Russian Acquisitions of Iranian Ballistic Missiles ‘Inevitable’ – European Officials

<p >The Russian Defence Ministry is expected with a high degree of certainty to begin procuring tactical ballistic missiles from Iran, according to unnamed European officials cited by Bloomberg. The sources referred to the expected missile transfer as "a worrying development in the conflict,” stating that deliveries were thought to be imminent but declining to give information on the quantities of missiles set to be supplied. The G7, formed of six Western countries and Japan, is currently considering increased targeting of the Iranian economy through sanctions should sales materialise, although according to Bloomberg and other Western sources the effect of these was not likely to be significant to achieve desired Western Bloc objectives. In early August European intelligence sources cited by the British media outlet Reuters <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-fateh360-iran-acquire" target="_blank">reported</a> that the Russian Armed Forces were set to receive several hundred Iranian Fateh-360 short range ballistic missiles. </p><p >Ballistic missile sales would follow the success of Iranian drones such as the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukrainian-artillery-destroyed-iran-drones-shahed136" >Shahed-136</a> in gaining a <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/iran-s-shahed-136-drone-has-become-russia-s-primary-aircraft-for-striking-ukrainian-positions-unprecedented-attacks-near-odessa" target="_blank">central position</a> in the Russian inventory from mid-late 2022, and subsequently beginning licensed production in the country. Arms exports not only provide Iran’s defence sector with a means of gaining revenue, but their employment against <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/contractors-kursk-polish-french-details" target="_blank">Western</a> and Western-aligned Ukrainian forces also helps to combat a common adversary of both countries. Use of Iranian drones has caused sufficient concern in Ukraine that Ukrainian officials have <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/zelensky-aide-wants-attack-iran" target="_blank">advocated launching attacks</a> on industrial targets in Iran.</p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2024/09/04/article_66d7d9d77ccf19_30559297.jpeg" title="Shahed-136 Drone Over Kiev"></p><p >The Fateh-360 is one of Iran’s newest ballistic missile systems, and was unveiled only in April 2022. It is one of the lightest and shortest ranged missiles classes produced in the country, and can engage targets only up to 120 kilometres away, making it more comparable to rocket artillery systems than the ballistic missile systems in its reach. Indeed, its range is less than one third that of the Russian Army’s longest ranged rocket artillery system the North Korean supplied KN-25. The Fateh-360 was designed as a lighter counterpart to the already small Fateh-110 ballistic missile, which reports for close to two years have indicated Russia has <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/fateh110-missile-perfect-ukraine">sought to acquire</a> from Iran. A significant possibility remains that Russia will acquire both systems. </p><p >Each of the small solid fuelled missiles employed by the Fateh-360 uses satellite guidance and carries a 150 kilogram warhead. Although Russian industry already produces the 9K720 tactical ballistic missile for its <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/iskander-successes-strike-artillery" >Iskander-M system</a>, this much larger and more costly, with a heavy 500 kilogram warhead, 500 kilometre range, and complex semi-ballistic trajectory. While acquiring North Korean KN-23B missiles from late 2023 provided Russia with a heavier, longer ranged and <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/move-aside-iskander-kn23b-russia-top" target="_blank">higher end counterpart</a> to the Iskander-M, Iranian missiles are expected to provide the country with the cheapest systems in its arsenal, providing greater versatility to respond to a wider variety of threats.  </p>

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