Russia assisting Iran in development of supersonic cruise missiles
A Financial Times report reveals that Russia has been secretly assisting Iran in developing supersonic cruise missiles through technical collaboration and expert visits. The program, codenamed C430L, involves Russian state arms exporters and engineers working to enhance Iran's anti-ship and land-attack capabilities.
Why it matters
This collaboration represents a significant escalation in military cooperation between Russia and Iran, potentially altering regional security dynamics in the Middle East.
Russia has been secretly helping Iran develop supersonic cruise missiles, London-based outlet The Financial Times reported on Wednesday morning, which experts say would likely have been intended for anti-ship and land attacks.The program, codenamed C430L, began in 2023 and was arranged by Russia's state arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, in coordination with the US-sanctioned NPO Mashinostroyenia, FT reported.According to FT, Russian arms export officials and senior NPO Mashinostroyenia engineers traveled to Iran repeatedly in 2023.Among the engineers who conducted these trips were Alexander Dergachev, chief designer for sea-launched missiles and cruise missile complexes; Alexander Chebakov, head of NPO Mashinostroyenia's design department for air-breathing propulsion units and a specialist in supersonic ramjet propulsion for cruise missiles; and Yuri Prokhorchuk, head of the aerodynamics and ballistics department.
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