Russia is providing 90 advanced missile launchers to Iran

Russia has agreed to supply Iran with 90 helicopter-mounted launchers for precision-guided missiles widely used by Russian forces in the Ukraine war, marking a new dimension in military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran.

The British newspaper Financial Times reported this information in a report on Thursday (November 5).

The previously undisclosed deal provides further evidence of Russian assistance in boosting Iran's military capabilities, including a covert program to help Tehran develop supersonic cruise missiles that could pose a potential threat to US Navy ships in the Persian Gulf.

A Russian defense equipment production schedule for 2024 and 2025, obtained by the Financial Times, shows an order for the export of 90 APU-L launchers. The buyer is identified as "K-10," a codename used by Russia's state arms exporter to refer to Iran.

However, the documents did not provide any definitive information on whether these launchers were ultimately delivered to Iran.

Precision weapons used in the Ukraine war

The launchers are designed to carry Russia's lightweight multi-purpose guided missile, known as the LMUR or Izhdelye-305. This precision-guided missile can hit moving targets.

The missile entered service with the Russian military in 2022. It has since been widely used in the war in Ukraine. An operator can control the trajectory of the missile during flight, allowing it to change targets or adjust its aim.

According to the US Army's Worldwide Equipment Guide, the APU-L launchers are designed for the Russian Mi-28 attack helicopter. Each launcher can carry two missiles.

Iran has already acquired Mi-28 helicopters from Russia. In November 2023, Iranian officials said that a final agreement had been reached for the supply of these helicopters. Later, in January 2026, some photos published online showed Mi-28 helicopters at an air traffic control center in Tehran, the Financial Times reported.

The Russian production documents were handed over to the media by a Ukraine-based private intelligence firm called Dallas Analytics.

In addition, a letter from Russian missile manufacturer Vympel in May 2024 warned another defense bureau that delays in the delivery of launcher components could put several contracts at risk.

Russia also helps Iran develop supersonic cruise missiles

The latest report comes after an investigation by the Financial Times in September found that Russia had secretly helped Iran develop supersonic cruise missile technology under a program codenamed C430L.

The media outlet, reviewing leaked Russian letters, travel documents and military patents, said the program began in 2023. It continued even during the war between Iran, the United States and Israel this year.

The main goal of the project was to develop a ramjet propulsion system. This technology would allow missiles to fly at speeds several times the speed of sound, thereby reducing the response time of US and allied air defense systems.

"It would provide the Iranians with a completely new strategic weapons system that could pose a threat to US Navy ships," Jim Lamson, a former CIA military analyst on Iran, told the Financial Times.

Iran has already developed and flight-tested this propulsion system. However, the media has not found evidence that any supersonic cruise missile developed with Russian assistance has been effectively integrated into the Iranian military.

The report states that Russian engineers visited Iran several times. They later analyzed Iranian flight test data and provided advice on fuel systems, combustion stability, air intake systems, and engine design.

"This is a case of a highly sensitive transfer of strategic military technology from Russia, which Iran has been seeking to acquire for decades," Fabian Hinz, senior analyst at Conflict Armament Research, told the Financial Times in September.

Military cooperation deepens amid Iran war

The missile launcher supply agreement and the missile development program highlight two different aspects of Moscow's cooperation with Tehran, ranging from the supply of military equipment to the transfer of specialized technical know-how.

Earlier, the Financial Times reported that Russia had also agreed to supply shoulder-mounted air defense systems to Iran.

However, the military relationship between the two countries is not one-sided. Iran has previously supplied Russia with Shahed attack drones for use in the Ukraine war. Tehran has also helped Russia establish its own production system for these drones.

Western intelligence officials have told the Financial Times that Moscow and Tehran's military partnership has strengthened during this year's Middle East conflict, even as US President Donald Trump has claimed that Russia is doing "little or nothing" to help Iran.

"This suggests that Russia is keen to continue supplying Iran, despite its own wartime needs, while at the same time paying much less attention to Western objections than in the past," Nicole Grazzewski, a researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the FT.

Moscow's cooperation also has its limits

Despite increased military cooperation, analysts have warned against exaggerating Russia's role in the ongoing conflict.

Hannah Note, director of the Eurasia Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said Moscow is balancing its relations with Washington and other countries in the Middle East while considering support for Iran.

"Russia still has certain limits in terms of its involvement in this war," he told the Financial Times.
He added, "That is why Russia's assistance to Iran, while effective in military operations, is not enough to turn the tide of the war."