Tajni program C430L krenuo je još 2023., procurili su detalji: 'Ovo je prijenos osjetljive vojne tehnologije'

Russian intelligence and military officials have been working in secret since 2023 to assist Iran in developing advanced supersonic cruise missiles, according to leaked documents and travel records reviewed by investigators. The covert programme, codenamed C430L, involves Russian specialists helping Iran build a ramjet propulsion system, a type of engine that enables cruise missiles to maintain speeds many times faster than the speed of sound. This technology is considered critical for creating weapons capable of targeting U.S. naval assets such as aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf. The programme, coordinated by Rosoboronexport, Russia's state arms exporter, and involving NPO Mashinostroyenia, a major Russian defense contractor, has drawn attention from Western analysts who say it marks a deepening strategic partnership between Moscow and Tehran. Leaked communications suggest that discussions around the project continued into this year, even amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States and Israel. The C430L initiative reportedly began in 2023 and persisted throughout the ongoing conflict between Iran and the U.S.-Israel alliance. Travel records indicate that Russian arms export officials and senior engineers from NPO Mashinostroyenia made multiple visits to Iran prior to the official signing of the agreement with Iran's Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics in November 2023. By 2025, NPO Mashinostroyenia had received a substantial amount of technical data from Iran related to the ramjet propulsion system, which Russian engineers subsequently analyzed. Experts say the development of such a propulsion system would allow Iran to create a new generation of strategic weapons capable of posing a serious threat to U.S. naval operations in the region. "This is the transfer of a highly strategically sensitive military technology from Russia that the Iranians have wanted to acquire for decades," said Fabian Hinz, a senior analyst with Conflict Armament Research, a UK-based organization specializing in tracing weapons used in conflicts. He added that a programme of this scale would need high-level approval within the Russian government. Iran has already constructed and tested the ramjet propulsion system, though there is currently no evidence that a fully developed supersonic cruise missile based on this technology has been deployed. According to Jim Lamson, a former CIA analyst now affiliated with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, the acquisition of this technology would provide Iran with a qualitatively new strategic capability, potentially allowing it to challenge U.S. naval supremacy in the Gulf. The collaboration between Russia and Iran extends beyond missile development. Tehran has supplied Moscow with Shahed attack drones, which played a crucial role in Russia's war in Ukraine. In return, Russia has allegedly provided Iran with battlefield assistance, including satellite imagery, drone support, and components for weapons. Western officials have previously accused Russia of offering Iran military aid during its conflict with the U.S. and Israel. The C430L programme reflects a broader trend of increasing cooperation between the two countries, particularly as both face international sanctions and geopolitical isolation. Analysts argue that Russia seeks to expand the scope of the Ukraine war and involve the U.S. in additional theaters, thereby complicating Western efforts to contain Russian influence. "Russia doesn't care as much about the red lines in the region," said Nicole Grajewski, a professor at Sciences Po University in Paris. In late 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of potential retaliation against Western nations supplying advanced long-range missiles to Ukraine, stating that Russia would deploy similar weapons in regions where strikes on sensitive targets might occur. The C430L programme appears to have continued into 2026, with both sides discussing the next phase of the development process. However, it remains unclear whether the subsequent stage of the programme has commenced.