Israel drills sought Iran defense info

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:38:32 Press TV (Ir)

Israel's military exercise in June was reportedly conducted to put to test the Russian-made air-defense missile system supplied to Iran.

According to a report, the early June Israeli air force maneuver over Greece was aimed at gathering information in a bid to develop tactics to beat the advanced Russian-made S-300 air-defense missile system believed to be on the way to Iran. The multi-target anti-aircraft/missile systems have reportedly been deployed to the Greek island of Crete. Earlier in June, a New York Times report revealed that over 100 Israeli F-16s and F-15s flew more than 900 miles off the southern Mediterranean island of Crete, roughly the distance from Israeli airfields to Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities. Following the report, the Greek Defense Ministry issued a statement, reassuring that its military maneuver with Israel was carried out within the framework of Greece-Israel military cooperation and was by no means aimed at preparing for hostile action.

According to The Cutting Edge News website, Greek officials also said that the S-300 had been 'turned off' during the Israeli maneuvers widely believed to be a 'dress rehearsal' for an airborne strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.

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