Tehran and Moscow have signed a confidential contract worth approximately 500 million euros, which provides for the transfer of a significant batch of Verba man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS). The agreement was finalized amid growing concerns among the Iranian leadership regarding the vulnerability of its air defense system to Israeli airstrikes. This is stated in a Financial Times article.
Details
The document provides for the supply of 500 Verba MANPADS units and 2,500 9M336 missiles over the next three years. Iran will also receive 500 Mowgli-2 night vision devices for tracking low-flying targets.
According to the published data, Russia sells one 9M336 missile at a price of 170,000 euros, while the launcher itself is estimated at 40,000 euros per unit.
This agreement has become one of the largest arms deals between the countries recently. Tehran seeks to strengthen the protection of strategic facilities after the 12-day war in June, during which Israeli forces demonstrated their ability to freely strike Iranian infrastructure.
Technical advantages of Verba MANPADS
The Verba anti-aircraft system belongs to the most modern generation of short-range air defense systems and is equipped with an infrared guidance system. It can effectively hit cruise missiles, drones, and aircraft at low altitudes without requiring stationary radar installations. The use of small mobile groups allows the Iranian armed forces to create a dispersed defense network that is much more difficult to detect and destroy with preemptive strikes.