Russia: No plan to give Syria advanced S-300 system
Russia: No plan to give Syria advanced S-300 system – Israel News, Ynetnews.
Russian foreign minister denies reports of Russian intentions to sell Assad’s regime advanced missile defense system; reports claimed deal includes 6 launchers, 144 game-changing missiles
News Agencies
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Russia has no plans to sell Syria an advanced air defense system, its foreign minister said on Friday, denying media reports that it planned such a sale.
Itar-Tass news agency quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying Russia would be fulfilling contracts it has already concluded with Damascus but that this did not include sales of the S-300 system.
The statement was given against the backdrop of grave concerns in the West and in Israel that Syrian President Bashar Assad will gain the advanced system, which will make airstrikes in Syria, if necessary, very difficult.
S-300 in action (Photo: AFP)
On the night between Wednesday and Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talked with United States President Barack Obama on the phone and discussed with him the aforementioned defense system and the possibility of Syria acquiring it.
The Assad regime already asked the Russians for the S-300 missiles in the last decade. The deal was delayed due to pressures by former President George W. Bush and other Western countries on Russian President Vladimir Putin, but recently concerns have arisen that the deal may be back on track.
Soldiers drilling use of system (Photo: AFP)
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report that the US is examining Israeli information to the effect that Russia is renegotiating the S-300 deal.
According to the report, the deal was supposed to include six missile launchers and 144 missiles with a range of 200 km, the first shipment to be delivered to Syria within three months.
Ynet analyst Ron Ben-Yishai explained on Thursday that Russia’s concern that the US and the West are approaching a military intervention in the Syrian civil war is the reason Moscow pulled out its most
effective pressure card – the intent to deliver S-300 missiles to Assad’s army.
Some in the West are of the opinion that Russia intends to reach a deal with the US and NATO, the spirit of which is “You’ll not supply arms to the rebels and not intervene in Syria, and we won’t supply the Syrians with the system.”
It seems the Russian wish to deter Israel from further attacks in Syria, like the one attributed to it over the weekend and in January 2013.
The S-300 is a Russian system made to intercept aircraft at ranges of over 100 km (60 miles) as well as ballistic missiles. It is unknown exactly which model Russia intends to sell to the Syrians, although it is known that Syria has asked in the past for the model referred to by NATO as the SA10.
Israel made clear then to the Russian that having these anti-aircraft missile systems in Syria would neutralize Israel’s ability to defend itself since the system would be capable of hitting aircrafts not only above Lebanon and Syria, but also immediately when they take off out of almost every base in the center and north of Israel. Russia accepted the argument.
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WarSclerotic 
May 10, 2013 at 8:23 PM
The ”advanced” S-300 missile system which all are so excited about is dated from 1978, when it was deployed first for the Russian army. Later were certain upgrades of this system, S-400 for example but knew severe starting difficulties. There is no way in this world that Israel doesn’t already have or can produce a method to kill this venerable S-300. In 1982, it was a similar situation in the eve of the first Lebanon War, Peace To Galilee. Then, Israel first took out advanced anti aerial missile systems by a swift execution conducted by IAF and became legendary since then. S-300? 1978? Sure the music in those times was the best, but…advanced missiles? Lets them be put into a museum, before the Israeli jets will turn them into a sad memory.
May 10, 2013 at 11:54 PM
The point isn’t to actually fight off a US SEAD/DEAD effort, or a US-led air war against the Syrian government. The point is to raise the price tag of the intervention to make it a less attractive option to the West.
May 11, 2013 at 8:10 AM
Regarding the S-300P system, the following countries have it: Azerbaijan, Belarus, China and Russia. Israel has excellent relations with Azerbaijan so Israel has access to the Russian technology regarding S-300 missile family. Even us, here, can produce methods to overcome the difficulties in confronting those batteries, but we wont do that. IAF knows better than all of us.
May 11, 2013 at 12:56 PM
Greece has one and its upgraded,that’s why the long standing counter measures are tried and tested and are 99% effective that goes for the s400 system too and there is a new anti radar missile for it,that is 100 % effective,in other words like must russian arms its junk,like i said russia is a joke and soon to be chastised.there nuclear arsenal is not much kop ether they have very few missiles that work and those are all redundant,there latest missiles that they are developing they think it can out maneuver AGEIS is another of ther misconceptions too the russians are sitting ducks patience has run out in Washington with them so i think the Syria hit is definitely on,even the latest russian air defense system has the same flaws
May 12, 2013 at 7:54 AM
A solid confirmation of our assertion regarding the S-300 missiles family we get from the israeli scoops site, Rotter. Its in hebrew, so those interested can simply visit there. The bottom line of their article is that Israel destroyed in the past (2007) S-300 batteries and yes, many countries friendly to us have those missile system as well. So, may be there is a certain problem when Syria / Hezbollah have those missiles, but not something that we cannot solve, can we?
May 12, 2013 at 11:49 AM
These are export versions of the S-300. Nobody has ever came up against or trained against full version Russian S-300.