S-300 Delivery: Russia's Message to the US

(Baonghean) - Despite objections from many parties, especially the US, after a long delay, Russia has begun delivering the first batch of S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Iran.

Russia delivers S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Iran for the first time (Source: sputnik)

With outstanding features, the S-300 air defense missile systems manufactured by Russia and transferred to Iran are not only seen as Tehran's "shield" against political pressure from the US but also strengthen Russia's position in the region.

This is the second time since late 2015 that information about Iran receiving the Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile system has been made public. But it is worth noting that, unlike the previous times, instead of the announcement being made by Russia, this time, Iran has spoken up on its own.

Iran's Foreign Ministry Jaberi Ansari said on April 11 that Tehran had received the first batch of Russian S-300 air defense missile systems under a contract. Earlier, Interfax news agency quoted an informed source as saying that deliveries to Iran had begun and that the contract was expected to be fully implemented before the end of 2016, but did not specify a specific time. Another source also said that the first S-300 regiment would be put into combat duty in Iran's air defense system this summer and that the training of Iranian experts had been completed.

It can be seen that the implementation of the contract to transfer the S-300 surface-to-air missile system with 40 launch tubes worth about 800 million USD from Russia to Iran is not easy.

In fact, the contract for the purchase of five S-300 missile systems was signed in 2007, but the contract was suspended after the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on Iran in 2010. It was not until April 2015 that Russia resumed negotiations on the delivery of S-300s after the countries involved in the negotiations on Iran's nuclear program reached a landmark framework agreement. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree lifting the ban on the supply of these complexes to Iran, and in the summer, Moscow and Tehran began preparing the contract for the supply of S-300s. In November, the contract for the supply of S-300s came into effect.

So after nearly 10 years of delay, the arms transfer contract between Russia and Iran has been implemented. However, one person's joy is another person's worry.

On April 5, US Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Shannon said the US did not agree to Russia's transfer of the S-300 air defense system to Iran, because "the shipment must have the permission of the United Nations Security Council". With that as an excuse, it is not difficult to understand why the US has repeatedly blocked this arms transfer contract.

S-300 is capable of providing strong support to Iran's air force (Source: BBC)

It is necessary to mention the function of this superior weapon. The S-300 has long been affectionately called the “Fire Dragon” by experts because it has many outstanding features and is the strongest anti-aircraft system today. The power of the S-300 is even said to be superior to the US MIM-104 Patriot system. Citing the power of the S-300, many newspapers said that the S-300 became an effective deterrent in Syria in 2013.

At that time, Washington decided not to attack the forces of the Damascus government, because it suspected that the Syrian army had these air-to-air missile complexes. With such a weapon dubbed "invincible", many experts have commented that the S-300 will make Tehran's air defense system invulnerable to attacks by most advanced aircraft from the US. In other words, just one or two S-300 complexes located in Iran can prevent attacks on separate facilities of this country.

If Iran's possession of the S-300 with its superior defense power makes the US worry one thing, the possibility of many no-fly zones in the world makes this country worry ten times.

Analysts say that with the superior capabilities and wide coverage of the S-300, it is very likely that the world map will see more and more “no-go zones” for aircraft and missiles. This causes insecurity for the powers that have the ability to deploy military power around the world, first of all the US. The US is controlling the seas thanks to 11 aircraft carrier groups, but if, along with Iran, the coasts and straits of many countries are protected by Russia’s S-300 systems, the US will of course face much more difficulties. That also means that the US will have to be much more cautious in all actions.

There are clearly many reasons for the US to be really concerned when Russia and Iran carry out the transfer of S-300. However, it is the US's business to object. On the Russian side, Moscow has too many benefits in "working closely" with Iran, especially through this transfer.

First, Russia saved nearly $4 billion when Iran withdrew its lawsuit against Russia for breach of contract. Second, trading with Iran also means Russia will gain an advantage over other countries in the race to invest in this Middle Eastern country. And more importantly, transferring the S-300 and not excluding the possibility of transferring more modern defense weapons to Iran in the future will also help Russia strengthen its military potential on the "big chessboard" in the Eurasian continent./.

Thanh Hien