Russia accelerates deliveries of SAM systems to Iran, Syria

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MOSCOW — Russia has delivered more than half of the anti-aircraft defense systems ordered by Iran and Syria.

Russian defense officials said Moscow has accelerated deliveries of surface-to-air missiles to Damascus and Teheran over the past few months. The SAM contract with Syria has been completed, while half of the air defense systems arrived in Teheran.

"We are actively carrying out deliveries of the system to Iran," the Russian state-operated Itar-Tass news agency quoted a Russian Defense Ministry official as saying on Jan. 2. "At least 50 percent of the contract has been delivered."

In 2005, Iran purchased at least 29 TOR-M1 short-range mobile anti-aircraft systems from Russia. Over the past year, officials said, Iran ordered additional batteries as well as enhancements to the TOR-M1 in an overall contract estimated at $1.4 billion.

Itar-Tass said the TOR-M1 would defend Iranian nuclear sites, including the reactor constructed at Bushehr. Some of the batteries have already been deployed.

The United States has opposed the TOR-M1 project. In 2006, the State Department imposed sanctions on Russia's state arms export agency Rosoboronexport.

Officials said Moscow has supplied dozens of SA-18 systems to Moscow in a sale that exceeded $20 million. The SA-18, designed as a shoulder-fired short-range surface-to-air missile, has been mounted on Syrian combat vehicles.

Israeli intelligence sources said Syria may have already transferred some SA-18 systems to Hizbullah, which fought a 34-day war with Israel in mid-2006. The sources said Syria's purchase of the advanced Igla-S, with a range of 5.2 kilometers, was financed by Iran in a move meant to bolster Hizbullah's anti-aircraft capabilities.

Valery Kashin, head of the Engineering Design Bureau, which manufactures the portable air defense system, told the Moscow-based Interfax news agency that Russia completed SA-18 deliveries in 2006. Kashin did not elaborate.

Russian officials said Syria has been discussing a range of additional purchases from Moscow. President Bashar Assad examined Russian offers of the S-300PMU and Pantsir S-1 air defense systems as well as Iskander rockets, submarines and anti-tank missiles during his visit in December 2006.


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