This drone is a part of a Russian RB-341V Leer-3 electronic warfare system and used to locate GSM signals, then interfere them or act as a mobile base station. pic.twitter.com/e5YRjsCj5Y
— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) July 15, 2022
The US-supplied arsenals have empowered Ukrainian troops, with the first batch of weapons such as track-mounted multiple-rocket launchers, to destroy over two Russian ammunition depots, air defenses, and command posts during the five-month campaign.
Thus, the Kremlin is strengthening its ties with Iran to gain access to the latter’s high-end drone technology and counter the advanced arms of the West.
According to Samuel Bendett, a specialist on Russian drones and other weapons at CNA, “Russia is turning to an ally that has flown drones in complex environments in large numbers,” adding that “while the Russians still have drones, they don’t have all the types they need.”
Iran has previously provided drone technology to Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi rebels in Yemen, attacking Saudi Arabia and the UAE. They also supported Shiite militias in Iraq with weapons, which they used to attack Iraqi and American troops.
During his meeting with Putin, Iran’s Supreme Leader emphasized the importance of long-term cooperation between Iran and Russia, adding that the two countries must remain vigilant against “Western deception.”
The Kremlin leader’s visit, which comes just days after Biden’s visits to Israel and Saudi Arabia, sends a clear message to the West about Russia’s plans to strengthen strategic ties with Iran, China, and India in the face of Western sanctions, Reuters reported.
Significance of drones in modern warfare
Reconnaissance drones have increasingly become significant in modern warfare, not to mention insurgencies and counter-terrorism operations.
However, Russia’s defense industry has struggled to build capable UAVs in large quantities, analysts claim. And since its invasion began, the Russians have relied heavily on drones for attacking Ukrainian troops and transmitting coordinates back to Russia’s long-range weapons, such as howitzers and mortars.
Ukraine had its drone fleet even before Russia’s invasion. Moreover, it has received additional military equipment from the US and other NATO countries to counterstrike the aggressor’s heavy-duty tanks and armored personnel carriers.
While it’s unclear what type of drones Russia is looking for, US officials speculated that they might be after the so-called suicide drones with which Iran launched several attacks on American troops based in Iraq and Syria last year. Accordingly, US military leaders believed that the drones in the captured satellite imagery and the ones used in Iraq were the same.
Aside from drones, Russia seems interested in acquiring Iran’s increasingly sophisticated arsenal of long-range missiles, which the latter also used to assault US bases in Iraq two years ago.
There may be limits on how much military aid Iran will provide to Russia. Because of sanctions against Russia, it is cut off from access to the US Dollar or Euro, which means Iran will have to accept payment in Rubles which is only taken in Russia for goods and services. While the Ruble crashed pretty hard in the initial wave of sanctions, Moscow stabilized it by manipulating the market for rubles and manufacturing demand that would not otherwise exist. As a result, Iran could end up holding a lot of devalued Rubles that it can’t do anything with later on and will probably want to limit its exposure.
The ties between the two countries raise concern for the West that the United States will watch with caution.
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