Image to help understand the article
Russia agreed to supply Iran with 90 helicopter-mounted launchers for precision-guided missiles widely used by Russian forces in Ukraine, according to a defense production schedule obtained by the Financial Times.
The 2024-2025 schedule from Russian defense manufacturer Vympel lists an order for 90 APU-L launchers from “K-10,” a code name Russian state-owned defense companies use for Iran, the newspaper reported.
The document also shows that China ordered 192 APU-305 launchers during the same period. Both types are designed for Russia’s lightweight multipurpose guided missile known as the Izdeliye 305.
A Weapon Used in Ukraine
The missile can strike moving targets with precision and travels at about 755 feet per second, covering roughly 8.7 miles in one minute. Mounted on helicopters, the launchers can support surprise attacks followed by rapid withdrawals.
Russia is believed to have deployed the weapon in combat since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
Deepening Russia-Iran Military Cooperation
The agreement indicates that Moscow has continued strengthening military ties with Tehran despite the demands of the war in Ukraine, the Financial Times reported.
Nicole Grajewski, a visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the newspaper that the order showed Russia remained willing to supply Iran despite its own wartime needs and was less concerned than in the past about a Western backlash.
Western intelligence officials told the Financial Times that Russia and Iran had expanded military cooperation amid conflict in the Middle East. Their assessment conflicts with recent remarks by President Donald Trump playing down the extent of Russian support for Iran.
Delivery Remains Unconfirmed
The production schedule does not establish whether the launchers were delivered to Iran, the Financial Times said. Analysts have also suggested that Moscow is calibrating its military assistance to Tehran as it weighs relations with the United States and other Middle Eastern countries.
Hanna Notte, director of the Eurasia program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said Russia still appeared to have limits on how deeply it would become involved. She said Moscow’s support could aid Iranian operations but was not significant enough to change the course of the conflict.
Comments
Post a Comment