US turns blind eye to Iran’s drone exports to Russia

Asia Times ^

[FarCenter]

Beyond rushing deliveries of very costly and unproven air defense systems to Ukraine, Washington is doing next to nothing about Iran’s delivery of 3,500 drones to Russia for the war.

Russia has already fired off around 400 Iranian-made drones, mostly aimed at critical infrastructure targets in Ukraine including power plants, water pumping stations and dams. Combined with Russian cruise missiles, the drones and missiles have caused considerable damage.

Deliveries to Iran include the Shahed-129 (a Predator drone knock-off), the Mohajer-6 (built especially for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and carrying two missiles) and loitering munition drones Arash-2 (allegedly designed to hit Tel Aviv and Haifa), Shahed-136 and Shahed-131.

Shahed-131 is loaded with US components including a sophisticated communication integrated circuit, although the Biden administration seems unconcerned. Shahed-136 uses a China-made four-cylinder gasoline engine that can generate more than 21.5 horsepower.

Information about the drone deliveries was culled from the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran and exposed in the West by the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran.

The US is responding by rushing two air defense batteries known as NASAMS (Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System), a joint project between Norway’s Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace and Raytheon in the United States. Raytheon changed the name “Norwegian” in NASAMS to “National.”

NASAMS has never been used in any serious combat operation. While NASAMS dates back to the 1990s, it has, over time, been upgraded with better radars and other improvements.

NASAMS takes the AMRAAM air-to-air beyond-visual-range missile and uses it as a ground-based interceptor. It is not the first air defense system that uses an air defense missile for ground area protection. The US, France and Israel have fielded similar systems. NASAMS competes with Israel’s Spyder, which can launch Python and Derby missiles.

One of the key advantages of NASAMS is that there is a very large supply of AMRAAM missiles distributed around the world. Most of these are older models but it is supposed they are good enough to counter cruise missiles and drones – although that remains to be seen.

AMRAAM has a much shorter range when launched from the ground. It is estimated that AMRAAM on NASAMS could be effective only up to 25 miles.

NASAMS can also fire shorter-range infrared seeker missiles like the AIM-9 Sidewinder. But infrared-guided missiles have limited value against stealthy drones with tiny engines.

[Erik Latranyi]

The US turned a blind eye to IEDs that Iran supplied to the jihadists and killed/maimed thousands of US troops

[Travis McGee]

Once you have put both countries on Double Secret Even Secondary Sanction Probation, what is left, sending the Marines?

Yeah, that’ll work.

[Travis McGee]

See #3.

[gov_bean_ counter]

That is what happens when the Commander in Chief is compromised…

[marktwain]

That is what happens when the Commander in Chief is compromised…

If Biden were not compromised, the Ukrainian war would never have happened.

[Jet Jaguar]

If Biden were not compromised, the Ukrainian war would never have happened.

Good point

[dforest]

I believe that the drones are actually being made in Russia. That is why nothing is said.

[tlozo]

I believe that the drones are actually being made in Russia. That is why nothing is said.

LOL, so Russians are making drones with Farsi writing. Ok

On Oct. 28, according to the press service of the military intelligence of Ukraine, specialists disassembled a Mohajer-6 Iranian surveillance and strike drone, which was shot down over the Black Sea on Sep. 23. The drone was considered “significantly” inferior to its competitors in terms of performance.

Military intelligence determined the origin of the drone’s components, which Russia purchased from Iran to use as part of its war against Ukraine. Markings were found on the drone parts in Farsi, the official language of Iran,

https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/ukrainian-component-identified-in-disassembled-iranian-drone.html

[himno hero]

Obama gave his brethren favored nation status.
It continues through bidens hands.

[McGruff]

More sanctions? They seem to be working so well.

[dforest]

I don’t see any Farsi writing. The Russians were given the specs to make them themselves.

We all know Ukraine uses US weapons and weapons from other countries too.

[BobL]

“Combined with Russian cruise missiles”

FAKE NEWS - Russia ran out of cruise missiles 7 months ago.

[BobL]

“US turns blind eye to Iran’s drone exports to Russia”

Glad no one is sending weapons to Ukraine or this conflict could escalate...

[BobL]

What they’ll find out, after a few weeks, is that that they didn’t produce nearly enough ammo for the NASAMS to be able to deal with super-cheap drone swarms.

The West builds glitzy, expense, and in small quantities. They expect the same from their enemies, except that Russia plays chess and knows the damage that a swarm of pawns can do.

[BobL]

“I believe that the drones are actually being made in Russia. That is why nothing is said.”

But the headline is juicier if they claim (without evidence) that it’s Iran.

[Gen.Blather]

Having worked in defense for an entire career I was regularly trained in what could and could not be exported. Any US company knowingly exporting any defense or dual use article to Iran would be prosecuted. There could be jail time for individuals and fines for the company. If Iran is using US parts*, they are obtained through second or third parties. They may even be obtained through people who bought US scrap and then did not dispose of it properly. As for what the US can do to Iran, they are under some of the heaviest sanctions of any country and there isn’t a whole lot more that can be done.

* Having seen other countries pin-for-pin copy the defense articles made by companies I worked for I can attest that what might look like something made by General Dynamics, Boeing or Honeywell may well be made in China, Taiwan, South Korea or a host of other countries. Anytime the US puts something on the banned export list it automatically creates a market for those parts. Sometimes this is done in a sweat shop on a back alley and not in a big national industry. There are lots of really good engineers in out-of-the-way places willing to make a few extra bucks. The US doesn’t have a lock on talent.

[gov_bean_ counter]

True that.

[Widget Jr]

The US is not turning a blind eye. The problem is finding a weapon that is cost effective. Next year Vampire anti-drone systems using the APKWS guided rockets will go to Ukraine. That will get the cost per launcher and kill down.

[Travis McGee]

It’s completely typical for countries to produce their own version of successful weapon systems.

An example: The Swedish-designed “Bofors Gun” 40mm AA system was used by almost every participant in WW2. You see multiple examples on every USN warship firing in action against Kamikazes in USN WW2 film footage. To say these Swedish guns were prolific is an understatement. The Germans built and used them too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bofors_40_mm_L/60_gun

Today, the Israeli-designed Soltam 120mm mortar is used by a dozen countries, including Morocco. Arabs have no problem buying the license from Israel if the system works well enough. The US Army produces them under license, they are our standard 120mm mortar.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soltam_K6

I could go on and on with examples of countries copying and using successful weapon systems. Why reinvent the wheel if somebody else has already built and proven out the better mousetrap, so to speak?