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Russia secretly aids Iran in developing supersonic cruise missiles
A Financial Times investigation has revealed a secret, multi-year military cooperation program between Russia and Iran, codenamed C430L. The program, which reportedly began in 2023, involves the transfer of highly sensitive strategic military technology aimed at helping Iran develop advanced supersonic cruise missiles.
Central to the collaboration is the development of a ramjet propulsion system. This technology would allow cruise missiles to fly at several times the speed of sound while maintaining low altitudes, making them significantly harder for air and missile defense systems to detect and intercept. Experts suggest these weapons could be used for both anti-ship and land-attack missions, potentially threatening US Navy vessels and aircraft carriers in the Middle East.
The program is reportedly coordinated by the Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport in conjunction with NPO Mashinostroyenia, a missile manufacturer already under US sanctions. Leaked correspondence, travel records, and military patent analyses indicate that Russian specialists have made repeated trips to Iran to provide technical expertise and analyze data from Iranian flight tests. While Iran has reportedly built and tested ramjet propulsion systems, there is currently no evidence that a fully integrated supersonic cruise missile developed through this program has been deployed in combat.
Entities
Financial Times · Iran · Iranian Red Crescent · NPO Mashinostroyenia · Rosoboronexport · Russia · U.S. Central Command · United States · United States
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 33 SOURCES] Rosoboronexport and NPO Mashinostroyenia coordinated the project. www.upday.com · ch23.com · desitalkchicago.com · www.zerozeronews.it · www.actualno.com · +28 more
- [● 38 SOURCES] The new missile technology could threaten US Navy vessels and aircraft carriers. desitalkchicago.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.upday.com · ch23.com · www.zerozeronews.it · +33 more
- [● 39 SOURCES] Russia is allegedly helping Iran develop supersonic cruise missiles through a covert programme codenamed C430L. desitalkchicago.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.latestly.com · newsable.asianetnews.com · www.upday.com · +34 more
- [● 39 SOURCES] The programme aims to help Iran develop a ramjet propulsion system for supersonic cruise missiles. desitalkchicago.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.latestly.com · newsable.asianetnews.com · www.upday.com · +34 more
- [● 37 SOURCES] Iran has already built and flight-tested the ramjet propulsion system. desitalkchicago.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.upday.com · www.timesnownews.com · ch23.com · +32 more
- [● 39 SOURCES] The C430L programme began in 2023 and involves experienced Russian missile specialists. desitalkchicago.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.latestly.com · newsable.asianetnews.com · www.upday.com · +34 more
- [● 24 SOURCES] Russian engineers analyzed data from an Iranian flight test. www.zerozeronews.it · news.az · www.newsbytesapp.com · thecurrent.pk · www.cumhuriyet.com.tr · +19 more
- [● 33 SOURCES] The program continued during the US-Israeli conflict against Iran. desitalkchicago.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.dnoticias.pt · dorzeczy.pl · wydarzenia.interia.pl · +28 more
- [● 26 SOURCES] A Financial Times investigation revealed a secret Russian-Iranian military program. bosnainfo.ba · ch23.com · it-bg.org · yucatanalamano.com · desitalkchicago.com · +21 more