Russia delivers first shipment of S-300 air defense missile systems to Iran, to complete deliveries by end of 2016 - Rostec head Chemezov
MOSCOW. April 19 (Interfax) - Russia has already delivered the first shipment of S-300 air defense missile systems to Iran and will complete the delivery by the end of 2016, Rostec Corporation head Sergei Chemezov told Interfax on Tuesday.
"We'll complete it by the end of the year," Chemezov told Interfax on Tuesday.
Asked how many S-300 battalions are to be delivered to Iran, Chemezov replied, "Four, but I have to make sure."
Chemezov heads the board of directors of the Almaz-Antey concern that manufactures the S-300.
Unofficial information indicates that a total of four S-300 PMU2 Favorit systems worth about $1 billion, developed and manufactured by Almaz-Antey, should be shipped to Iran.
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on March 17 that the S-300 contract was being implemented according to plan.
Russian presidential aide on military-technological cooperation Vladimir Kozhin said in an interview with Interfax in February that Iran was interested in new shipments of Russian S-300 systems.
It was reported earlier that Tehran would recall its claim against Russia for not implementing a previous contract for the delivery of S-300 PMU1 air defense systems, which Russia had unilaterally annulled and refunded the advance payment to Iran.
Moscow and Tehran had concluded a contract for five battalions of the S-300 PMU1 system in 2007. After the UN Security Council passed a resolution banning sales or supplies of heavy weapons to Iran in 2010, President Dmitry Medvedev imposed a ban on sales of modern weapons to the country. The deal was annulled, Russia refunded the advance payment to Iran, and the systems intended for the delivery were scrapped. After that, Iran lodged a suit against the Russian state arms export monopoly Rosoboronexport amounting to roughly $4 billion.
The S-300 is designed to protect troops and strategic sites, stationary command centers, military bases, administrative centers, and industrial facilities from ballistic and cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, strategic and tactical aircraft.
