Russian S-300 SAMs 'in Serbia :: Nauka ~ Tehnika ~ Military

According to unsubstantiated reports Russia or elements in Russia are believed to have supplied air defence units of the Yugoslav Air Force with elements of between six and 10 S-300PM (NATO Codename: SA-10b 'Grumble') long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems just weeks before NATO launched its bombing campaign on 24 March.

Several unrelated sources claim the systems were delivered incomplete, without the 36D6 ('Clam Shell') target designation and tracking radar. Sources within Serbia claim the S-300 deliveries were interrupted by the bombing, and the radars never reached Serbia.

These allegations are vigorously denied by the Russia embassy in London: "The Russian government denies any violation of international norms, especially in respect of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Allegations of arms smuggling are without foundation."

However, another Serbian military source has suggested that the only part ever to reach Belgrade were the missiles without their original self-propelled transporter-launcher units. According to this high-ranking officer, the first shipment of elements of the S-300 system entered Serbia by land in early 1999, hidden in railway wagons carrying scrap iron. Up to 20 missiles may have entered this way.

The distinctive MAZ-7910 vehicles which carry the launcher unit and serve as the basis for the 'Flap Lid B' radar vehicle/command post posed more of a problem to deliver. The NATO campaign started before any means of covert delivery had been found.

Sources believe Yugoslav engineers had already been working on plans to modify existing radars and make the S-300 at least partly operational. It appears that the older-generation radars could not be successfully adapted to the latest generation S-300 PMU2 (SA-10d), but engineers claimed they would be able to modify the existing P-15M ('Squat Eye') radar and PRV-11 ('Side Net') height-finder to be successfully paired with older- generation S-300 missiles.

Although denied by Russian arms export agency Rosvoorouzhenie, sources believe elements inside Russia agreed to supply an unspecified quantity of the S-300PM (SA-10b) missiles. These are believed to have been smuggled in a Russian humanitarian convoy, inside what appeared to be fuel tankers. The convoy was stopped at the Hungarian border, with authorities deeming the 73-vehicle convoy to be in violation of the embargo against Yugoslavia. It is believed the Russians were eventually allowed to get through, allegedly carrying four older-generation missiles.

This was again denied by Russia. "The components of the S-300 are large-sized ones, so their transportation to Yugoslavia by air, water or road couldn't be performed inperceptibly for NATO intelligence sources", stressed Rosvoorouzhenie.

The system is alleged to have been deployed deployed in the Banat plains of Vojvodina, some 10km east of the Belgrade industrial suburb of Pancevo. The site of a major oil refinery and numerous chemical and industrial plants, Pancevo was heavily targeted on a daily basis and promised to provide a 'target-rich environment'. It is believed a live firing test was scheduled for 30 May under the command of Air Force Gen Ljubisa Velickovic. Two P-15M radars were set to operate in parallel with the aim of targeting two NATO bombers simultaneously.

The Serbian air defence unit never managed to launch the S-300. It is believed radar emissions from the launch site were detected by the aircraft covering the F-16s bombing the Pancevo refinery and a precise hit by a NATO missile destroyed the launch site killing Gen Velickovic and a number of other officers.

After this failure the Serbs believed the technology would never work and apparently withdrew the remaining S-300s to underground tunnels in the Rakovica suburb south of Belgrade.

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