ISIS/ISIL conflict in Syria/Iraq (No OpEd, No Politics)
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
I don't really think a Chinese airforce operation in Iraq is possible. First China still does not have any fully operational carrier group.
Second US will not allow Iraq to let the Chinese airofrce operate from Iraqi airbases.
Lastly Operating jets on Iranian airbases would mean a defacto Chinese-Iranian alliance. That would put Chinese interests in Saudi Arabia and its allies in jeopardy.
Deploying airforce jets in Syria wouldn't be wise too.. It might drag China for a long time if it got directly involved in the civil war.
The best scenario i see is for the Chinese Navy to launch its CJ-10 cruise missiles against ISIS/Rebels in Syria and Iraq through all available warships that are capable of launching CJ-10 and deployment of drones for recon. Also through equipping Iraqi and Syrian army with their new tanks.
In this scenario. China can have a graceful exit strategy, China can tests its new weapons and also combat terrorism.
It will all be a win win scenario.
The use of cruise missiles is unnecessary. The number of suitable targets will be limited and these can be left to Russia.
Reconnaissance is the responsibility of the alliance of Syria, Iraq, Iran and Russia, coordinated in Baghdad, and a Chinese contribution is here too unnecessary.
The Iranian air force consist mostly of older aircraft and when the pressure is raised in Iraq in response to an advance by the Syrian army against ISIL in that country Iran might want to receive support from Russia or China. If US feel themselves pushed out by Russia from two sides they might look for an incident to cause more trouble while that might be less likely if the support comes from China.
As it is Russia even now has intensive diplomatic interactions with Saudi Arabia. Seeing US pushed out will not cause Saudi Arabia to diminish diplomatic relations with China. To the contrary these relations become more important as it should be competing with China's relations with Iran.
If you look at how Beijing decides with its military.. I don't think they are interested in such a scale of military adventurism.
China participated in anti-piracy operations in Somalia not just to protect its own shipping and international ships but also with the benefit of gaining experience operating far ashore amd interacting with other navies.
If China will mount such an operation in Iraq and Syria.. There is not much to gain in just flying jets and bombing targets, PLAAF can do that in China. The ISIS nor Syrian rebels does not have an airforce for an air to air combat.
Testing and deplyment of China's new recon aircraft and drones would interest Beijing more. Infact even firing and testing its cruise missiles in actual use. Deployment of new Tanks and Armored vehicles would also suits Beijing's interests.
Turkey and Russia has good relations prior to Russian intervention in Syria. But it deteriorated.
If China and Iran cooperates in such scale. It will surely displease Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, and even its staunch ally and friend Pakistan. Remember Pakistan is a Sunni Muslim country.
Such cooperation with Iran will be harmful to China.
I trust China to consider all sides of the matter.
The beginning of an article from Sputnik:
I found it an interesting article. It would be awkward for Russia to bomb ISIL in Iraq because it wold want to avoid a further growth of the cold war feeling in US. So there might be a place for China in this war and then most easily by basing PLAAF units in Iran. And it would be an effective response to a possible US provocation in SCS.
Those helos are making judicious use of IR counter measures as they fly low in those attack patterns.
plawolf
Lieutenant General
Clever. They are taking no chances.
Modern MANPADS are hard to fool once locked on, and at the height those helos were operating, they won't have much if any reaction time for even the best automated defensive suits to register a threat and deploy flares before its too late.
Popping flares like that makes it near impossible for anyone with a MANPAD to know what the seeker is locking onto, and given the large number of flares vs helos, the odds are very much in the Russian's favour if someone does take a pot shot.
Just kinda sucks for anyone unfortunate enough to be living under where those helos are operating, and I imagine a fair number of fires would result on the ground from all that flare use.
Exactly.
There is no long-term strategic investment for China in Syria. The Chinese government is supposedly friendly with Assad, but not to the same degree as Putin's government. If Assad falls Russia risks losing its last foothold, so to speak, in the Middle East; they will not give up that easily.