Posted on 03/28/2010 10:54:24 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Russian industry sources said the Pantsyr-S1E air defense system project has fallen way behind schedule for Arab clients. The sources said manufacturer Instrument Design Bureau, or KBP, has failed to maintain the pace set for production and trials. "This could affect future deals," an industry source said.
At least five Middle East states have ordered the 96K6 Pantsyr short-range system. They were identified as Algeria, Iran, Jordan, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. Several other countries, including Saudi Arabia, were said to be considering Pantsyr for point defense.
The biggest delay has been reported in the UAE, which ordered 50 systems and financed the enhancement of Pantsyr. The sources said at least 80 percent of the order has not been fulfilled.
Other delays were reported in Syria, which ordered 36 systems. Under the deal, Iran was to receive another 10 Pantsyrs.
In 2007, Algeria ordered 38 Pantsyr systems. The sources said few if any of the systems has arrived.
Jordan has signed a contract for Pantsyr as well. In 2007, Jordan hosted trials of the air defense system but has not received any batteries. The sources said the Pantsyr project was on the agenda of talks during the visit to Moscow by Jordan's King Abdullah in March 2010.
The Russian company has acknowledged problems in the Pantsyr project. Executives cited pressure by the Russian Army to receive priority over export clients.
KBP deputy director-general Yury Savenkov said the UAE has introduced several Pantsyr systems into operation. Savenkov said Abu Dhabi would receive additional batteries over the next year.
(Excerpt) Read more at geostrategy-direct.com ...
Junk gets chewed up by cruise missiles before the first pilot ever goes over.
Waste of oil money.
Would the delays happen to be duffel bags of Israeli bribe money? A while back there was a report that Israel was planning on selling Russia a new line of UAVs, and at first I was thinking that Netanyahu has lost his mind, but then I thought about it some more and think it might be some kind of bribe to ice the Russian sales to Iran.
Middle East
Mideast is in the US.
I did type middleeast in the keyword section.
Sorry. for the last post. I am nursing a leg wound with double doses of Viccoden
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