Military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Tehran has resumed and will increase over time
Deliveries of Russian Su-35 fighter jets to Iran are expected to begin in three months, Shahriyar Heydari, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament, told the Iranian Tasnim news agency. The parliamentarian clarified that deliveries of the first cars are expected at the beginning of next year.
According to Heidari, Tehran has ordered a number of other types of military equipment from Russia, including air defense systems, missile systems and helicopters, the deliveries of which will also begin in the near future. It should be noted that this is the first confirmation by an official of Iran's purchase of Su-35 fighters.
In connection with this confirmation, it is useful to consider the evolution of cooperation between Iran and Russia in the field of arms trade.
Active military-technical cooperation (MTC) between Moscow and Tehran began in 1990. At that time, the Soviet Union supplied weapons and military equipment to Iran, according to various sources, in the amount of $ 733 million to $ 890 million.
In terms of armored vehicles, contacts between Russia and Iran have developed in the following areas. Russia supplied about 120 BMP-2s to Iran in the period from 1993 to 1997 (in total, about 500 BMP-2s were delivered to Iran from 1993 to 2005).
In 1993, 800 9M111 anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) for the BMP-2 were also delivered to Iran. In 1993-1996, 122 T-72M1 main battle tanks (MBT) were delivered to Iran. Of these, 100 MBTs were delivered in 1993, 20 in 1994 and two in 1996.
Later, an agreement was implemented for the licensed production of the T-72 in Iran.
The last deliveries of armored vehicles date back to 1998. Iran has officially announced that it has imported four T-72 tanks, three BMP-2 tanks, two 140-mm artillery systems and two missile launchers from Russia this year.
In 1991, S-200VE anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs) and a batch of anti-aircraft guided missiles (SAMs) for them were delivered to Iran.
The largest deliveries were made in the field of aviation and naval equipment. In 1990, 14 MiG-29 aircraft were delivered to Iran. The peak of aircraft deliveries occurred in 1991, when 12 Su-24 and 20 MiG-29/MiG-29UB were delivered. Six more MiG-29/MiG29UB were delivered in 1993-1994. In 1990-1991, aircraft missiles R-27R (350 units) and R-60 (576 units) were delivered to arm the MiG-29. Another 94 R-27R missiles for the MiG-29 were delivered in 1994.
Russia has supplied Iran with three 877ECM DPL projects totaling $750 million. According to the UN Register, the first DPL was delivered in 1992, the second in 1993 and the third in 1996.
EMBARGO IN FAVOR OF THE UNITED STATES
In the first half of the 1990s, the volume of trade between Russia and Iran was estimated at an average of $500 million per year. However, on June 30, 1995, under pressure from the United States, the Gore-Chernomyrdin memorandum was signed, according to which Moscow pledged not to conclude new contracts for the supply of conventional weapons to Iran, and to complete the execution of already concluded contracts by the end of 1999.
Prior to the signing of the memorandum, Russia's obligations to Iran were based on four intergovernmental agreements signed in 1989, 1990 and 1991. According to them, Moscow was supposed to supply Tehran with MiG-29, Su-24MK aircraft, diesel-electric submarines (diesel-electric submarines) of the 877EKM project (including the construction of shore-based facilities for them), S-200VE air defense systems. And also to establish licensed production of T-72 tanks and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles in Iran.
Russia did not have time to fully implement the contracts already signed with Iran before the date specified in the memorandum – December 31, 1999. As a result, it received less than $2 billion. In addition, Russia was forced to refuse to supply Iran with spare parts for military equipment, which, according to Russian-Iranian agreements, it was supposed to supply until 2011.
Iran has repeatedly made it clear to Russia about its desire to restore bilateral military-technical cooperation. In particular, in 1998, Tehran officially informed Moscow of its desire to purchase in Russia eight divisions of S-300PMU1 anti-aircraft missile systems, 1,000 Igla man-portable anti–aircraft missile systems, 25 Mi-17-1V military transport helicopters, eight Su-25 attack aircraft, as well as S-300VM, Gamma-DE, Casta-2E2 radar stations and other military equipment worth about $2 billion. However, the Russian-American agreement in force at that time did not allow Moscow to sign contracts for the sale of these weapons.
THE SECOND PERIOD OF COOPERATION
In November 2000, Moscow officially notified the American administration of the refusal from December 1, 2000 of the obligations not to supply conventional weapons to Iran. In 2001-2002, supplies of ammunition and spare parts for MiG-29 and Su-24MK aircraft in service with the Iranian Air Force began.
The Ulan-Ude Aircraft Factory (UUAZ) delivered 27 Mi-171 helicopters in a civilian version to Iran from 2000 to 2003 (five helicopters in 2000, 21 in 2001-2002 and one in 2003). In 2001, Iran signed a new contract with Rosoboronexport for the purchase of 36 Mi-171Sh helicopters in 2002-2004.
During the official visit of the Iranian Defense Minister to Moscow in October 2001, Russia and Iran signed an intergovernmental agreement on military-technical cooperation, which legally defined the framework for further cooperation in this area.
In February 2003, Kurganmashzavod received an order for the supply of a batch of infantry fighting vehicles, which was completed in 2004. According to reports, it was about the supply of about 300 BMP-2 to Iran in the amount of about $ 60 million.
This order did not exhaust Iran's needs for this type of armored vehicles. Earlier, there was talk of a possible purchase of up to 1000 BMP-2, so an additional order for these machines could follow from Iran. Moreover, serious technical problems arose during the operation of the Iranian domestic Borak BMP.
UUAZ delivered three new Su-25UBK attack aircraft to Iran in 2003. Initially, it was about the delivery of 12 machines, but the contract was signed for only three aircraft. In continuation of this theme, another contract was signed in 2005 for the supply of three Su-25UBT aircraft.
In 2004, UUAZ completed the delivery of 36 Mi-171Sh helicopters to Iran under a contract signed in 2001. At the beginning of 2005, the Kazan Helicopter Plant (KVZ) delivered three Mi-17 helicopters to Iran for the sanitary service. The Instrument Engineering Design Bureau (KBP) has fulfilled a small contract with Iran for the supply of guided artillery shells (UAS) "Krasnopol-M".
In December 2005, Russia and Iran signed a contract for the supply of Russian military equipment worth more than $1.4 billion. It was about the purchase of 29 Tor-M1 air defense systems in the amount of $ 700 million. In addition, an agreement was reached on the modernization of aviation equipment in service with the Iranian Air Force. According to unofficial data, the aviation part of the contract provided for the repair and modernization of 24 Su-24 (worth about $ 300 million). Russia also planned to supply patrol boats for the Iranian Navy.
Russia fully completed the delivery of 29 Tor-M1 air defense systems to Iran in December 2006. They were deployed to cover the most important state and military facilities of the country from an air attack – primarily nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Bushehr, Tehran and in the east of Iran.
Tehran was supplied with 12 new towed Tor-M1T complexes on an automobile chassis (specially developed by Almaz-Antey Concern for Iran) and 17 Tor-M1 on a GM-5955 tracked chassis, previously intended for the Greek option, which was not implemented. In February 2007, the delivery of 1.2 thousand 9M331 missiles and spare parts for these complexes to Iran was completed.
Russian air defense systems "Tor-M1" showed a high probability of hitting air targets in Iran. During the firing tests, Iranian calculations prepared in Russia shot down all air targets that simulated air attack means.
According to officially unconfirmed data, Rosoboronexport acted as an intermediary in the sale to Iran of 200 V-84MS tank engines (produced by JSC CHTZ-Uraltrak) in the amount of $ 200 million for installation on Iranian Zulfikar MBT (created on the basis of licensed Russian T-72S).
In 2007, a contract was signed to supply Iran with five divisions of the S-300PMU-1 air defense system consisting of 40 launchers worth about $ 800 million. During the negotiations with Iran, the possibility of supplying the "Sky", "Caste", "Gamma" and "Polyana" radars was discussed. Iran has shown interest in acquiring T-90S tanks.
In mid-December 2005, reports appeared in the Russian media with reference to a source in the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) that Russia had reached an agreement on the supply of the Pechora-2A air defense system to Iran.
During the exhibition "Idex-2005" Iran submitted an application for the purchase of a towed artillery gun "Nona-K" of 120 mm caliber.
A NEW FAREWELL
On September 22, 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on measures to implement UN Security Council Resolution No. 1929. The decree provided for a ban on the use of Russian territory for the transit movement of weapons to Iran, the export of weapons directly from the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as the transfer of weapons outside Iran using ships and aircraft under the state flag of Russia.
The ban applied to almost all types of conventional weapons – tanks, armored combat vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft and helicopters, ships, missiles and missile systems, as well as spare parts and material support for this equipment. Thus, Russia has already lost the Iranian arms market for the second time.
Russia's losses as a result of the collapse of the military-technical cooperation with Iran are estimated at $11 billion to $12 billion. This volume includes both supplies under already signed contracts (before the UN Security Council embargo was imposed) and lost profits from the curtailment of programs on promising projects.
It is worth noting that in 2001, Iran began implementing a 25-year program of rearmament of its armed forces, which provided mainly for the purchase of Russian-made military equipment.
The total amount of funding for the program was estimated at $25 billion. Russian manufacturers could count on at least half of this amount, that is, just $ 12 billion.
The only officially confirmed delivery is the transfer of the 1L222 Avtobaza radio intelligence station to Iran in October 2011.
As Konstantin Biryulin, deputy director of the Federal Customs Service, said at the time, "negotiations are underway with the Iranian side on the further supply of such equipment." As Biryulin stressed, "we are constantly negotiating with Iran on the purchase of military equipment that does not fall under UN Security Council sanctions. These are defensive systems, in particular in this case we are talking about electronic warfare."
ANOTHER RETURN
At the beginning of 2016, the settlement of the Iranian "nuclear problem" by diplomatic means led to the lifting of most restrictions on trade with Tehran.
However, restrictions on the supply of conventional weapons to Iran remained in force: tanks, armored vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems (from 100 mm and above), combat aircraft and helicopters, ships, missiles or missile systems. The supply of these weapons to Tehran could only be carried out with the prior permission of the UN Security Council. These restrictions were in effect until October 18, 2020.
Taking into account the fact that the embargo on the supply of weapons classified as "offensive" to Iran was in effect for about five years, the most promising direction of the military-technical cooperation of Russia and Iran during this period was the topic of air defense as a purely "defensive" weapons system.
The first real step towards restoring relations in the field of military-technical cooperation was the renegotiation of the contract for the supply of S-300PMU-1 air defense systems and the withdrawal of Tehran's claim against Russia for non-fulfillment of the previous contract on air defense systems. Russia avoided possible penalties, since Iran filed a lawsuit in the Geneva Arbitration Court in April 2011 against Rosoboronexport in the amount of $ 4 billion for refusing to supply S-300PMU-1.
The amount of the claim included the cost of the contract, the cost of preparing the infrastructure for the Iranians to put the air defense system on combat duty and moral damage. In addition, Tehran has included penalties for contracts with the Russian Federation in this amount since 1995, when the military-technical cooperation between the Russian Federation and Iran was frozen.
In 2016, Russia completed deliveries under a previously canceled contract for the supply of five divisions of S-300PMU-1 air defense systems to Tehran worth more than $ 800 million. After that, cooperation on other long-range air defense systems became possible.
Another area of cooperation in the interim period was the subject of electronic warfare. According to available data, in the period from 2015 to 2018, four Resonance-NE long-range detection radars were delivered to Iran (estimated at about $200 million).
During the transition period, cooperation was carried out on a number of weapons systems that are classified as purely "defensive".
With the settlement of the situation under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program and taking into account the fact that the JCPOA is linked to UN Security Council Resolution No. 2231, which provided for the lifting of restrictions on the supply of weapons to Iran, we should expect another, fourth, but already "full-fledged" (unlike the third stage) return of Russia to the Iranian arms market.
According to Western media reports, Tehran intends to purchase a large batch of Russian weapons, including 24 Su-35 fighter jets and two S-400 SAM batteries. The issue of overhauling the Iranian MiG-29 and Su-24 and improving the professional skills of their crews is being discussed. It is estimated that the amount of contracts under discussion reaches $10 billion.
Vasily Ivanov
Vasily Ivanovich Ivanov is a journalist.