The S-300P Surface To Air Missile

Iranians Sue Russians For Refusal To Supply S-300 Missile System

The Iranian government has brought a lawsuit against the Russian government to the International Court over Moscow's failure to deliver S-300 missile systems to Tehran. The Iranian ambassador to Moscow, Mahmoud Reza Sajjadi, held a news conference in Moscow on Wednesday to complain to the Russian media and people.

Sajjadi said during the news conference that the S-300 shipment would not be a violation of the UN Security Council's Resolution #1929, that prohibits the sale to Iran of conventional weapons, including missiles, tanks, military helicopters, warplanes and warships.

The Iranian diplomat told the reporters that President Ahdmadinejad ordered the lawsuit in the hope that the court would rule in favor of Iran and thus help Russia carry out the weapons shipment.

Iran and Russia signed the S-300 contract in 2007 during the Bush Administration. Russian leader Vladmir Putin became the de fact arms dealer of the world by selling arms and weapons systems to countries such as Iran, Syria, Venezuela, North Korea and others.

In September 2010, under pressure from the U.S. and European Union, the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed an agreement banning shipments to Iran of the weapons and equipment listed in the UN resolution.

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Pakistan May Seek Chinese Interceptor Missile Defense System by 2012

Pakistan may seek help from Beijing for high-altitude and anti-ballistic missile (ABM) defenses, defense observers say. “Pakistan is actively looking to purchase a high-altitude missile air defense system,” said defense analyst Haris Khan of the Pakistan Military Consortium. “Reports indicate that the Chinese HQ-9/FD2000 developed by the China Academy of Defence Technology is the front-runner, but I think it is the only candidate, since no other supplier will sell these types of missiles to Pakistan.” But other observers here noted obstacles, including defense budget cuts and a rough patch in relations between the two governments.



The HQ-9 reportedly blends technology from Chinese efforts, Russian S-300s and an early version of the U.S. Patriot system obtained from Israel. Chinese sources say it can hit aircraft out to 125 kilometers, air-launched cruise missiles out to 50 kilometers, and ballistic missiles out to 25 kilometers — representing ABM capability equivalent to the Indian AAD and American PAC-3.

There has been speculation that Pakistan acquired an HQ-9 variant called the FT-2000 some years ago as a short-term countermeasure against India’s airborne early warning and control aircraft, but no such missile has been seen in the country, and some sources say the FT-2000 was never actually produced.

“China has always fulfilled its promise to meet Pakistan’s defense needs” Akhtar said. He noted that China needs Pakistan as a bulwark against Indian hegemony in southern Asia, and said the “all-weather, strategic Sino-Pak relationship had moved beyond a purely defense relationship” to a “deep economic relationship.” Akhtar also dismissed concerns about budget cuts, saying that the enduring Sino-Pak relationship makes him “optimistic that this would not affect Pakistan’s defensive capabilities in the long run.” But Shireen Mazari, a former head of the Institute of Strategic Studies, has written that the government’s Strategic Planning Division, which controls the planning and deployment of strategic weapons, had cut research and development funding in high-technology areas.

Khan agreed. “The SPD’s funds have been curtailed,” especially for newer projects, he said. Strategic Planning Division officials have rejected these statements. Khan also said the SPD and the National Engineering and Scientific Commission, which handles the design and production of ballistic missiles and other defense programs, had been instructed to slow work on certain projects. “In the short to medium term, there might not be any effects, but in the long term, these reductions will cause fault lines which Pakistan cannot afford,” Khan said. How these political and financial developments will affect a potential HQ-9 deal is unclear. “The Pakistan government has an eye on these Indian ambitions, and would definitely have to counter the threat,” Akhtar said.

S-300, Tor SAMs to Challenge Turkish Air Force Fighter in Training

Turkey is planning to buy elements of S-300 systems from Ukraine and Belarus to deploy them in its electronic combat simulation center, to be used for evaluation of the EW systems operational with TUAF F-16 fighters. During these tests those systems will be jammed, enabling Turkey to develop effective countermeasures and tactics. According to the Turkish daily Today's Zaman, the decision to buy former Soviet-designated SA-12 (300V version) and SA-10 (S-300) missile systems, as well as SA-15 TOR short and medium-range systems, at a cost of around $100 million, was approved in July 2008.

This acquisition is separate from a planned procurement of a squadron of 12 missile defense systems, under a planned $4 billion program launched in 2007. Turkey is considering the S-300, a US proposal offering combined air and missile defense system comprising Patriot PAC-3 and PAC-2 missiles, an Israeli bid offering the Arrow missile system and Chinese HQ-9, considered to be a Chinese copy of the an earlier Russian S-300PMU missile system. Russia is also offering Turkey its most advanced missile defense system, the S-400/SA-21 Triumf.

Turkey established an Electronic Warfare Training Field (EHTS) at the air combat training center opened in 2001 near the central Anatolian town of Konya, some 250 kilometers from Ankara, The facility provides Turkish and allied air forces realistic air combat and ground attack training. Evaluation of Russian made Tor and S-300 air defense systems will provide Turkey with information about the potential capabilities of these weapons, currently operated by Greek and Cypriot air defenses. It will also provide an instrumental insight into the capabilities of the latest air defense weapons potentially encountered by allied air forces in the future.

Russia lends Chavez $2bn for arms

The S-300 surface-to-air missile is capable of tracking 100 targets at once [AP]     Venezuelan president says deal includes 92 tanks and S-300 surface-to-air missiles. Russia has agreed to lend Venezuela over $2bn to finance the purchase of weapons including tanks and advanced anti-aircraft missiles, Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's president, has said. He said his country, whose finances have suffered this year because of lower crude prices, needed to borrow the money for defence spending to avoid cuts in education and health. "We have to thank the Russian government, which approved a $2.2bn loan for arms spending," Chavez said on his weekly television show. The deal, which was agreed on his trip to Moscow last week, includes orders for 92 tanks and the S-300 missile system, which is capable of shooting down fighter jets and cruise missiles. A spokesman for the US state department said on Monday that Washington is concerned "about Venezuela's stated desire to increase its arms build-up, which we think poses a serious challenge to stability in the Western Hemisphere." Ian Kelly called on Caracas to abide by its its nuclear non-proliferation obligations. Arms race Venezuela has bought over $4bn of weapons from Russia in recent years, including 24 Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets. It was not immediately clear when Venezuela would receive the new weapons or how much they would cost. Critics say Venezuela is sparking an arms race in South America, but Chavez says he is modernising the military for defensive purposes. The country is embroiled in a diplomatic crisis with Colombia over a deal to allow troops from the US access to more bases in the neighbouring country to fight drug traffickers and leftist fighters. Chavez, a fierce critic of US foreign policy, says the Colombian bases plan could be used to launch an attack on Venezuela and increases the risk of war on the continent. "Let me be clear, Venezuela has no plans to invade anybody, or to be aggressive towards anybody," Chavez said on his show. Last year, the former soldier ordered tanks to the border with Colombia in a dispute over a Colombian bombing raid in Ecuadorean territory. Multiple targets Chavez said Venezuela was now buying 92 Russian T-72 tanks along with several types of missiles, including the Buk-M2 and S-300, to build an air-defence system. The S-300, also known as the SA-20, is considered one of the most effective surface-to-air anti-aircraft systems and is capable of tracking 100 targets at once. It can be used with missiles that have a range of about 200km and can engage six targets simultaneously. "With these rockets it's going to be very difficult for foreign planes to come and bomb us," Chavez said. Russia signed a contract in 2007 to supply Iran with the S-300 system but has dragged its feet on delivering the weapons after Washington and Israel expressed fears it would be used to protect nuclear facilities from attack. Last week, Moscow dismissed rumours that a ship supposedly loaded with timber that went missing in the Atlantic in July had really been carrying a cargo of S-300s for Iran. Chavez repeated on Sunday his commitment to developing nuclear power for peaceful purposes with the help of Russia and reiterated he was opposed to nuclear weapons.

China Tests Missile Air Defence System

Chinese military has conducted a drill to test its integrated air defence capability under the scenario of a massive air strike.

The tests which were held last week were aimed at bringing compatibility among various kinds of missile systems built by China, official media reports here said. The tests included surface-to-air missiles, also known as SAM.

Over the years China has built an intact missile defence network consisting of various kinds of missile systems.

New missile systems delivered to the regiment in recent years were not compatible with older models, commander of the missile regiment Wan Dexin said without disclosing the location.

"They have different ports, formats and protocols," Wan said.

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Integrating different missile systems has enhanced the combat capability of the whole regiment, Wan said.

"Chinese air defence technology is advanced, but needs to improve in order to match the capabilities of the US," Zhang Qihuai, a professor with the Logistics College of China Air Force, told state-run Global Times.

Zhang said the Chinese missile industry has provided the People's Liberation Army (PLA) with a series of modern air defence systems.

However, the majority of the SAM systems deployed in China, namely the HQ2, are domestic variants of the Soviet C75 (NATO code name SAM2), which became operational in 1957.

The situation has been gradually improving after 1990, when the Russian S300 longrange SAM system was delivered, he said.