International Periscope
Newsweek

Dec. 19, 2005 issue - Iran: Bolstering Its Defenses
What is Iran up to? Russia's giant arms-export company Rosvooruzheniye announced last week that Tehran has agreed to spend $1 billion on 30 Tor M1 air-defense missile systems, capable of protecting a target from up to 48 incoming planes or projectiles to a range of six kilometers. Iran currently has no comprehensive air defenses, leaving its cities and dozens of nuclear-research installations vulnerable to air raids. The Tor M1 purchase is just the first stage of a more comprehensive Iranian purchasing program, according to a Rosvooruzheniye source who did not wish to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. There are "ongoing talks" between Moscow and Tehran, he says, to purchase a much more sophisticated S-300 strategic air-defense system, which has a range of more than 150km and provides much more comprehensive cover. That system, says defense analyst Pavel Felgenhauer, is "really one of the most sophisticated in the world." Russia has also agreed to upgrade Iran's small fleet of MiG-29 interceptor planes to make them more effective against enemy aircraft. That's a worrying detail—those MiGs could be an "equal rival to the first-line fighters of Israel and the United States in an air fight at short ranges," says Shlomo Brom, former head of strategic planning for the Israel Defense Forces.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insists that such arms sales "do not alter the strategic balance, because they are of a purely defensive nature." By the terms of a 1995 deal forged by the then Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin and U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Russia agreed not to sign any new arms deals with Tehran. But in 2002, Russia reopened arms talks because the rising price of oil had made Iran a good, cash-rich customer. Air-defense-system sales in particular are big business, because only about 10 percent of the components of the system needs to be manufactured from scratch. (The other components, including the missiles, are old Soviet-era stock.) Russian arms exports for this year are expected to top $5.1 billion, 70 percent of which is going to China.

—Owen Matthews and Kevin Peraino

"do not alter the strategic balance, because they are of a purely defensive nature."

The hell?

Serbia had the Mig-29 and the soviet era air defense systems. But our air operations were succesful.

I don't know if the Iranians could hold off the Israelis, especially if the Israelis had covert support from US stealth aircraft.

Not to worry guys. All the smart and talented Iranians moved to the USA a long time ago. All they have left are a bunch of sandmonkeys who can't coordinate an air defense network. They might shoot down a few dozen aircraft just from sheer blind luck, but it won't stop a US-led air assault that runs hundreds of sorties a day.

This thread has a lot more info

Quoted: This thread has a lot more info

Thanks

Russian Hardware = Junk

Show me where any of their newer stuff has been successful in combat.

anyone....anyone....bueller....bueller....

tick tick tick...

ISR has time because it takes time to deliever and deploy the systems and to train the Iranians in their use. That is, as long as the Russians don't send 'advisers' to help. I think that finding a couple of Russian technicians in the ruble of a AA site might cause some problems.

Wait a second I thought the Russians were supposed to be our friends now? NOT

What is the deal here? Lets sell some shit to the chechans

Quoted: Wait a second I thought the Russians were supposed to be our friends now? NOT

Russia is nobody's friend but their own now.  And even if they were our friend, they would be almost powerless to stop black market arms sales considering the rampant corruption in their government and police forces.

Quoted: What is the deal here? Lets sell some shit to the chechans

I would agree except I'm afraid that in the long run it would come back and bite us in @$$.  Alot of the Chechans are islamo-fascists as well, and I'm afraid the end result could be somewhat similar to what happened when the US was supplying Osama bin Laden with weapons to kick the Soviets out of Afghanistan.

Quoted: What is the deal here? Lets sell some shit to the chechans

It would just come back in hurt us, Im sure we would if we didnt have a problem with the jihadist.

I wouldn't worry about it. The Israelis are gonna take care of this for us.

Maybe we should sell the Israelis some Sidearm and Harm missles............I am sure these wouldnt alter the strategic balance at all either

Quoted: Quoted: What is the deal here? Lets sell some shit to the chechans I would agree except I'm afraid that in the long run it would come back and bite us in @$$.  Alot of the Chechans are islamo-fascists as well, and I'm afraid the end result could be somewhat similar to what happened when the US was supplying Osama bin Laden with weapons to kick the Soviets out of Afghanistan.

I was not serious, just making a point.

Knowing the Israelis they probably have better shit than we do.  +1 on not worrying about it.