Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Turkey Buys 80 Russian Anti-Tank Missile Systems

Turkey Buys 80 Russian Anti-Tank Missile Systems (NSI News Source Info) September 24, 2008: Russia will sell 80 Kornet E (NATO designation: AT-14) laser-guided anti-tank missile systems to Turkey in a $70 million deal that is Moscow's first arms sale to the NATO member in 11 years, according to a senior Russian defense industry source. The Russian government arms export monopoly Rosoboronexport and Turkey's Secretariat of Defense Industries, SSM, signed the contract in late August, the official said Sept. 23. All deliveries will be made in 2009, the official said. Developed by the Tula-based Instrument Design Bureau KBP, Kornet E is a semi-automatic laser-guided missile that can hit targets out to 5,500 meters during the daytime and 3,000 meters at night. It can carry anti-tank or thermobaric warheads. Each 60-kilogram system consists of a launcher, thermal sight and a single missile container. It can be ready in three minutes. In 1999, Tula KBP was slapped with sanctions by the United States for delivering Kornet Es to Syria. Israeli media had reported that Syria had leaked them to the Lebanon-based radical Hezbollah group, which used them against Israeli tanks during the August 2006 military conflict in Lebanon. In January 2007, Turkey launched the competition to supply 80 medium-range anti-tank weapon systems, 800 missiles and related maintenance services. Rosoboronexport beat out rival bidders Denel, Rafael and Raytheon.

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