Article Posted on : - Apr 22, 2010

The Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile defense system

MOSCOW (BNS): Iran plans to produce missile defense systems similar to Russia's S-300 system, Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said.

Asked whether Iran has plans to produce an S-300 defense system, Iran’s PressTV channel quoting Vahidi said "We don't need to produce the S-300 system, but we have plans on the agenda to produce similar weapons."

Stating that Iran has developed a medium-range air defense system, the Minister said, "All parts of the system have been domestically produced."

Vahidi added the defense system had "three radars and a domestically produced missile that has high agility and a range of more than 40 kilometers."

According to Russian news agency Ria Novosti, in December 2005, Russia and Iran had signed a contract on the delivery of Russia's S-300 missile defense systems to the Islamic Republic.

Meanwhile, speaker of the Russian parliament's upper house, Sergei Mironov, assuring that Moscow would fulfill its obligations said, delay in deliveries was due to "technical" problems.

"We have bilateral agreements with Iran; Russia has always fulfilled its international agreements. That is why the delivery of this defense complex, let me stress it, is a matter of time," the news agency quoted him as saying.

Russia’s S-300 missile system advanced version called S-300PMU1, has a range of over 150 kilometers (over 100 miles) and can intercept ballistic missiles and aircraft at low and high altitudes, making the system an effective tool for warding off possible air strikes.

The S-300 systems could greatly improve Iranian defenses against any air strike on its strategically important sites, including nuclear facilities, the report said.