming and self destruct codes - Russian Mafia should be able to come up with these.

And will you just look at those Iranians buying from the infidels, unbelievable!!!!

[American in Israel]

When an Iranian nuke detonates over Moscow, I suspect this deal will loose it's profit margin.

[Tailgunner Joe]

bump

[wotan]

"Iran will defend itself against the United States and Israel with the Russian systems Tor M-1", titrated Vedomosti with the one.

titrated?

[IrishCatholic]

bookmark for later printing.