RUSSIA TO MODERNISE IRANIAN AIR AND LAND FORCES, SELL NEW TORPEDOES
MOSCOW-PARIS 30 Mar. (IPS) Russia has agreed to overhaul the entire park of the Iranian Russian-made air and land force as well as helping in producing modern anti-submarine torpedoes and mines, according to well-informed Russian and Iranian military experts.
The 600 millions to 1.5 billion US Dollars agreement, discussed and finalised by the Iranian Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani and Russian officials, is to be signed next May, starting with the modernisation of Sukhoy SU-24 and Mig-29 fighters.
"Once overhauled and equipped with the latest technologies, the Sukhoy would be of the SU-24 F, capable of challenging the most modern fighters now available on the world markets", one expert observed.
Iranian military delegation that accompanied President Mohammad Khatami in his recent visit to Moscow earlier this month visited several Russian military installations and factories and expressed interest in buying new military helicopters and T-72 heavy tanks.
"The agreement to modernise the existing Mig-29 and SU-24 is in the pocket and would be carried out by the makers of the Sukhoy warplanes", Mr. Rajab Safarov, the Head of the Iran Russia Co-operation Co-ordinating Centre told Mr. Zolfaqar Esma’ilian, the BBC’s Persian service correspondent in Moscow.
The agreement was due to be signed during Mr. Khatami’s visit, but it was delayed both because Russian officials in charge of preparing necessary documents were not ready and also mounting American pressures over Russia aimed at stopping the deal, sources noted.
Washington accuses Moscow of assisting the Islamic Republic of Iran to produce nuclear weapons and long-range missiles that would harm the security of the United States and its allies.
But both Tehran and Moscow reject the claim, stating that not only their military co-operation does not include nuclear and missile weapons, but in any case, this is matter that regards them and no other parties.
They also work closely to curtail American presence in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea regions.
US President George W. Bush extended the sanctions it has imposed on Iran for another year.
Relations between Tehran and Washington were cut off in 1979 after Iranian students stormed the American embassy in Tehran and took 55 American diplomats as hostage for 444 days.
Russian military sources disclosed that the Iran is also negotiating with Moscow the purchase and assembling of modern-type torpedoes and deep-water, anti-submarine mines and sea-to-sea missiles from Russia.
The Iranian navy is already equipped with three Russian-made Kilo-class, Diesel-powered submarines. ENDS IRAN RUSSIA MILITARY 30301