Advanced Russian technology can engage multiple targets

Posted: August 07, 2010
12:30 am Eastern

Iran has received four S-300 Russian long range surface-to-air missile
systems even though Moscow decided not to implement a contract it had
with Tehran to deliver them because of the new United Nations sanctions
against the volatile state, according to an intelligence report..

The S-300 systems come from Belarus and one other unidentified country,
according to Iran's Fars news agency, which is associated with the
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC. However, the government
itself has not confirmed the delivery and Belarus officially denies
supplying the systems.

"The State Military-Industrial Committee can officially state that
Belarus has never held talks with Iran on the deliveries of the S-300
air defense systems," according to committee spokesman Vladimir Lavrenyuk.

However, there are indications that Tehran had been negotiating with
Belarus to acquire two surplus, trailer-mounted S-300PT systems,
informed sources said. They had been deployed near Minsk but Belarus
asked for $140 million for the two systems, sources said.

If Belarus sold the S-300s to Iran, Moscow's approval would have been
required. However, the fact that an official Iranian news agency with
close ties to the IRGC made the announcement suggests strongly that
there indeed was a sale, most likely from Belarus and that Russia would
have had to condone the transfer.

The S-300s over time will require refurbishment and upgrading and only
Moscow would be in a position to do that, unless the Kremlin has decided
to work through the Belarusians to mask its involvement due to the
recent U.N. sanctions.

Stanislav Shushkevich, a former Belarusian leader who is now an
opposition politician, said Russia indeed has used Belarus as a conduit
to deliver weapons to rogue countries.

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