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Last update - 00:00 23/07/2008
Report: Israeli sources say Russia to supply new Iran air defenses
By Reuters
Tags: Nuclear, Air Defense, Iran 

Iran is set to receive an advanced Russian-made anti-aircraft system by the year's end that could help fend off any preemptive strikes against its nuclear facilities, senior Israeli defense sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

The first delivery of the S-300 missile batteries was expected as soon as early September, one source said, though it could take six to 12 months for them to be deployed and operable - a possible reprieve for Israeli and American military planners.

Washington has led a diplomatic drive to deny Iran access to nuclear technologies with bomb-making potential, while hinting that force could be a last resort. Israel, whose warplanes have been training for long-range missions, has made similar threats.
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But the allies appear to differ on when Iran, which denies seeking atomic arms, might get the S-300. The most sophisticated version of the system can track 100 targets at once and fire on planes 120 km (75 miles) away.

Iran, which already has TOR-M1 surface-to-air missiles from Russia, announced last December that an unspecified number of S-300s were on order. But Moscow denied there was any such deal.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has denied knowledge of the Russian delivery.

"Based on what I know, it's highly unlikely that those air defense missiles would be in Iranian hands any time soon," said Gates, responding in a July 9 briefing to a question about the S-300 - also known in the West as the SA-20.

Gates meant that Iran was a good number of months away from acquiring the system, a U.S. official said.

An Israeli defense official said Iran's contract with Russia required that the S-300s be delivered by the end of 2008. A second source said first units would arrive in early September.

The official agreed with the assessments of independent experts that the S-300 would compound the challenges that Iran - whose nuclear sites are numerous, distant, and fortified - would already pose for any future air strike campaign by Israel.

Israel does not have strategic "stealth" bombers like the United States, though the Israeli air force is believed to have developed its own radar-evading and jamming technologies.

"There's no doubt that the S-300s would make an air attack more difficult," said the official, who declined to be named.

"But there's an answer for every counter-measure, and as far as we're concerned, the sooner the Iranians get the new system, the more time we will have to inspect the deployments and tactical doctrines. There's a learning curve."

Israel, which is assumed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, reportedly carried out a large-scale air force drill over the Mediterranean last month which was widely seen as a "dress rehearsal" for a possible raid on Iran. Some analysts also described it as a bid to pressure the West to step up sanctions.

The exercise involved overflying parts of Greece, which is among a handful of countries to have bought and deployed S-300s. But Greek media quoted Athens officials as saying that the system's radars were "turned off" during the Israeli presence.

According to the Israeli official, it would take a year for Iran to deploy the
S-300s and man them with trained operators.

Robert Hewson, editor of Jane's Air-Launched Weapons, said: "The minimum work-up time to be comfortable with the system is six months, but more time is preferable."

Hewson said the Iranian S-300 deal was being conducted via Belarus to afford discretion for Russia, which is already under Western scrutiny for helping Iran build a major atomic reactor.

"Belarus is the proxy route whenever Russia wants to deny it is doing the sale. But nothing happens along that route without Moscow saying so," he said.



Related articles:
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  • Ahmadinejad's deputy: Iran is a friend of Israel
  • Is an attack on Iran a big risk?
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      1.   A "reprieve"? Don`t be silly! 19:36  |  Clickfool 23/07/08
      2.   good, let them even up to israel`s 1,000 fighters 19:48  |  avrum 23/07/08
      3.   better never than late 20:12  |  frenz 23/07/08
      4.   I Guess Olmert`s Sickening Public Ass Kissing Did Not Work 20:16  |  Tod Zuckerman 23/07/08
      5.   Clickfool`s logic (?!?) 20:21  |  Sam C 23/07/08
      6.   Go Iran go! Ancient civilisation I salute you! Take charge of the 20:28  |  lakshmi 23/07/08
      7.   For Sam C # 5 20:48  |  Clickfool 23/07/08
      8.   CLICKFOOL: You could not be MORE wrong 20:57  |  Brant 23/07/08
      9.   Sam C, Israel has rational leaders 20:59  |  Mark B. 23/07/08
      10.   Danger is in the air 21:04  |  Shoshana Thomasson 23/07/08
      11.   Withdrawal to 67 borders is the issue with Iran 21:09  |  Ivar 23/07/08
      12.   What For? 21:16  |  Yosemite 23/07/08
      13.   False America god won`t save you! Use the neutron bomb already! 21:17  |  Ethan 23/07/08
      14.   For Brant # 8 21:21  |  Clickfool 23/07/08
      15.   #3 Frenz 21:41  |  chris 23/07/08
      16.   WOW, now they can get the missiles as well before activation. 21:41  |  The Equalizer 23/07/08
      17.   It?s time to act! 21:47  |  Jean Van Daem 23/07/08
      18.   #8, Arabs 21:59  |  Persian Hero 23/07/08
      19.   Russians....... 22:18  |  William 23/07/08
      20.   lakshmi Ancient Civilization? 22:19  |  Yosemite 23/07/08
      21.   TO ALL 22:34  |  Patriot 23/07/08
      22.   Iran`s ancient Persian civilization is destroyed by Ayatollahs 22:46  |  Genuine Tosefta 23/07/08
      23.   14, your cure is worse than the disease 22:46  |  Ivar 23/07/08
      24.   Jews are perfectly happy to allow Muslims to never forget J`slem 22:50  |  Genuine Tosefta 23/07/08
      25.   @11 Ivar you are quite right 22:50  |  Mark B. 23/07/08
      26.   This Is Exactly Why The West Should Not Be Friends With Russia 22:57  |  Dish It Out 23/07/08
      27.   No 6 to Brant 23:00  |  sohel saheen 23/07/08
      28.   Yes. God Bless Iran!!! No attack for Israel 23:04  |  scalito 23/07/08
      29.   no 13...ETHAN 23:05  |  sohel saheen 23/07/08
      30.   Russia will never risk to alienate Israel 23:12  |  mehmet 23/07/08
      31.   Sorry Click, Van Daem, 14, got bumped up to 17 23:14  |  Ivar 23/07/08
      32.   Ivar in Estonia:more revisionism 23:25  |  Arie 23/07/08
      33.   Is Jimmy Carter negotiating the deal? 23:27  |  Arie 23/07/08
      34.   This is wonderful news. Defend Iran from Israeli Tyranny!! 23:28  |  POP 23/07/08
      35.   Where are the Revalationists When we Need Them? 23:34  |  Jane 23/07/08
      36.   Buy some 23:51  |  Sol 23/07/08
      37.   I agree with CF 23:55  |  BBSNews 23/07/08
      38.   Ahmadinejad`s suicide 00:32  |  Realist 24/07/08
      39.   Iran ordening air DEFENSE systems 00:34  |  Mark B. 24/07/08
      40.   Clickfool & also 20 Yosemite,Clickfool spot on! 00:58  |  lakshmi 24/07/08
      41.   #28 mehmet 01:04  |  maoriboy 24/07/08
      42.   A new kind of war 01:05  |  Harold 24/07/08
      43.   #8 And which Arab street? 01:14  |  Benham 24/07/08
      44.   #10 Russia and China 01:17  |  Benham 24/07/08
      45.   # 6 lakshmi - Iran forsake its civilization becoming muslim 01:17  |  17 24/07/08
      46.   Once again Clickfool speaks out of both sides of his mouth!!!!!! 01:20  |  SE 24/07/08
      47.   #13 Talmudic Armaggedon 01:24  |  Benham 24/07/08
      48.   #10 Shoshana Thomasson 01:27  |  Boycott 24/07/08
      49.   #35 BBSNews 01:36  |  maoriboy 24/07/08
      50.   #17 No end to warmongering 01:38  |  Benham 24/07/08
      51.   #18 you are right 01:42  |  Benham 24/07/08
      52.   #20 So where is your gratitude? 01:48  |  benham 24/07/08
      53.   #21 Why the wait? 01:52  |  Benham 24/07/08
      54.   sohel saheen - you`re sort of right 01:52  |  natan 24/07/08
      55.   #25 You are absolutely right 01:56  |  Benham 24/07/08
      56.   Iran is wasting money - It wont help them 02:18  |  Mike Binelli 24/07/08
      57.   Borscht! 03:13  |  Ramius 24/07/08
      58.   S300 or 400 ? 03:22  |  mikeber 24/07/08
      59.   Russia arming the belligerents 03:30  |  Brod 24/07/08
      60.   Ivar # 11 03:36  |  mikeber 24/07/08
      61.   #35 US news reports that 03:48  |  ballistic 24/07/08
      62.   Click, please don`t leave 03:54  |  Fish 24/07/08
      63.   Jane #33 04:55  |  Brod 24/07/08