Russia ratchets up US tensions with arms sales to Iran and Venezuela

The Times ^ | 9/19/2008 | Tony Halpin in Moscow and Alexi Mostrous in Washington

[bruinbirdman]

Russia defied the United States yesterday by announcing plans to sell military hardware to Iran and Venezuela.

The head of the state arms exporter said that he was negotiating to sell antiaircraft systems to Iran despite American objections. Russia has already delivered 29 Tor-M1 missile systems under a $700 million (£386 million) deal with Iran in 2005.

Russia's strategic aircraft, the Tu-160 or White Swan, world's largest supersonic bomber.
A pair of them touched down in Venezuela this week as Moscow announced big new arms sales

“Contacts between our countries are continuing and we do not see any reason to suspend them,” Anatoli Isaikin, the general director of Rosoboronexport, told RIA-Novosti news at an arms fair in South Africa.

Reports have circulated for some time that the Kremlin is preparing to sell its S300 surface-to-air missile system to Iran, offering greater protection against a possible US or Israeli attack on Islamic republic’s nuclear facilities. The missiles have a range of more than 90 miles (150km).

Sergei Chemezov, the head of the state-owned Russian Technologies, also disclosed that Venezuela’s leader, Hugo Chávez, wanted to buy antiaircraft systems, armoured personnel carriers, and SU35 fighter jets when they come into production in 2010.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Igor Sechin, one of the closest allies of Mr Putin, the Prime Minister, visited Venezuela and Cuba this week. Kommersant, the financial newspaper, said that Russia was forming “alliance relations” with the two antiAmerican regimes as a response to US involvement in former Soviet republics.

The Russian moves mark a serious deterioration in relations between Washington and Moscow. Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, threated to block Russia’s membership of key international organisations. She told the Kremlin that its “authoritarian policies” could prevent it from joining the

[bruinbirdman]

That's no Bear Bomber in Venezuela.

[FastCoyote]

I’m just guessing that a lot of this hardware is going to rot in place and be a huge maintenance headache for still relatively small Venezuela and Iran. From the past, Soviet military hardware is good, but not overwhelmingly reliable. I suspect this armament is a long term net liability.

[Nathan Zachary]

Hugo is going to have a heck of a time reading those Russian instructions.
Hugo can’t even read English, never mind turkey tracks.

what a JOKE Russia’s allie posturing is.
The two biggest idiots on earth (Putin is 3rd)

[FlingWingFlyer]

War toys for oil? There’s one for the Code Pinkos.

[bruinbirdman]

Oil price down? Rattle some sabers.

yitbos

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Ah this must be the “pressure” I keep hearing about that Russia is supposedly putting on Iran to give up the nuke program..........

.....

...

.

That’s what the Russophiles told me anyway.

0_o

[TDT]

This probably has more to do with Russia needing cash right now due to market and oil collapse. I wouldn’t worry about it, just a waste od cash for the Iranians as the second they are turned on they will be destroyed.

[TexasRepublic]

It matters little how much 2nd-rate Russian hardware is sold to 3rd-world countries. Those pissants are still frightened of us, despite any bravado. We will prevail, because it ain’t the size of the dog, but the fight in the dog that matters. When we are mad enough, we are the most dangerous people on earth.

[myknowledge]

Venezuelan Su-30MK2 Flanker-G