A few pieces of the military preparedness side of the Iran puzzle

If you are RISK - AVERSE you will not like this.

Articles today quote source claiming that Russia has along with SU-30's, Kilo Subs and Pantsyr air defense systems, aling with the S-300 system now transferred the Yakhont missile (an updated version of the Sunburn missile) to Iran. (If you use the google links, be aware there are some hysterical type overhypes in the mix)

Who cares about this?

Well let's follow the trail from the Jerusalem Post today. The Israelis, of course, given their experience against Hizballah with a much lower tech missile have their own concerns.

However, the specs are these:

1. Missile launch vehicle: Land, Mobile, Naval patrol craft, Destroyer, SUBMARINE.
2. Range: Up to 300km (THE ENTIRE PERSIAN GULF)
   
3. Warhead: ~ up to 300kg
4. Speed: Mach 2-3 (time to target from launch - 5.9 minutes, time from 50 mile detection - 90 seconds)
   
5. Guidance: Over the horizon radar guidance via vehicle (helicopter or other ...a weakness), then active radar homing
6. Design: 1980's then updated

Since this missile can be launched from the mountains inside Iran from both fixed and mobile launchers and cover any ship in the gulf, and since these are cheap compared to aircraft, and since launched en masse (Soviet doctrine) could saturate defenses even if adequate to begin with, what would be the purpose of such sales by the Russians (the why for the Iranians is quite obvious). Certainly the BEST explanation would be deterrence of an american attack - and therefore the survival intact of the current Iranian regime (besides their ability to buy russian arms, what POSSIBLE advantage does this have for the Russians besides being a detriment to us?)

To defeat this missile will take early detection (E-3A's and Hawkeye's), early defense missile launch, and lavish point defense.

Do we have this?

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