MOSCOW – Russia plans to sell the SA-18 surface-to-air missile to Syria.

In a reversal of its position expressed less than a month ago, Russia's Defense Ministry acknowledged negotiations for the sale of the SA-18 man-portable anti-aircraft system to Syria. The ministry said the SA-18 was a defensive system and it would be mounted on Syrian vehicles.

"Negotiations are now taking place on delivery to Damascus of the Strelets close-range anti-air system," a Russian Defense Ministry official was quoted by the Interfax agency as saying.

It was the first time a Defense Ministry official acknowledged negotiations for the SA-18 to Syria.

In January 2005, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov denied that Moscow intended to sell the SA-18. Ivanov said Russia and the United States would sign an agreement to ban the export of man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS.

Until now, the Strelets, or SA-18, consisted of a shoulder-fired system.

But over the last year, Russia's KBM has offered the SA-18 in several configurations. They included the short-range anti-aircraft launcher on mobile platforms and a revolving stationary model.

The Defense Ministry official reported negotiations with Syria in wake an assertion by Israel that Moscow would sell the SA-18 to Damascus. On Feb. 15, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Russia informed Israel of the SA-18 sale.

"We worry about that and we don't think that that should have happened," Sharon said.

Israel has urged Moscow to suspend plans to sell the SA-18 to Syria. Israeli officials said Syria does not need the SA-18 and could supply the system to Hizbullah, which controls the Lebanese border with Israel.

The Strelets close-range anti-air system comes in a range of variants.

The Russian official was quoted as saying that the SA-18 would be mounted on unspecified vehicles. He said the missile could not be removed from the vehicles for man-portable shoulder-launch use.

"This type of system is not mobile," the official said. "These are not man-portable anti-aircraft systems, and without special means of transport their use is impossible."