Russia upgrades Syria-based electronic station to warn Iran of USraeli attack
DEBKAfile, Feb 27 2012
The Russians have upgraded the Jabal Al Harrah radar station south of Damascus, adding resources especially tailored to give Tehran early warning of an incoming USraeli attack. Before it was boosted by extra advanced technology and manpower, the station covered northern Israel up to Tel Aviv, northern Jordan and western Iraq. Today, its range extends to all parts of Israel and Jordan, the Gulf of Aqaba and northern Saudi Arabia. The Russians also upgraded the radar station on Lebanon’s Mount Sannine and connected it to Jabal Al Harrah. Russia is now able to track USraeli naval and aerial movements in the Eastern Mediterranean up to and including Cyprus and Greece. The Admiral Kuznetsov’s visit to Tartus had the mission of keeping an eye out for any USraeli preparations for attacking Iran, Syria or Hizballah, including US drones over Syria. It filled the gap left by the Jabal Al Harrah station, which was fully occupied with feeding data on Syrian opposition movements to Bashar Assad and watching out for signs of foreign intervention, military or covert, against his regime. Moscow decided to boost its radar tracking and surveillance reach for Iran’s benefit in response to a complaint from Tehran that it could no longer count on Russia for a real-time alert on an incoming USraeli military strike, because those resources were stretched to the limit in support of the Assad regime. After expanding and upgrading their range to meet Iranian needs by interconnecting the two stations and adding extra Russian manpower, Moscow ordered the Kuznetsov to depart Tartus on Feb 13 and sail to home port at Severomorsk on the Kola Peninsula. The Russian stations in Syria and Lebanon were by then ready for their expanded missions.
