EASTERN MILITARY ALLIANCE BONDING

On February 20, an IL-76TD of the Iranian Air Force flew from Tehran to Moscow on a regular visit. Over the past 10 days, this is the 4th visit of this cargo aircraft to the Russian capital. Earlier, another Iranian transport carrier, a Boeing-747 of Saha Airlines, flew to Russia. The cargo on board the Iranian aircraft remains secret. However, the traffic of cargo planes of the Iranian Air Force flying to Moscow has only been growing recently. The level of cooperation between Tehran and Moscow is growing in various fields, including in the military. The Geran-2 UAVs, which are considered to be renamed Iranian Shahed-136 systems, have already proven their high efficiency on the battlefield during the fighting in Ukraine. Iran itself denies the connection between Geran and Shahed. Although, according to some reports, Russia has purchased about 2,600 UAVs. Earlier on February 12, The Guardian reported, citing its sources, that since November 2022 Iran has allegedly delivered 18 new-type attack UAVs to Russia. They reportedly include 12 Shahed-129 and Shahed-191, as well as 6 Mohajer-6. Most of the drones were reportedly tranferred across the Caspian Sea, where they were reloaded from Iranian ships to the Russian ones. However, so far the report is yet to be confirmed. A few months ago, Moscow and Tehran reached an agreement on the exchange of technologies for the production of various weapons and military equipment. Thus, the Russian military-industrial complex has gained access to the development of analogues of Iranian UAVs. In exchange, Iranian industry received the Russian technologies that they were interested in. According to Western media, they include helicopters and anti-aircraft missile systems. It was also reported that 24 Su-35 fighters, previously intended for the Egyptian Air Force, would be delivered to Iran. Moscow and Tehran continue to exchange their experience and technologies in the production of high-precision bombs and missiles for UAVs and assault aircraft. Russia also signed an agreement to purchase over 100,000 pieces of artillery and mortar ammunition from Iran, which has large stocks of 122-mm rounds for D-30 howitzers and BM-21 Grad MLRS. There are active negotiations on the supply of 152 mm artillery shells. Mutually beneficial cooperation has allowed the Russian and Iranian military to gain access to the necessary technologies amid the Western sanctions imposed on the military sectors of both countries.