Russian S-300 Missile Systems placed on Combat Duty in Iran

The commander of Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base, Brigadier General Farzad Esmail said that Russian-made S-300 Air Defense Missile Systems have assumed combat duty in Iran, but didn’t specify the area where the Russian air defense missile systems had been deployed.

The S-300s have assumed combat duty and are operational. This is the first official statement on the deployment of S-300 missile systems in Iran.

The general also said that Iran’s homegrown long-range air defense missile system dubbed Bavar-373 was planned to be tested soon.

Russia signed a contract with Iran in 2007 on the delivery of S-300 air defense missiles systems to the Islamic Republic. However, the contract’s fulfillment was suspended in 2010.

In April 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted Russia’s ban on the delivery of S-300 air defense systems to Iran and in November that year the contract came into force.

The S-300 is an anti-aircraft missile system capable of destroying modern and cutting-edge aircraft, including planes using stealth technology, as well as medium-range ballistic missiles, tactical and cruise missiles, and also radar surveillance and guidance aircraft, reconnaissance and strike complexes.

The value of the contract with Iran for the supply of S-300 air defense systems almost reached $1 billion, the chief of the Rostec corporation, Sergey Chemezov, told the media.

The S-300 cost about one billion dollars. No more supplies of Russian weapons to Iran were due for now, he added.

Furthermore, Russia and the United Arab Emirates will get down to joint work on a future light 5th generation jet on the basis of MiG-29 as of 2018, according to Chemezov.

Earlier, Russian Industry and Trade Minister, Denis Manturov said that Russia and the UAE had concluded an agreement on industrial cooperation in military engineering, which enabled them to launch a fifth generation.

The head of the United Aircraft Corporation, Yuri Slyusar said the work on the plane was at the initial phase and Russia was in the process of drafting proposals. The UAC would participate in the project as the leader organization, and Sukhoi and MiG as co-contributors.

At the end of 2015 Chemezov announced that Russia and the United Arab Emirates were in talks over a potential Sukhoi-35 contract. Also, he said that Brazil and Indonesia had taken interest in the plane, too.

TASS / ABC Flash Point Military News 2018.