'Russia-Iran cooperation is reaching new highs,' Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday.
The missile"appears identical" to the Quds-3 missile used by Tehran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, the unofficial"Iran Defense" account wrote, adding such a cruise missile"would be well suited to Russia."
Shoigu visited Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps during his trip to the country this week, and"saw missile weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as Iranian-made air defense equipment," the Russian Defense Ministry said. Images and footage from the visit indicate Shoigu also viewed Iran's"loitering" anti-aircraft munition, known as the 358 missile.
"Like other cruise missiles, the Quds-3 is powered by a small turbofan jet engine, making it much faster than propeller-driven attack drones like the Shahed-136s sold to Russia, and giving it a better chance of getting through defenses," Hambling toldThe Kremlin has courted closer relations with countries such as Iran since the start of the war in Ukraine.
One-way attack drones like the Shaheds move much more slowly than cruise missiles, making it easier for air defenses to intercept them.