Russia to supply S-300 long-range anti-aircraft/missile systems to Iran

Beirut, Lebanon: Mid-week Iranian officials said that they had signed a contract to buy an advanced Russian S-300 anti-aircraft system. The system's long-range capability has the potential to complicate any plans for a pre-emptive air and missile strike by US or Israeli warplanes.

The new technology incorporated into the S-300 anti-aircraft system puts it at least at par with, if not superior in some respects, to the US Patriot missiles.

The S-300 was developed by the former Soviet Union as part of its cruise missile and aircraft defence shield. Subsequent developments enabled the system to take on ballistic missiles as well.

With the current deal, the S-300 system will augment the TOR-M1 anti-aircraft missiles that Iran purchased from Russia and received earlier this year. While the TOR-M1 missiles are restricted in their range, and intended to take on lower-flying planes, unmanned vehicles and precision-guided weapons, the S-300 missiles will take on targets at a distance, such as AWACS and other stand-off weapon platforms.

The deal allows Iran to put in place a two-tier missile and aircraft defence system that will be modern and quite lethal. The deal serves to disturb all scenarios that were looking at US, European and Israeli air forces exercising their superior capabilities to carry out 'surgical' strikes on Iranian nuclear and other strategic installations.

The contract was signed Tuesday in Iran and announced Wednesday by Iranian defence minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, according to state-controlled news agencies and Web sites.

Until recently, Iran's air-defence system used static deployments and was considered vulnerable to any air attack.

Russia had agreed in 2005 to sell Iran its modern, mobile TOR-M1 anti-aircraft systems, which are based on a battle tank platform, providing the system considerable mobility. Under the deal, Russia agreed to sell Iran 29 tank launchers, each carrying its own radar and eight guided missiles.

The sale predictably drew harsh criticism from US officials, with deputy White House press secretary, Scott Stanzel, expressing concern over the deal, which he said had not been confirmed by Russia as of late Wednesday.