Russia confirms missile defence contract with Iran
“Moscow: Amid the escalating crisis around Iran’s nuclear programme, Russia said Thursday that it will still arm Tehran with missiles that can secure nuclear facilities from attacks.
“We concluded a contract for the supply of air-defence systems to Iran and there is no reason not to fulfil it,” Mikhail Dmitriyev, the head of Russia’s military-technical cooperation agency, told journalists here.
Worth an estimated $700 million, the deal for up to 30 Tor M-1 surface-to-air missiles is the largest since Russia in 2000 withdrew from an agreement with the US restricting the supply of military hardware to Iran.
Dmitriyev rejected media reports that talks were underway for the additional supply of heavier S-300 air-defence missiles.
Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov has stressed that the Tor is a defensive system and that the sale does not violate Russia’s international obligations.
The weapon is effective against aircraft, cruise missiles and guided bombs.
There was no indication when the systems would be shipped to Iran.
The missiles are expected to be deployed at the nuclear research centre at Isfahan and the reactor that Russia is completing for Iran at the southern port of Bushehr.
According to Dmitriyev, Russia’s overall exports of arms in 2005 were worth a record $6.1 billion. The sales target for 2006 is $7 billion, he added.
The main customers for Russian military hardware are China and India. ”
Source: newKerala.com [ opens in new window ]
You keep hammering at this -why?
Comment by Donncha — February 21, 2006 @ 6:20 pm
Testing comments system.
Comment by the smurph — February 21, 2006 @ 6:25 pm
Because it’s important Donncha :-)
Comment by markfromireland — February 21, 2006 @ 8:26 pm
Comment by the troll — February 21, 2006 @ 8:43 pm
For God’s sake! Someone’s getting really effed off with the comments. Getting a little stressed with the coding are we??
Comment by declan — February 21, 2006 @ 8:47 pm
Snarl deco snarl
Comment by markfromireland — February 21, 2006 @ 9:22 pm
You know the problem with you deco is that you’re intelligent and know me too well. That’s why you were the best sergeant I ever had serve under me.
Comment by markfromireland — February 21, 2006 @ 9:32 pm
Your new site looks great…excellent..and glad to read your stuff…allways good …
Comment by enigma — February 22, 2006 @ 12:51 am
Hmm… I seem to remember reading the Iranians had already taken delivery of the system?
Comment by Gert — February 22, 2006 @ 5:31 pm
There seems to be some doubt as to that Gert.
What I’ve been told is that they’ve take delivery of “at least three but less than ten.” Usually that individual knows what he’s talking about so I’m inclined to believe him. So I’m assuming that they have around 5 or so. Largely I freely admit because that seems intuitively plausible.
It would rather diminish the riskiness of air attacks if the situation were that none had been delivered. But as I say it seems that they have a minimum of three. Getting the entire batch at once seems a bit unlikely if only for training. I seem to remember reading somewhere a while after Greece took delivery that Papanikolaou (chief of staff) said something to the effect that the system had so many capabilities that training people to use them all effectively was a bit of a sod.
I can’t remember where in hell I read that though and as I type doubts are starting as whether it was Papanikolaou or somebody else. I can do some googling if you think it’s very important
Comment by markfromireland — February 22, 2006 @ 8:16 pm
LOVE the tricolour title!
Comment by Grania — February 22, 2006 @ 9:33 pm
Well if you’ve got it flaunt it to coin a phrase :-) - it’s even functional clicking it always gets you back to the front page.
Comment by markfromireland — February 22, 2006 @ 11:39 pm
Mark–
Do you think that this means Putin blames Bush for messing up his talks with Iran?
I saw the talks on enrichment as an opportunity to push Iran into a corner. If they didn’t take the deal, they would have slighted Russia, and made it easier for the U.S. and Europe to isolate Iran. Iran’s alternative would be to take the deal and end the crisis. Brilliant diplomacy on Putin’s part, right?
Not if Cheneyco did everything possible to scuttle the deal, which they did. Now it appears that the outcome of the talks is a rift between Russia and the U.S. Leave it to Condi to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Comment by gordo — February 25, 2006 @ 3:06 am
Putin’s a Russian traditionalist would be my take on that Gordo. It’s in their interest to be friendly with Tehran, more than that they want to back them into a corner.
Sorry to take so long to get back to you on this.
mfi
Comment by markfromireland — February 26, 2006 @ 8:37 pm
Oh - and to say that he doesn’t like Bush is I gather something of an understatement. No country likes being ringed round by military bases, and when those bases belong to an agressively expanding power the well you do what he did - team up with, in this case China, to get ‘em chucked out.
Comment by markfromireland — February 26, 2006 @ 8:39 pm
Amnesty International are using a shpooing channel to raise awareness of the international arms trade. The human rights charity has created a very slick advert showing two bubbly presenters in a homely studio selling AK 47 rifles.
Check it out at:
http://www.protectthehuman.com/teleshop/guns/
Go on the Irish!
Comment by Spouting Shite — March 9, 2006 @ 11:22 pm