Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 25
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran and Russia share common enemy as well as joint purposes, Brigadier General Ali Shadmani, deputy chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces said.
Iran is interested in military cooperation with Russia due to these issues, he said, adding the Islamic Republic does not want Russia to be under the influence of the NATO and West.
"We are in favor of a powerful Russia without dependency on the West, Shadmani said, Iran's Fars news agency reported April 25.
He further touched upon the issue of buying S-300 anti-aircraft missile system from Russia, saying the decision was made at that time due to the Islamic Republic's serious need, admitting that there were some holes in Iran's air defense system.
Shadmani also said that the model of S-300 which is expected to be handed over to Iran is the same model which was mentioned in the agreement, not an enhanced version.
Earlier there were some rumors that Russia might deliver Iran more advanced S-400 missile systems, while Russia has dismantled and disposed the S-300 air defense missile systems originally intended for delivery to Iran and this fact that Russia doesn't produce S-300 any more.
Shadmani further said that Tehran itself is developing a similar system domestically but production is not fast enough to cover the Islamic Republic's needs.
Earlier Iran's Defense Minister Hossein Dehgan said that the country's Barvar 373 long-range air defense system or the home-made version of S-300 would be tested by March 2016. According to Iranian security officials, Bavar 373 is better than the Russian S-300, as it is able to track over 100 targets, just like the Russian system but with a higher targeting capability.
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