Article Posted on : - Nov 18, 2010

Russia's S-300 long range surface-to-air missile system.

TEHRAN (BNS): Iran has designed an air defence system that has the same capability as the Russian-made S-300 system, a top military official said, according to a Press TV news report.

"We have developed the system by upgrading systems like S-200 and we have tested it successfully using all our potential and experience in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the Army and the Defense Ministry," Brigadier General Mohammad Hassan Mansourian, a commander in Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards told Press TV on Wednesday.

This comes two months after Moscow decided not to deliver the S-300 missile system to Tehran to comply with UN sanctions.

Russia, in 2005, signed a USD 800 million worth contract with Iran for providing the country with at least five S-300 missile system.

But, in September, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree banning supplies of S-300 missiles and other arms to Iran.

Russia came under strong US and Israeli pressure not to go ahead with the sale of the weapons system which was seen as complicating any military action against Iran over its controversial nuclear programme.

Both Israel and the US have refused to rule out resorting to military action to prevent Iran acquiring what they suspect is nuclear weapons capability, an ambition Tehran strongly denies.

The S-300 is a series of Russian long range surface-to-air missile systems produced by NPO Almaz, all based on the initial S-300P version. It is regarded as one of the most potent anti-aircraft missile systems currently fielded.