| Submit your comments on this article |
| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran Charges Russia With Selling Out its Air Defense Secrets to Israel |
| 2018-01-02 |
| h/t Instapundit [PopularMechanics] An Iranian government official claimed earlier this week that its Russian-made air defenses were compromised by Moscow, leaving Iran and its allies defenseless against Israeli airstrikes. An engineer with Tehran's Ministry of Defense alleged that codes forcing anti-aircraft missiles to treat hostile Israeli fighters as friendly were sold to Tel Aviv, effectively neutralizing Syria and Iran's S-300 surface-to-air missile systems. An Iranian official, described by the Jerusalem Post as a senior member of Iran's Defense Ministry, told the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida that Russia had sold "codes" to Israel that identified Israeli aircraft as friendly. The codes were used by Israel to prevent its aircraft from being targeted. Israel has flown dozens of air raids over Syria, and despite advanced air defenses, only the latest raid, flown last Friday, involved an actual missile launch. The article doesn't say what the Iranians mean by "codes", but Tehran apparently means the Identify Friend or Foe codes that aircraft transmit to avoid being shot down by their own air defenses. The S-300 missile, an older surface-to-air missile similar to the American Patriot, was identified as the affected system. The S-300s not only would refuse to engage the Israeli planes, the report says, but also they wouldn't give notice that the planes had taken off from nearby Israel, giving Syrian troops time to prepare. According to Al-Jarida, "Iranians and the Syrians suspected that Russia gave the codes for the air defense system to Israel and even refused the requests of Tehran and Damascus to check the codes." As the story goes, Iran managed to change the codes on its own supplied S-300 missile systems, then sent engineers to Syria to change the codes on unspecified Syrian air defense systems. The fact that the Syrian missiles finally launched after the codes were changed confirmed to the Iranians that Russia had thrown them under the bus. Could there be any truth to the claims? It is unlikely that Russia would intentionally give IFF codes to the enemies of its allies, the Syrians and Iranians, and allow them to be bombed with impunity. Not only would that anger the Syrian government, it would also potentially endanger Russian troops operating in Syria. The simpler explanation is that Israeli radar jamming is very good and outmatches the older S-300 technology. We'll soon find out whether there is anything to the Iranian allegations. If Israeli airstrikes into Syria stop, then there may be something to the claims. If there are more Israeli strikes in Syria and there are surface-to-air missile launches, it may be that the earlier missile launch was a one-off and that there was no transfer of codes. |
| Posted by:g(r)omgoru |
| #16 Wonder if the Israelis provided irrefutable proof of funding from Iran to certain terrorists within the RF borders? |
| Posted by: P2kontheroad 2018-01-02 21:00 |
| #15 Horse trading. I wonder what the Russians got in return? |
| Posted by: S. Crang1776 2018-01-02 18:57 |
| #14 and manned by "Regime Loyal" (read Islamo-thug with monobrows) troops |
| Posted by: Frank G 2018-01-02 18:00 |
| #13 These people are such drama queens. They can't have bought a bum system - it must have been treachery. In all likelihood, the S-300 is over-hyped and under spec. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2018-01-02 17:35 |
| #12 To paraphrase Marc DuQuesne "In a million years you might have descendants capable of understanding what Israel did". |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2018-01-02 17:05 |
| #11 Didn't Turkey just buy a Russian system? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2018-01-02 15:24 |
| #10 This sounds like the kind of story an intelligence agency not determined to undercut their own leaders might spread to undercut Russian sales into the region while also crippling enemies confidence in the arms they have. It also sounds like the kind of a story a general might spread ahead of time to spread the blame when his people fail miserably in their attempt to stop an Israeli strike. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2018-01-02 13:18 |
| #9 If true, this is very funny. Ring in the New Year with a "Thank you, Vlad". Too funny. |
| Posted by: Whiskey Mike 2018-01-02 13:06 |
| #8 Sounds like the whole system is compromised. Shut it all down. We won't attack. Honest. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2018-01-02 11:44 |
| #7 WE have a special prosecutor they can borrow to get to the bottom of their Russian Collusion... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2018-01-02 11:22 |
| #6 Well, that's collusion for you... |
| Posted by: Vast Right Wing Conspiracy 2018-01-02 11:20 |
| #5 Putin owes us a kickback on account of that pallet load of cash that Baraq sent to the ayatollah. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2018-01-02 11:06 |
| #4 How stupid do you have to be to buy a system like that from the Russians? |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2018-01-02 11:03 |
| #3 This is either Russia helping us starting in the Obama era, or maybe trying to look helpful? Either way, it looks like it's time to purchase the new-improved S-400 system! Maybe Iran can design its own indigenous air defense system. They can use the supercavitating torpedoes for that, too! |
| Posted by: gorb 2018-01-02 11:01 |
| #2 Let's not forget that the Israeli Intelligence services can very effective at discovering secrets. |
| Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839 2018-01-02 08:53 |
| #1 I recall the Iraqis coming out of their bunkers and firing at U.S. No Fly Zone aircraft back in 1999 and 2000, but only after the aircraft were well out of range. Empty shell casings for the battery commander to see during site inspections no doubt. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2018-01-02 07:01 |