Persian Gulf & Middle East Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Miragedriver

Brigadier
Iraqi Air Force has 21 Su-25

Mciqmop.png


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Sep 8, 2016
oops Kuwait, Qatar Jet Sales Still in Limbo

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now Corker: Gulf Fighter Sales Will Follow Israeli Aid Deal
The US is set to approve long-pending fighter jet sales to Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait now that a landmark aid deal with Israel has gone through, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Wednesday.

“I’m glad they consummated [the aid deal], and I’m glad that the follow on is we’re completing sales to Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait,” said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. “To act like there’s no connection — let’s face it, it’s like the hostages left when the money arrived.”

The question of whether the jet sales – requests from Qatar for 72 F-15E Strike Eagles and Kuwait for 28 F/A-18E/F – have been held up to maintain Israel’s legally-mandated qualitative military edge has been a longstanding one. Those two nations first requested those potential sales over two years ago.

It has been a delicate dance for Israel, with officials telling Defense News they had raised the issue with the White House but avoiding public comments in order not to be seen as obstructionist for a series of jets which could have huge economic impact for the US defense industry. (Boeing is banking on those sales help keep its St. Louis, Mo., production line going.) Bahrain is also reportedly in the market for up to 18 F-16 Fighting Falcons, made by Lockheed Martin.

On Thursday, former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon came the closest to acknowledging that the jet sales to the gulf nations were tied into the MOU being signed.

“You know, Israel in certain cases has reservations about these arms deals,” Ya’alon said in response to a question from Defense News. “Those reservations should be coordinated with Israel in order to keep that qualitative military edge, and in this case, there were Israeli concerns.”

However, Sen. Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Senate State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Thursday that Israel did not discuss the jet sales with him when US lawmakers visited recently.

“I didn’t talk to them about this,” said Graham, R-S.C. “I’m okay with the sales; I think we need to empower our Arab allies. We call on them to do more. I don’t think it changes the situation with Israel. I don’t think it changes the qualitative superiority that we hope to achieve.”

The chief of the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Vice Adm. Joseph Rixey, in public appearance on Capitol Hill Wednesday, declined to answer a question about the implications of the MOU or the jet sales.

“I’m really happy that the MOU was signed, and I’m really looking forward to working with the Israelis on their procurement of $3.8 billion annually, and that’s all I’m going to say,” Rixey said. “Good try.”
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I see it differently Jura
like this.
F35I is very much a want for the IAF It's a Strike platform with stealth characteristics.
The F15 is however a long time love of the IAF and with the Recent Procurement of newer fighters like the Eurofighter, Rafael Flankers and Indigenous machines by the neighbors combined with the fact that the IAF still uses a number or F15A and B models means that the IAF feels the need to sure up there Air superiority fighter fleet.
SO No F35 is not a bust.
LOL I was just guessing what F-35 Detractors would say based on that article and, about four hours later, they did (on this occasion I don't consider it appropriate to post the link, but if you insisted ...)
by the way the argumentation (or "argumentation") of F-35 Detractors/Extollers is simple: any successes/failures (real or perceived) are downplayed, and if it may not work well, they go against the poster (last weekend I reported one such an attacker in F-35 Thread)

EDIT
and in case you asked me do I think ... I stand by this: Aug 4, 2016
...
#1 let's wait and see if F-35 performs as advertised by the vendor (its line being repeated by the US Military, "quantum leap" and stuff), but
#2
the question remains (and soon may be gone, or asked by many, that's why I'll pose it for the SDF record :) now) if those tremendous resources had been better used on other aircraft than F-35

EDIT what I mean by #2:
kinda abstract economics rule says one should look at what would've been achieved by alternative project(s) in comparison to the one actually procured ... for example if you had invested one mil into something, you should then compare your gain, of for example 100 Grand, to what you would've earned if you had invested into something else, and evaluate the actual investment based on this: had it been realistically possible to gain 200 Grand by investing that one mil differently, your 100 Grand surplus would be a failure LOL!
 
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FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
2nd Mistral for Egypt Anwar El Sadat Commissioned
Homeported to Alexandria main Egyptian homeport

3th new ships after FREMM, other Mistral and in order 4 Frigates Godwind, 1st for 2017.

Saint-Nazaire: Last Mistral delivered to the Egyptian Navy

And two. After Gamal Abdel Nasser in June, the second Mistral-class warship built for DCNS shipyards of Saint-Nazaire STX was officially delivered on Friday afternoon to the Egyptian Navy.

Originally aimed at Russia, projection and command ship (BPC) Anwar El Sadat measuring 199 meters long and can carry up to 700 men, twenty helicopters with 6,500 m2 of flight deck barge landing, tanks and sixty vehicles.


He will leave at the end of the month

The former Vladivostok, which was floated in October 2013 in Saint-Nazaire, must leave the French port at the end of the month, with 180 sailors on board, and reach its home port in Egypt, Alexandria, 1 October.

"Today, thanks to this unique cooperation, worthy heir to the friendship between us, Egypt joined the club of marines who have helicopter carrier, said Hervé Guillou, CEO of DCNS. By 2020, our group has provided seven ships to Egypt. "An option has also been on two additional corvettes.

The Ukrainian crisis has changed plans

If PCBs Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat had done as much talking, because they were originally built for the Russian army, under a contract of 1.2 billion euros signed in 2011 between Russia and DCNS. But while they were nearing completion, delivery was suspended in November 2014 by the French Government due to the worsening situation in Ukraine.

An agreement was finally reached in August 2015, Paris recovering the "full ownership" of the two Mistral. Egypt had then bought the two vessels for $ 950 million. It took resume work to dismantle the Russian military equipment and changing communication systems.

The first three PCBs built by DCNS and STX had been delivered to the French Navy between 2006 and 2012.

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Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
...more to Fobin's post:

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Sadat-1020-003.jpg

Maritime Link said:
French industrial group DCNS has delivered LHD (Landing Helicopter Dock) Anwar El Sadat, the second of two helicopter carriers acquired by the Arab Republic of Egypt.

The flag transfer ceremony took place September 16, 2016 in the presence of the two Chiefs of Staff of the Egyptian and French navies, Admiral Rabie and Admiral Prazuck, the chairman and CEO of DCNS, Hervé Guillou, and the president of STX France, Laurent Castaing, together with senior French and Egyptian officials. By 2020, DCNS will have supplied seven combat vessels to Egypt, thus contributing to the modernization of the Arab Republic of Egypt's defense system.

On October 10, 2015, DCNS signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense of the Arab Republic of Egypt for the supply of two Mistral-class Landing Helicopter Dock vessels (LHDs), the first of which, LHD Gamal Abdel Nasser, was delivered June 2, 2016. The flag transfer for the two helicopter carriers forms an integral part of the continuity of the strategic partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Defence formalized already in July 2014 through the signature of a contract for the sale of four Gowind corvettes, then in August 2015 through the delivery to the Egyptian Navy of the FREMM multimission frigate Tahya Misr. DCNS has also secured long term multiannual maintenance contracts for Egyptian Navy vessels, as well as a technology-transfer agreement allowing the Alexandria shipyards to build three of the four Gowind corvettes acquired in 2014.

The LHD Anwar El Sadat will leave Saint-Nazaire in the next few days to sail to its home port of Alexandria. On this occasion, the Egyptian and French navies will participate in a joint exercise. Since June, 180 Egyptian sailors have been receiving training in Saint-Nazaire on this LHD. In line with the Egyptian Navy's image of excellence, they completed a remarkable task in just a few months of work, with the support of the DCNS instructors and our partners STX France and Défense Conseil International. In all, close to 400 Egyptian sailors will have received training in this way.

Able to conduct a wide range of civil and military missions, the Mistral-class LHD is a vessel that responds to the needs of numerous navies thanks to its versatility. With a length of 199 meters, a displacement of 22,000 metric tons and a speed exceeding 18 knots, the Mistral-class LHD vessel is characterized by its high capacity for the transportation of troops, equipment, heavy helicopters and landing craft, which it is capable of projecting around the world. It is equipped with an electric propulsion system that uses pods. It also has an onboard hospital, and can carry out large-scale humanitarian missions. Its highly capable communication system makes it the ideal command vessel within a naval force.

The fruit of a close collaboration between DCNS and STX, the three first LHDs, Mistral, Tonnerre and Dixmude were delivered to the French Navy in 2006, 2007 and 2012.

Here's a couple of more pictures of the Egyptian Navy Anwar el Sadat, 1020 LHD:

Sadat-1020-001.jpg

Sadat-1020-002.jpg

...and of course, this beautiful ship follows on the heels of the Gambel Abdel Nasser, 1010, LHD that the Egyptian Navy already took delivery of. Here's a couple of pics of her:

Nassar-1010-001.jpg

Nassar-1010-002.jpg
 
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Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
It is really interesting to see the Egyptian with these large LHDs.

They really have very little to defend them with.

They do have the one FREMM FFG, and four Oliver Hazard Perry FFGs, and the first Gowind LHD, which will be followed by three more.

But the only one really capable of defending them on an area basis in a modern environment is the FREMM, with its 16 modern VLS cells.

The Perrys can help against less capable missiles with the single arm launcher and the forty Standard SM-1MR missiles, and the Gowind has 16 VLS for Micas...but as I say, the Fremm is the only one that could mount a strong modern defense...and even then, the ammo reserves are small.

The MIstrals are great LHDs, but these ships have been sold to Egypt with very little in the way of self defense. I think right now they just have four .50- cal mounts.

I wonder if France or someone else is going to sell them and mount some sort of effect CIWS on them?

A couple of SeaRAMs and a couple of Phalanx would be very helpful for these vessels.
 
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delft

Brigadier
Syria Shoots at Israeli Jets, Flying Toward War?

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Syria shot two surface-to-air missiles at Israeli jets—and they shot at the Israeli jets not even over their own air space.

These were not errant missiles or spillover shots which is military parlance for mistakes. These missiles were calculated and intentionally targeted shots from an S-200 Russian missile system aimed at Israeli jets that were, quite frankly, targeting Syrian rocket launchers.

This is a major change in Syrian engagement. It could signal an escalation of tensions between Israel and Syria, especially because three mortars were shot from Syria into Israel later that day.

The reason Syria feels it can engage Israel is very clear. One word—Russia. Syrian leadership believes that Russia will protect them from Israel.

Until now Israel had a carte blanche to fly over Syrian airspace. They did as they wished, and there was no significant response. Israel had a relatively free hand. That ended on Tuesday when Syrian President Bashar Assad began implementing his decision to change the entire status quo and push Israel out of Syrian airspace and off the offensive.

Shooting the S-200s was part of this plan. This weapon was delivered to Assad’s father by the Russians in the late 1960s and was almost never used. The S-200 has a range of almost 200 miles (300km). A range that puts almost all of Israel’s major population centers at risk as well as all commercial aircraft coming in and out of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport.

The Syrian press, which Israel closely monitors, declared that their High Command repelled Israeli aggression. According to the official statement released by the government to the press, “The high command issued an order at 1 a.m. to strike at the aggressive Israeli attack.” The statement also claimed that Syria “downed an Israeli plane west of Kunetra.”

The Syrian headline read “The Army High Command Said That the Syrian Air Defense Systems Activated Against Israel War Jets and Shot Them Down.” This is more than an exaggeration. It is propaganda—part of a two-pronged effort aimed at establishing Syria’s military force as powerful and foreboding. First, it is an attempt to make Syrians feel as if they are finally standing up and taking a military stand against Israel. Second, it serves as a message to terror groups opposing Assad, telling them that his forces are now strong enough to confront Israel. And if they are strong enough to confront Israel, they are certainly powerful enough to wipe out ISIS and Al Qaeda.

But using a weapon like the S-200 was either a plain old big mistake, or it was a huge message out of proportion to the events. Maybe it was both. The Israeli fighters were flying low. Despite its relatively old age in military years, the S-200 is still a long range and high altitude missile of 40,000 ft.

Until now Israel has very clear mission when acting inside Syria. Whenever dangerous weapons were moving or arriving that would change the balance of power, Israel would strike. If the weapons were from Iran and headed to Hezbollah, Israel would strike. Israel would also punish Syria when its rockets and missiles specifically targeted Israelis or important locations—not rockets gone astray.

We know that Russia has given Syria the green light in many areas. I cannot imagine, however, that Russia signed off on this latest adventure. Russia does not want to test its technological military prowess against Israel over Syria.

The potential embarrassment to Russia would be so humiliating to them and jeopardize their entire Middle East plan. Imagine if there engaged in a dog fight over Syria or the Mediterranean and Russia took more losses than Israel. The entire episode would take only a few seconds—blink and it’s over. If Israel were to emerge victorious, which is highly probable, not only would Russia lose face but the ripple effect of that encounter in the Arabic and Muslim world would turn Israel into a superpower even greater than the Arab world already believes her to be.

Russia cannot afford that kind of risk. They are playing for the long run in the Middle East. This was an amateur move on Syria’s part. There will be repercussions.

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Syria is fighting (ex-)Al Qaeda on their half of the Golan and will not invite Israeli interference. When the terrorists fire into Israel, without hitting anything significant, Israel attacks the Syrian army. That has long been the pattern.
 
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