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Syria to share Russkie air-defense systems with Iran
Syria has agreed to supply Iran with at least 10 out of 50 air-defense systems that Damascus is in the process of buying from Russia, Jane's Defense Weekly reported in this week's edition. Jane's quoted a source close to the deal as saying that while most of the Pantsyr-S1E systems were earmarked for Syrian Air Defense Command, "the end-user for 10 of the systems is Tehran." It said Iran would take delivery of them in late 2008. To reward Syria for its middleman role, it added, Tehran will part-finance Syria's Pantsyrs as well as paying for its own.Jane's said Syria struck a $730 million deal with Russia earlier this year for some 50 Pantsyr-S1E self-propelled short-range gun and missile air-defense systems. Its source said Moscow had not been officially notified of the reported Syrian arrangement with Tehran, which flowed from a November 2005 strategic accord between the two countries on military and technological cooperation. Posted by: Seafarious 2007-05-23 |
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