Russia Agrees to Supply Iran with 90 Advanced Helicopter Missile Launchers
Russia has agreed to supply Iran with 90 advanced missile launchers for combat helicopters, according to a Financial Times investigation based on leaked defense documents.
Russia has agreed to supply Iran with 90 advanced missile launchers designed for combat helicopters, according to an investigation published by the Financial Times. Citing internal Russian defense documents and production schedules for 2024 and 2025, the report reveals a classified export order for APU-L missile launchers. These advanced systems are engineered to carry precision-guided LMUR missiles, known in Russia under the military code "Product 305", which are currently used extensively by Russian forces in Ukraine.
The launchers are tailored for attack helicopters such as the Mi-28, a formidable aerial platform partially transferred to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Islamic Republic's air force. The LMUR missiles boast a strike range of up to 14 kilometers with pinpoint accuracy, potentially offering a significant operational upgrade for Iran's aviation forces. However, the report emphasizes that despite the formal documentation of the order, intelligence agencies have yet to confirm whether the launchers have been manufactured or delivered to Tehran.
This disclosure highlights the deepening strategic and military ties between Moscow and Tehran, which have solidified into a formal alliance since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Nicole Grajewski, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, noted that the development demonstrates Moscow's willingness to arm Iran despite its own battlefield shortages. While international experts suggest Moscow maintains certain "red lines" regarding Middle Eastern conflicts, the expanding military partnership continues to raise serious global concerns.
