Russia and Iran Are Secretly Developing Supersonic Weapons — FT
As part of a secret program, Russia is helping Iran develop a new type of supersonic cruise missile. The joint project is codenamed C430L and involves the development of engines for such missiles.
“The main goal of the C430L is to help Iran develop a ramjet engine—an engine that allows a cruise missile to maintain flight at speeds several times the speed of sound,” the article states.
Missile and military experts noted that the technology is almost certainly intended for anti-ship cruise missiles and cruise missiles designed to strike ground targets. According to experts, such weapons could pose a threat to U.S. aircraft carriers and other military ships in the Middle East.
"Iran has developed and conducted flight tests of a ramjet engine, although there is no evidence that the supersonic cruise missile, developed with Russian assistance, has already been deployed," the report states.
It is noted that the program was coordinated by the Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and JSC “NPO Mashinostroyenia.” The C430L contract with the Ministry of Defense and Logistics of the Iranian Armed Forces was signed in November 2023.
By 2025, NPO Mashinostroyenia had received a significant amount of technical documentation from Iran regarding the direct-flow engine. Russian engineers analyzed data from Iranian flight tests—including the operation of the fuel system, combustion stability, the air intake, and the engine nozzle—and subsequently sent questions and recommendations to the Iranian side.
In April 2025, Rosoboronexport proposed sending about two dozen Russian specialists to Iran for technical consultations as part of the C430L program.
The FT found that senior specialists from NPO Mashinostroyenia were involved in the program, including designers who had worked on naval cruise missiles, direct-flow engines, and high-speed missile systems.
“The secret direct-flow engine program demonstrates that Russia is trying to expand the war in Ukraine and draw the U.S. into other theaters of military operations. Russia is no longer as concerned about red lines in the region,” the publication quotes Nicole Graevska, a professor at Sciences Po in Paris, as saying.
According to the FT, the program continued into 2026. In June, Rosoboronexport and the Iranian side were still discussing elements of the next phase of development and Russian technical reports. However, the publication was unable to determine whether the next phase of the program had begun.
The Kremlin, Rosoboronexport, NPO Mashinostroyenia, and the Iranian government did not respond to the Financial Times’ inquiries regarding the program.
This is detailed in a Financial Times investigation based on leaked Russian correspondence, data on experts’ trips, and an analysis of military patents.
The Iranian military command has threatened the U.S. with new strikes.
Iran announced the launch of a military operation against American forces following new U.S. strikes on its territory. According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, the targets included U.S. military bases and other U.S. facilities in the region. However, as of the time of this report, no Middle Eastern country had officially stated that it had been attacked by Iran.
