Iran believed developing S-300 variant aided by Russian contractors

Iran was believed to have been receiving Russian help to develop a variant of the advanced S-300 surface-to-air missile.

Western intelligence sources said Iran was contracting with Russia for the transfer of S-300 SAM technology. The sources said the technology and expertise provided by Russian engineers would enable Teheran to develop an S-300 variant while claiming that the system was indigenous.

"Russia is under heavy U.S. and Israeli pressure not to export the S-300PMU1," a Western intelligence source said. "Instead, Moscow has quietly allowed Russian engineers connected to the S-300 program to work with Iran to develop a variant."

Russia's S-300 surface-to-air missile.

The sources said the purported Russian effort was believed to have begun in 2009 amid delays in transferring the S-300. They said Teheran demanded SAM technology for an Iranian variant of the S-300 interceptor.

"It is believed that Iran already has an S-300 radar," the source said.

Over the last few months, the Iranian Defense Ministry has reported the development of an indigenous air and missile defense system. Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the program would eliminate the need to procure Russia's S-300.

"Essentially, it is not necessary for us to produce S-300 missiles only," Vahidi said. "The Defense Ministry and Armed Forces Logistics will design and manufacture what they want."

Since 2005, Iran has sought the S-300, designed to intercept aircraft at a range of up to 120 kilometers. Teheran said the S-300 project called for the delivery of the first systems by April 2009 in an effort to counter any Israeli or U.S. air strike.

"If they do not deliver S-300 defensive system to us, we have replacements and we can supply our operational requirements through innovative techniques and different designs," Iranian Air Force Maj. Gen. Hassan Mansourian, head of the air defense base at Khatam Anbia, said.

The Western sources said Iran has used recent air and ground exercises to help determine the requirements of its planned S-300 variant. They said Iran has already acquired the capability to produce short-range mobile SAM systems based on Russian platforms.

Still, a Russian defense specialist dismissed the prospect that Iran, even with quiet help from Moscow, could quickly develop a long-range SAM system. Vladimir Yevseyev, a senior researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences, asserted that Iranian technology and expertise fell significantly short of what was required to produce an S-300 variant.

"Iran is unable to build these complexes because of its serious technological lag," Yevseyev said. "Nor is it likely to acquire such capability in the next five years."