The United States shares Israel’s concern over the possibility of Hizbullah obtaining advanced anti-ship missiles that Russia is selling to Syria, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday.
Russia defended the sale of the Yakhont cruise missile, saying there is no reason to fear that the weapons will fall into the hands of terrorists. Hizbullah scored a surprise advantage in the 2006 Second Lebanon War by using powerful Russian-made anti-tank missiles that had been sold to Syria.
Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said Gates told visiting Defense Minister Ehud Barak that the sale could further "destabilize" the Middle East.
Gates brought up the sale during a visit by Russian officials to the Pentagon last week, according to Morrell. Russia agreed in 2007 to sell the Yakhont supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria, but Israeli and American concerns had delayed final approval until last week.
The P-800 Yakhont missiles has a range of 180 miles (300 kilometers and the capability of carrying a 400-pound warhead. Its ability to cruise only a few feet above the sea makes it difficult to be spotted by radar systems.
Israel is openly angry over the sale, which Barak failed to stop during a recent visit to Russia, where he concluded Russian purchases of Israeli military equipment, particularly unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs).