Iran to buy cruise missiles
from Russia
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, May 16, 2001
LONDON — Iran plans to obtain ship-born cruise missiles from Russia.
Industry sources said the Russian government has agreed to sell the
Yakhont cruise missiles to Iran as part of a huge deal now
being negotiated between Moscow and Teheran. Estimates of the price for the package range up
to $7 billion, Middle East Newsline reported.
Geostrategy-Direct.com reported in its April 17 edition that likely customers for new version of the SSN-26 anti-ship cruise missile include the Chinese military which is intensely interested in anti-ship cruises missiles, especially those capable of sinking U.S. aircraft carriers.
The missiles use stealth technology, supersonic speed and an advanced fire and forget precision targeting system. They can be launched from coastal patrol boats, ships, submarines and ground launchers. They have a range of 186 miles and fly some 15 to 50 miles before dropping down to an altitude of as low as 15 feet from the water surface before delivering a 553-pound warhead to its ship target, according to Geostrategy-Direct.com.
U.S. officials said the Bush administration is concerned by the sale of
the Yakhont. They said the missile could threaten U.S.
naval vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Straits of Hormuz.
Sales of the missile abroad would violate Moscow’s commitment to the 29-nation Missile Technology Control Regime.
The cruise missile was raised during the visit to Moscow by Iranian
President Mohammed Khatami in March. The sources said the issue was
also discussed during a subsequent visit by a Russian military delegation to
Iran.
The Yakhont is designed by NPO Mashinostroyeniya and was first displayed at the Moscow airshow in 1997.
Wednesday, May 16, 2001
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