Russian Expert Says Test Launches of Syrian Scud Missiles Political

MosNews | June 3 2005

The launching of Scud ballistic missiles by Syria has a primarily political background rather than military, a Russian missile technology expert said.

Speaking of the test launch of three Scud missiles carried out by Syria, he said the country does not have any technological need to test them. “Syria’s three launches in one day is rather a demonstration of military power and also a political answer to the United States and its Middle East allies for the forced withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon,” ITAR-TASS news agency quoted him as saying.

The expert, whose name was not given, said Damascus may have 300 to 400 of the modernized missiles with a range of 700 kilometers. He added that North Korea was also producing such missiles on the basis of the R-300 missiles made in the Soviet Union.

Syria test-fired three Scud missiles last week, including one that broke up over Turkey, senior Israeli security officials said on Friday.

The officials were quoted by Reuters as saying that the missiles, using North Korean technology and designed to carry chemical warheads, were fired last Friday from northern Syria in the first such tests by Israel’s arch-foe since 2001. One of the missiles was fired southwest towards the Mediterranean, the Israeli officials said, and broke up over the Turkish province of Hatay, shedding debris over two villages.

The New York Times, which first reported Israel’s allegations, quoted the Turkish ambassador to Washington, Osman Faruk Logoglu, as confirming that “during a (Syrian) military exercise, there was a technical mishap”. “The Syrian government was sorry about this,” Logoglu said, adding that there were no casualties in the May 27 incident.

There was no immediate comment from Damascus.

According to Israeli officials, the missiles were a Scud B, with a range of about 200 km, and two Scud Ds, with a range of about 700 km.