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by Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) April 5, 2010 Russia has shipped China 15 advanced surface-to-air missile systems, the
director of the Russian plant which produces the weapons was cited by
news agencies as saying on Friday.
The truck-mounted air defence S-300 batteries, known by NATO as SA-20
Gargoyles, can target aircraft and ballistic missiles at a range of over
15 kilometres. "We just fulfilled a large contract for the delivery to China of 15
batteries of the new S-300 missile defence systems," Igor Ashurbeili,
director of the Almaz-Antei plant was quoted as saying. The contract included the supply of a total of 15 batteries, each
usually consisting of four S-300 missiles, he said. He did not disclose
the value of the deal. Russia has acknowledged making a contract with Iran for the supply of
the same advance missiles, alarming Israel and its allies, who believe
the Islamic state could use the systems to guard against a potential
strike on its nuclear installations. The United States and Israel worry that Iran's civilian nuclear energy
programme, including a power plant Russia is helping build at Bushehr,
is a cover for ambitions to build an atomic bomb. Tehran has long denied
such plans. First deployed by the USSR in 1979, the S-300, nicknamed "the favorite"
by Russians, is still seen as one of the most powerful anti-aircraft
missiles on the market. It can simultaneously track up to 100 targets
and engage 12. China has long been a major client for Russian weaponry but the trade
has become sensitive due to Russian concerns about piracy of its
technology by the Chinese as Beijing strives to develop a home-grown
weapons complex.
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