Iran to get new Russian air defences by '09 -Israel

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Iran is set to receive an advanced Russian-made anti-aircraft system by year-end that could help fend off any preemptive strikes against its nuclear facilities, senior Israeli defence sources said on Wednesday.

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.

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."

<snip>

"An Israeli defence 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."

more

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Well, what did everyone think Iran would do when it received daily threats to bomb it?

Just wait for it to happen?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

6. Isn't it interesting the way so many Americans expect another foreign nation to

act in according to American interests? Forget about the fact that Iran is a sovereign nation...

Wouldn't the the sensible thing be for ALL nations, including the US and Israel give up their nuclear arms programs?

[Megahurtz]

9. Agreed! n/t

[Muttocracy]

2. thanks W - you've given us two wars and taken us back to conflict w/ Iran and Russia. nt

[Hydra]

3. Russia and China indirectly support Iran

But I bet we attack anyway.

WWIII coming and we'll be the ones who start it. I never thought I'd see that!

[bemildred]

4. Why do I think this has something to do with the election?

"We gotta bomb Iran while Bush is still in office, otherwise it will never happen."

[azurnoir]

7. Maybe with the outcome of the election?

If McCain wins perhaps Bush will let him do the "honors", if Obama wins nothing like letting the opposition take office with a war he most likely would not have started?

Just a thought

[bemildred]

8. I think it's time to start colonies in the asteroid belt.

We are all soo screwed down here.

[hack89]

5. Iranian Missiles Decoded

July 16, 2008: Iran now has something else to worry about. Recent Israeli Air Force exercises near Greece, using over a hundred aircraft, apparently also involved Greek S-300 surface-to-air missile systems. Roughly equivalent to the U.S. Patriot, the Russian built S-300 was known as the SA-10 to NATO, when the system first appeared in the early 1980s. S-300 missiles weigh 1.8 tons each and are 26 feet long and about 20 inches in diameter. The missiles have a range of some 200 kilometers and can hit targets as high as 100,000 feet. The missile has a 320 pound warhead.

Russia sold the S-300 to Cyprus in 1998, but Greece ended up with them to settle a dispute between Cyprus and Turkey (a long story…). Although the S-300 systems the Iranians have are of more recent design, the Greek systems provided the Israelis with practical experience in dealing with the S-300. Combine that with what Israeli espionage may already know about Iranian air defenses, and the Iranians have to consider the possibility that the Israelis now have the ability to blow right past the S-300 defenses.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htada/articles/20080716.aspx