[Novosti-Russia] Syrian military officials arrived in Moscow on Monday to discuss bilateral military and technical cooperation, said Col. Alexander Drobyshevsky, a Russian Air Force spokesman. Russia's Kommersant newspaper reported that Moscow and Damascus had agreed on deliveries of the latest Russian MiG-29SMT fighter. Syria also bought 36 Pantsir S1E air-defense systems from Russia, and hopes to receive Strelets short-range air defense systems, Iskander tactical missile systems, Yak-130 aircraft, and two Amur-1650 submarines. Israel and the U.S. are sensitive about Russian-Syrian military and technical cooperation, fearing not only a reinforcement of Syria's armed forces, but also the possibility that modern weapons could fall into the hands of Hizbullah fighters and Iran, in violation of the existing international embargo.
2008-05-20 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive