Israeli sources: Iran to receive Russian made anti-aircraft system

Israeli defence sources yesterday told the Reuters news agency that Iran is likely to receive advanced S-300 anti-aircraft systems by the end of the year that could help Tehran defend any preemptive strike against its nuclear facilities.

The source said that the deployment of the anti-missile system could take between 6 to 12 months and the first battery could be expected in Iran by September. The S-300 advanced system can track 100 targets at once and fire on planes 120 kilometres away. Iran already possesses TOR-M1 surface to air missiles from Russia and announced last December that it had ordered the S-300 system. Earlier this month US Defence Secretary Robert Gates denied any knowledge of the Iranian order. "Based on what I know, it's highly unlikely that those air defense missiles would be in Iranian hands any time soon," Gates said.

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