Iranian Procurement Continues

S-300 antiaircraft missile system

11/3/2012 Arie Egozi - israeldefense.com

Iran is operating new production lines for the Shaheen antiaircraft missile in preparation for a possible attack

Iran is not wasting any time, and according to reliable sources, the Iranian weapons industry has opened new production lines for its advanced Shaheen antiaircraft missile.

According to Iran, the missile can intercept aircraft at heights of up to 40 km. Even though Iran claims that it developed the missile on its own, Israel is assessing that foreign knowledge found its way to the project.

The line is also being operated in the wake of Iran’s understanding that Russia will not sell them S-300 missiles. Various reports point to the fact that Iran procured four of these missile systems, two of them from Belarus, but the reports have not yet been verified.

Iran routinely attempts to procure advanced systems from allied countries, while simultaneously developing its own systems. The procurement of S-300 surface-to-air missiles and other systems is part of Iran’s multilayered program to improve its air-defense capabilities.

Approximately three years ago, it was reported that Syria had transferred some of the Pantsir portable air-defense systems it procured from Russia to Iran. Iran uses the systems to protect its nuclear facilities.

The precise capabilities of the new self-produced missiles are unknown. However, Israel agrees that Iran's efforts are slowly but persistently creating a defense layout that will make things more difficult for any operation against its nuclear facilities.