S-300 mobile missile launching complex [Illustrative]. Photo: REUTERS
Russia is scheduled to deliver the S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Syria next year, two Russian newspapers reported on Friday, rejecting claims the missiles had already been transferred to the regime of President Bashar Assad, according to AFP.
The Vedomosti cited a Russia defense source as saying it was unclear if the weapons would be delivered to Syria this year, while the Kommersant quoted a source as saying the delivery was only planned for the second quarter of 2014.
Despite reports in Lebanese paper Al-Akhbar that Assad told Al Manar television the missiles had already arrived in Syria, both sources said the delivery has yet to take place.
Speaking about the delivery of the S-300 to Syria, Assad told Al-Manar that Russia is "committed to the deal and neither [Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu's visit nor the current crisis will influence the importing of arms."
"The contracts with Russia are not linked to the crisis and Russia is committed to implementing these contracts," he said. "Everything we have agreed on with Russia will take place, and part of it has already taken place."
More of the missiles would arrive soon, he was quoted as saying.
In a separate report on Russian news agency Interfax, a Russian arms industry source said Moscow is unlikely to deliver the missiles before the fall of 2013.
The source suggested the delivery could be accelerated if neighboring countries carried out air attacks on Syria or if a no-fly regime were to be imposed on the country.
"Regarding the deliveries of the S-300, they can begin no earlier than the autumn. Technically it's possible, but much will depend on how the situation develops in the region and the position of Western countries," said the source, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The head of aircraft maker MiG said separately that Russia was counting on providing Syria with 10 MiG-29 fighter planes and was discussing details with a Syrian delegation, RIA news agency reported. It did not say when they might be delivered
A source close to Russia's Defense Ministry said there had been a "bank transfer" in connection with the S-300 transaction, but that Russian banks were becoming increasingly nervous about dealing with Assad.
Jerusalem has yet to confirm the arrival of the missiles, which have a 200-km. range with the capacity to hit planes in northern Israel. It would create a no-fly zone that would make it impossible for the Israel Air Force to operate along the Syrian and Lebanese border, precisely at a moment when both countries are more volatile.
Israel is investigating the report, while Channels 2 and 10 reported they did not believe the missiles had arrived.
The contract, that was signed in 2010 before the outbreak of the civil unrest in Syria, was worth $1 billion according to Vedomosti.
The report in Kommersant indicated that following the delivery of the weapons in 2014, six additional month would be required for the training of personnel and tests before systems could be fully operational.
Ariel Ben Solomon and Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.
31 May, 2013
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Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHiSmwsUezklDh-y4mUFU2A694axw&url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Russian-papers-S-300-delivery-to-Syria-not-before-2014-315006
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