Posted on 04/02/2010 10:22:06 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Russia has shipped China 15 advanced surface-to-air missile systems, the director of the Russian plant which produces the weapons was cited by news agencies as saying on Friday.
The truck-mounted air defence S-300 batteries, known by NATO as SA-20 Gargoyles, can target aircraft and ballistic missiles at a range of over 15 kilometres.
"We just fulfilled a large contract for the delivery to China of 15 batteries of the new S-300 missile defence systems," Igor Ashurbeili, director of the Almaz-Antei plant was quoted as saying.
The contract included the supply of a total of 15 batteries, each usually consisting of four S-300 missiles, he said. He did not disclose the value of the deal.
Russia has acknowledged making a contract with Iran for the supply of the same advance missiles, alarming Israel and its allies, who believe the Islamic state could use the systems to guard against a potential strike on its nuclear installations.
The United States and Israel worry that Iran's civilian nuclear energy programme, including a power plant Russia is helping build at Bushehr, is a cover for ambitions to build an atomic bomb. Tehran has long denied such plans.
First deployed by the USSR in 1979, the S-300, nicknamed "the favorite" by Russians, is still seen as one of the most powerful anti-aircraft missiles on the market. It can simultaneously track up to 100 targets and engage 12.
China has long been a major client for Russian weaponry but the trade has become sensitive due to Russian concerns about piracy of its technology by the Chinese as Beijing strives to develop a home-grown weapons complex.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsinfo.inquirer.net ...
Because Bibi won't play nice with Obama?
I swear. Obama, the community organizer is in WAY over his little big eared head.
The Russans, North Koreans, Iranians and Chinese are playing Obama like a banjo. And he can do NOTHING about it because he will not listen to strategically experienced military advisors.Obama is worse than Carter ever dared to be.
I want one. The IRS doesn’t have them! ( sarc.)
Unfortunately you can’t. A California businessman tried to import a Scud missile for his collection from a European country and the government killed the deal.
( That really rattled some of the lefties today!)
Sorry, I wasn’t alive in the time period, but didn’t the Soviets send SAM’s to Egypt for the 1973 Arab-Israeli War? Seems like a similar dynamic with Iran.
Heh, I find it funny the Ruskies are nervous about the Chinese stealing their technology... they must be nervous about China getting too strong. Siberia will be easy pickings the way the demographics are heading.
There was a very heavy Russian influence in Egypt.During the Naser years, many young Egyptians studied in Soviet universities and military schools. Among them was the future president, Hosni Mubarak, who went for training in a military pilot school in Kyrgyztan.
I personally see China and Russia forming a single superstate, like EU, at some point in the future. This will be good for both. China, with its positive population growth rate, needs to unload its workers - it needs land and materials. Russia, with its negative population growth rate, needs people to work in Siberia - there is plenty of land and resources, and not a single person for hundreds of miles. Even in the European part of Russia there are very few people left, most of them of retirement age, who can operate a lathe or a milling machine. (Same in the USA, by the way.)
I’m sure the Chinese promised they won’t reverse engineer it to sell knockoff versions.......
Of course they will. They have a well documented history of doing that.
Looks like Iran is getting their S300 systems via China
I think they will go to reinforce the Taiwan Straits. Iran is developing their own version of the missile with Russian help.
http://payvand.com/news/09/may/1109.html
In its quest for an advanced air defense system, Iran has reportedly shifted its hopes from Russia to China which owns a replica of the controversial Russian S-300.
As Iran’s quest for the advanced Russian-made S-300 air defense system is believed to have hit rock bottom, a report by RIA Novosti said Tehran is eying a Chinese-made HQ-9 surface-to-air missile under the name FD-2000 — recently put on the export market.
The HongQi-9/FD-2000 reportedly combines elements “borrowed” from Russia’s S-300 and America’s MIM-104 Patriot.
Its easier for Iran to trade Oil for a knock off of the S300. The Chinese will just put a different label on it and send them on their way while China gets oil.
I guess we will have to track the ultimate destination of those rockets. It should be rather easy considering the size of the S300
http://www.vesti.ru/videos?vid=266168
Here is a video of S-300 launcer got struck in Yekaterinburg suburb. Towed out by radar tractor:)
launcer=launcher struck=stuck:)
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