Iran has resumed negotiations with Russia on strengthening its air defense capabilities, with a particular focus on acquiring the S-400 missile defense system, which Tehran had previously sought to acquire. This decision was discussed during a visit to Russia by Iranian Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei on November 5.
According to The Telegraph, Tehran remains hopeful of reaching such a deal, despite US President Donald Trump’s claims that Russia is “not helping” Iran. During the visit, Iranian officials received proposals on how to prepare for a possible war with the United States, including strengthening ties with Russia in the field of military-technical cooperation.
Learn more: Iran and Russians admit R-73-equipped Yak-130 is so ineffective against drones it had to hit one
From Defense Express we would like to point out that, despite Trump’s repeated attempts to downplay the extent of Russian-Iranian cooperation, recent reports suggest that Moscow has agreed to supply Tehran with 90 Kh-39 LMUR air-to-ground guided missile launchers. This decision clearly indicates an active partnership between the two countries, especially since the Russian Federation uses the aforementioned weapons in the war against Ukraine.
However, the delivery of the S-400 air defense system to Iran currently seems more of a pipe dream than a reality, for several reasons. The S-400 is Russia’s primary air defense system, designed to detect and destroy aerial targets, including aircraft, drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Given the scale of Ukrainian strikes against Russian oil refineries and critical infrastructure, weakening Russia’s air defense capabilities would make little sense. In addition, air defense systems also become the target of Ukrainian strikes. in August it was reported that Ukrainian special operations struck an S-400 system in Gelendzhik.
In this context, Russia must accelerate the production of S-400 systems for its own needs, which also presents significant challenges. The system includes a command post, radars, launchers, missiles and support equipment whose production relies largely on foreign components, particularly microelectronic components. For example, the radar uses RO4003C high-frequency laminates from the American company Rogers Corporation, and the production of the missile’s navigation module requires autonomous inertial systems with French-made laser gyroscopes.
Although Russia has found ways to circumvent international sanctions, restrictions continue to limit and slow production of S-400 systems. Strikes on manufacturing facilities also threaten continued production of the S-400, with Ukrainian military drones repeatedly targeting facilities operated by defense conglomerate Almaz-Antey. Additionally, the machine tools used to make the S-400’s components will likely rely heavily on Western-made parts and software.
It is also worth noting that Russian forces are using S-400 systems to carry out ballistic missile strikes against Ukraine with RM-48U surface-to-surface missiles. In this context, it is important to distinguish between systems used for offensive and defensive operations, as they employ different types of weapons.
To summarize, we can cite the contract under which Russia agreed to supply Turkey with two divisional sets, i.e. four S-400 batteries. The execution of the contract lasted 31 months, from its signature to the delivery of the components. So even if Russia decides to build S-400 systems for Iran from scratch, it will take some time.
Learn more: The Russians mount the ZAK-30 Citadel anti-aircraft artillery system on a wheeled chassis – probably to protect their oil refineries from Ukrainian drones
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