Russia to Sell Modern Surface-to-Air Missiles to Libya
April 21, 1999 - 0:0
MOSCOW Libya is to get Russian S-300 surface-to-air missiles now that sanctions against that country have been lifted, the head of the Russian firm which makes the weapon was quoted Tuesday as saying. Yuri Rodin-Sova, president of the Russian Group Oboronitelnye Systemy, said, "I won't be betraying a secret in saying that Libya has approached us several times" to supply the missiles, Nezavissima Gazeta daily said.
"Now, the sanctions are lifted. And the next country lined up (for the S-300) is Libya. They still have a lot of Russian-made military equipment and they want to have it again," he said. "We are going to propose a unified anti-aircraft defence system covering all of Libyan territory. The S-300 PMU 1 and 2 will be the basic elements of the system.
Updated equipment from previous generations will complete it." He added that the system had been proposed to Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, but was turned down, "probably because of lack of money." Russia has already sold the S-300 system to Greece. The Russian manufacturers say the weapon is capable of downing cruise missiles, ballistic missiles or warplanes and is superior to the U.S. patriot missile.
(AFP)
"Now, the sanctions are lifted. And the next country lined up (for the S-300) is Libya. They still have a lot of Russian-made military equipment and they want to have it again," he said. "We are going to propose a unified anti-aircraft defence system covering all of Libyan territory. The S-300 PMU 1 and 2 will be the basic elements of the system.
Updated equipment from previous generations will complete it." He added that the system had been proposed to Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, but was turned down, "probably because of lack of money." Russia has already sold the S-300 system to Greece. The Russian manufacturers say the weapon is capable of downing cruise missiles, ballistic missiles or warplanes and is superior to the U.S. patriot missile.
(AFP)