Holes in Iranian Air Defense?

Flaws found in recent Iranian air defense exercise

Iran`s recent air and missile-defense exercise has revealed flaws in its capabilities to effectively defend high value sites - namely its nuclear installations from attack. This is according to international experts who have spoken to janes.

The 3-part exercise was conducted in late November to showcase Iran`s ability to make it "impossible for enemy jets to enter Iranian territory," by Brig. Gen. Ahmad Mighani, commander of the air force and of the exercise. Of all the positive spin about the exercise, it hid the shortcomings of Iran`s ground-based air-defense systems, that were apparently seen in photos released by the state media during and after the exercise.

The photos released indicated the age and the technical deficiencies of the air-defense systems in the exercise. Aside from the Russian-made Tor-M1 (SA-15) surface-to-air missile systems, the entire cache of Iranian air-defense equipment would no match for current air fleets and electronic warfare systems used by USAF or IAF, according to analysts.

This should be a wake up call for Iran to bolster it`s air-defense capabilities against it`s nuclear installations. USAF or IAF air fleets have the capability to quickly deal a devastating strike on Iranian high-value targets without significant casualties. Although Russian-Tor-M1 missiles surely pose a direct threat to air fleets, they but can`t cover all the territory than encompasses Iranian high-value targets. It is known Iran signed a deal worth $1 billion covering the procurement of up to 29 Tor-M1 missile systems.

However, Iranian military commanders in closed-door sessions may have taken wind of their air-defense results and secretly contemplating the next step. They may be discussing options of procuring sophisticated air-defense batteries as well as additional Tor-M1 missiles systems from Russia. It is known though, through Sergei Ivanov, the Russian defense minister, that Moscow will continue to develop military and technical cooperation with Tehran. This could hint on further sales of S-300 (SA-12) air-defense missiles, which were requested by Iran for several years, but so-far denied by Russia.

What ever the result, Russia has a vested interest in Iran and will see it through that Iran survives any conflict while trying to reduce a U.S. hegemony in the region