Russians deny selling S-300s to Iran; U.S. skeptical

[batmannow]

Russians deny selling S-300s to Iran; U.S. skeptical

By MARTIN SIEFF, UPI Senior News Analyst
Published: Dec. 26, 2008 at 12:46 AM


WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- A senior Russian diplomat Thursday denied the claim by a prominent Iranian lawmaker that Moscow had started delivering components of its S0-300 anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic missile defense system to Tehran.

"I am very surprised by the fuss this story has caused recently. I think this is due to a lack of interesting international news in the run-up to the holidays that many of our Western neighbors are celebrating. This causes an influx of interest in information, which has nothing to do with anything that is going on or will happen," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters in Moscow, according to a report from RIA Novosti.

As previously reported in UPI's BMD Focus column, Esmaeil Kosari, deputy chairman of the parliamentary commission on national security and foreign policy, told Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency Sunday that Russia was already sending components for its formidable S-300PMU-1 system -- NATO designation SA-20 Gargoyle -- to the Islamic republic. In Washington, the outgoing Bush administration quizzed Russia about the report. U.S. officials indicated they also had intelligence information to support Kosari's claim.

However, Russian officials have lined up to deny the claim. Ryabkov insisted that while Russia's weapons and nuclear trading with Iran was continuing, it was all above board and complied with international law.

RIA Novosti also noted that on Monday the Russian federal service for military cooperation also issued a denial of Kosari's claim. "Reports on deliveries of S-300 systems are untrue," it announced in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Iranian government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has remained silent on the controversy, neither confirming nor denying Kosari's claim.

RIA Novosti also reported an Israeli Foreign Ministry statement that the Kremlin had also sent a message to the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that it had not begun to send the S-300s to Iran.

Russian military commentator Ilya Kramnik wrote for RIA Novosti on Dec. 19 that selling five battalions of S-300PMUs to Iran would comprise "up to 20 systems -- 60 launchers -- depending on the makeup of a battalion. Each of the launchers carries four 48N6E missiles -- 48N6E2s with the PMU-2 mobile launchers -- with a range of 150 kilometers -- 90 miles -- up to 200 kilometers -- 120 miles -- for the 48N6E2s."

"Each launch system consists of three launchers and is capable of engaging six targets at the same time, aiming 12 missiles at them. One battalion consisting of four systems is, therefore, capable of dealing with 24 aircraft simultaneously. After changing position and replenishing ammunition, it can be quickly redeployed for repulsing a repeat raid," Kramnik wrote.

Russia also sent to Iran 29 Tor-M1 air defense missile systems worth $700 million under a deal closed in late 2005. RIA Novosti confirmed that Russian technicians had taught Iranian engineers and technicians how to operate the Tor-M1, including the radar systems that guide it.

The issue of whether Russia has in fact already sent components of the S-300 system to Iran is still open. The Israelis appear more ready to accept Russian assurances that they have not than the U.S. government.

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[batmannow]

Supply and Deny

Kharian_Beast; sir
RUSSIA is playing the same game, what USA has mastered itself!

 

[Moscow]

Kharian_Beast; sir
RUSSIA is playing the same game, what USA has mastered itself!

they do it all the time , russia has being doing this for a long long time.
what the official papers show is only a part of what they actually sell.

but point here is russia sticks to its friends<clients> all the time be it in war or in peace unlike the US who change their foreign polices according to what suits them best for the said time.

 

[batmannow]

they do it all the time , russia has being doing this for a long long time.
what the official papers show is only a part of what they actually sell.

but point here is russia sticks to its friends<clients> all the time be it in war or in peace unlike the US who change their foreign polices according to what suits them best for the said time.

moscow;sir
i really like to see , russia same as before, but in a different role against the "so called"immprealist power of the world, & i will support russia in its right full place!

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Russia can be a great friend of the Muslims in South Asia if they distance themselves from their over reliance on India.

 

[Moscow]

Russia can be a great friend of the Muslims in South Asia if they distance themselves from their over reliance on India.

sir as per my opinion russia will never abandon india,it can be friends with pakistan ,bangladesh,srilanka and the rest of the south asian world.
believe me russia wants to have better relations with asia than with US or europe.
but the point is they cannot distance themselves from india atleast not in the next century, the indo-russia relations are very deep rooted and sir lets be practical, russia is a developing country it needs investments, manpower,high funds, which other country can provide russia with so much resources than india, the whole south asia combined cannot gather resources as much as india can. the end result is MONEY SPEAKS...


moreover indo-us relations is the point that everyone talks about, who better than pakistan knows how the us changes its colours.
people talk about how russia india relations have worsened in recent times.that is far from the truth,the only thing is the indo-us relations get more publicity.infact india is more close to russia,france and israel than any other country,if you follow the foreign policies of india you will note that they hardly trust the US,they want their support to have a greater say in the U.N.<ex the nuclear agreement,if there was not us support it would be impossible for india to get such an agreement.>
why do you think india wants to develop aircraft,missiles,gps navigation with russia and not with the us.
on the cultural and economic front russia has made available unlimited work permit for indian nations,and tax reductions for indian companies a previlage even many CIS countries does not have.a lot of indian companies are flooding the russsian markets. the next century will be dominated by resources,oil,gas etc and russia has that in huge amount and the country that needs these most in south asia is india.


so russia will be friends with whole of south asia including india and pakistan both that would be ideal.

 

[IceCold]

so russia will be friends with whole of south asia including india and pakistan both that would be ideal.

For that Russia would have to get rid of the indian appeasement foreign policy and take its role as a regional power with developing ties with all the important players and not just India.
Pakistan has repeatedly asked Russia to broaden up a bit in terms of its policy w.r.t Pakistan and stop seeing it through India's eye. I know our past relations have not been pleasant but the over all strategic situation has changed and so is the need and IMO Russia needs to understand this changing going on and deal with Pakistan accordingly.

 

[Moscow]

For that Russia would have to get rid of the indian appeasement foreign policy and take its role as a regional power with developing ties with all the important players and not just India.
Pakistan has repeatedly asked Russia to broaden up a bit in terms of its policy w.r.t Pakistan and stop seeing it through India's eye. I know our past relations have not been pleasant but the over all strategic situation has changed and so is the need and IMO Russia needs to understand this changing going on and deal with Pakistan accordingly.

sir russia do look at pakistan in a different perspective than what the USSR had. former president vladimir putin himself intervened and allowed china to sell its fighter planes manufactured by russian engines and technology even though india tried its best to block the sales. most of the chinese aircraft are reverse engineered from russian jets they also have licence production rights
similarly whenever india has defence procurement from russia<fighters,tanks etc> the clause states that russia would not be able to sell the same or similar technology to pakistan.
u see the hands are tied, but we have a round about way of selling russian tech thats through china. many chinese equipment contains russian technology which are passed to pakistan.

 

[IceCold]

sir russia do look at pakistan in a different perspective than what the USSR had. former president vladimir putin himself intervened and allowed china to sell its fighter planes manufactured by russian engines and technology even though india tried its best to block the sales. most of the chinese aircraft are reverse engineered from russian jets they also have licence production rights
similarly whenever india has defence procurement from russia<fighters,tanks etc> the clause states that russia would not be able to sell the same or similar technology to pakistan.
u see the hands are tied, but we have a round about way of selling russian tech thats through china. many chinese equipment contains russian technology which are passed to pakistan.

Pakistan does understand the Russian sensitivity and if you remember Ex president Musharraf called Chechnya an internal matter of Russia which took Russians by surprise. Pakistan does want to have a better relations with Russia and the deal that you mentioned, yes indeed it was a move that surprised many including Indians. Also Russian PM visited Pakistan and i think that was the first time (correct me on this one) that a Russian high level person such as the PM visted Pakistan.
My point was that Russia with its economy getting back on track, should now take its role and specially in a time when India does seem to be moving in the western nexus. Its not about buying weapons anymore, rather the geostrategic partnerships being created.

 

[Drauhtinon]

Pakistan does understand the Russian sensitivity and if you remember Ex president Musharraf called Chechnya an internal matter of Russia which took Russians by surprise. Pakistan does want to have a better relations with Russia and the deal that you mentioned, yes indeed it was a move that surprised many including Indians. Also Russian PM visited Pakistan and i think that was the first time (correct me on this one) that a Russian high level person such as the PM visted Pakistan.
My point was that Russia with its economy getting back on track, should now take its role and specially in a time when India does seem to be moving in the western nexus. Its not about buying weapons anymore, rather the geostrategic partnerships being created.

Good point Sir, not to deviate the topic but I would like to add that this Russia's geostrategy on South Asia must take into account Southeast Asia simply due to its vicinity. My neighbor and brothers the Malaysians and us have become your new "clients" with the SU-27 and SU-30 (hopefully there will be KILOs soon on our waters), it's time to strengthen the bond with Rossiya, now how about some Udaloy

Mr. Moscow, on the notion that ANY nation "sticks to its friends all the time be it in war or in peace" I beg to differ on that because pragmatism, jealousy, suspicion rules most of the time. As Trotsky said (correct me on this) "such is the relations between nations." Though I must admit that the bear was more true to her commitment than the bald eagle. on this point Indonesia clearly knows that reliance to the us and the west will be devastating to the military once they impose one of those damn embargoes. USSR, on the other hand didn't just simply abandon their friends even when something bad occurs. In 1965 after wicked suharto's coup and mass killings of 500,000 plus suspected commies, the soviet union protested but didn't cut the supply of spareparts for our MiG-21s, Tu-16s and Sverdlov.