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

thunderchief

thunderchief

Senior Member
IMHO , strategy of the West is clear : from Morocco all the way to Turkey and Syria they are propping up "moderate" Islamists like Muslim Brotherhood and such . West is willing to allow them to rule these countries in accordance to their ideology , in order to achieve these strategic goals :

1. Security of Israel , paramount goal of US foreign policy . US is willing to allow Islamic regimes in mentioned countries if they adopt Saudi or Qatar policy toward Israel : lot of rhetoric , no concrete action against (and some clandestine in Israeli interest ) .

2. Containment of Iran and Shia Muslims . With unified Sunni front , influence of Iran in Middle Eastern affairs would be negligible - Iran would be isolated and impoverished with sanctions until the Iranian regime changes .

3. Flow of oil . All of the countries in question would guarantee unrestricted oil trade .

4. Containment of radical Islamist like Al Qaeda . In fact , this is the last and least significant goal of foreign policy , because in reality AQ doesn't represent such a significant threat for Western interests . From the Western perspective , yes , they could kill few people , but as long they operate like rag-tag rebels or terrorists they would not jeopardize main interests of the West .
 
asif iqbal

asif iqbal

Lieutenant General
I don't think we can point a finger at one person or country and say, that is the issue or it's this county's fault

The issues that happened in Syria and Iraq were a result of WWI and the divides that's France and UK put into place

There was always divide in these country's, there was always cracks but the recent events made those cracks into big gapping holes

Kurds, Armenians, Turkoman, Shia, Sunni, Christians, Alawites, etc etc were all contained under powerful iron fisted men, who's power was strong on thier people that they kept a lid on things, so much so that the people must thought, he'll why danger my life for sectarian issue lets just all get along for the sake of secret police catching is, Saddam and Assad both ruled this way and it worked, well for a limited time only

Then when US invaded Iraq they made the biggest mistake they could ever make, they sacked the Saddam regimes police force and built a new one up from scratch, but the time between sacking and the new police force coming on line was rough to rip the country apart

Americans went into to Iraq for Saddam, they should never have taken down the entire institution of the home force because that was the one force that was keeping Iraq together, it was a force entire Iraqi citizens was afraid of and listen too, they were average Iraqi civilians and not Saddam loyalists, once they sacked all the police force all hell broke losse no law and order and the cat of out the bag

In Syria these divisions were always there but the catalyst for change was the Arab Spring, so you can say its just something that was due to happened just being delayed, this was always going to happen, since the end of the Ottoman Empire, only it was delayed until now

The current borders are straight lines, so obvious to anyone looking at a map the borders was draw by UK and France under a mandate, this problem was created almost 100 years ago, we are seeing the result of that today

Same for Palestinain and Israeli issue, Jews were given a homeland in 1948 but powers coming from outside, the result??? 70 years of war and violence between Muslims and Jews
 
F

Franklin

Captain
Its now official the Russians won't sell the S-300 system to Syria. Does this mean that a no-fly-zone over Syria is now more likely ?

Nyet! Now Russia Won’t Sell Badass Missile to Syria

American pilots can officially exhale. If they’re called upon to enforce a no-fly zone over Syria, they won’t have to outmaneuver one of the most advanced air-defense systems in the world. That’s because of a fateful decision made by Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s last major international benefactor.

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, ended nervous Washington and Pentagon speculation today by telling the ITAR-TASS news agency that the Kremlin isn’t actually going to sell the S-300 air defense missile to Assad. Whatever other arms deals Russia will honor with Syria, the S-300 won’t be included.

U.S. officials had worried to the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that the Russians were prepared to ship Assad as many as 144 operational 3-000s, along with six (presumably mobile) launchers. Syria already has about five times the air defenses that Moammar Gadhafi’s Libya did, packed within a fifth of Libya’s territory, something that Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey has warned about for over a year.

It’s unclear how formidable those air defenses actually are. (For a sober, wonky exploration of the subject, Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies has you covered.) What’s very clear is that the S-300 would be an instant upgrade. It ranges 125 miles a shot; and can shoot down missiles as well as fighter planes. However unenthusiastic the U.S. military is about a no-fly zone right now, confronting the S-300 would make it instantly worried about losing many, many pilots. “This is a system that scares every Western air force,” Lexington Institute defense analyst Dan Goure once remarked.

This is getting to be something of a pattern with the Russians and American adversaries. In 2010, thanks in part to American entreaties, Russia canceled a long-planned sale of S-300s to Iran. Had the Russians gone through with the deal, the Israeli and-occasionally-American planning for a bombing run on Iran would be immediately become more complicated. (So, kind of a mixed blessing?) The Iranian misfortune now extends to Iran’s proxy in Damascus, although who knows if Assad ever actually had a deal for the air-defense missiles — Syria has tried and failed to buy S-300s for decades.

Nor is it clear that Washington played a role in stopping the sale. Max Fisher of the Washington Post speculates that Lavrov’s counterpart, John Kerry, might have pressed the issue in advance of their meeting this week in Moscow. (They are do have kind of a bromance going.) Regardless, a Syria without the S-300 serves the Obama administration’s interests, as theoretically the vulnerability should make Assad more pliable to international pressure to step down and abandon his two-year massacre of the Syrian uprising.

Of course, without Syrian S-300s, the administration still faces rising pressure from legislators to take over Syrian airspace and Americanize the conflict, particularly after last weekend’s Israeli bombing runs. Those pilots, ironically, are now freer to take a mission the military wants to avoid. So — thanks, Russia?
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D

delft

Brigadier
asif iqbal said:
Blast in Turkey, im not pointing fingers but all signs are its was Assad behind it, PKK is over, 12,000 of thier fighters just left Turkey and now the Kurdish issue is solved both party's are at peace from the highest level

Expect Turkey to respond with a iron fist, I hope Turkish air force establishes a no fly zone over Syria in response to this shameful act that Assad has carried on Turkish soil
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Your own reasoning should suggest that Assad is not guilty but that the likely culprits are people who want you to reach your conclusions. Remember the Sarin question. If the use of Sarin would win him this conflict Assad might use it, I suppose, but a small scale use that might lead to direct US intervention is clearly not in his interest. Thus the UN conclusion that Sarin might have been used but probably not by the government is really not surprising.
 
asif iqbal

asif iqbal

Lieutenant General
delft said:
Your own reasoning should suggest that Assad is not guilty but that the likely culprits are people who want you to reach your conclusions. Remember the Sarin question. If the use of Sarin would win him this conflict Assad might use it, I suppose, but a small scale use that might lead to direct US intervention is clearly not in his interest. Thus the UN conclusion that Sarin might have been used but probably not by the government is really not surprising.
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For me anyone who kills innocent civilians be it rebels or leaders is accountable, you cannot under any circumstances attack civilians, including women and children and not be guilty

This is based on the first protest which was carried out by civilians who were met with real live bullets many of them died, this was on the orders of the Assad regime

He should have speeded up reforms engaged this people rather than using military force, Hosni never did that his soldiers did not use live ammunition and the security forces although heavy handed did not use live bullets on civilians

This could have been a Egypt or Tunisia but he chose to go like Gaddafi, and in that lies the problem
 
N

no_name

Colonel
If Assad wants to attack Turkey why would he resort to car bombs? (He has Mortars, Artillery, Migs)

Why would he want to draw Turkey into war when the latest signs shows situations looking worst for the rebel day by day?

What military objectives can be achieved other than kill some unimportant people with a couple of car bombs? How does a couple of car bombs help him in any way?

Something is very fishy.

The only main rebel stronghold is Aleppo now, and they don't want that captured. And guess which country that city is close to?
Look at where Reyhanli, and where Aleppo is on the map.

Though, even if it wasn't Assad, Ankara may have no choice but to swallow it and blame Damascus. What else could they do? Can they really stop further attacks if they find the real hands behind it? Can they really charge the actual culprits behind it? If Turkey do nothing, more attacks could simply follow until they are goaded into acting against Assad, if that was the real aim in the first place - And they cannot risk blaming anyone else.

Hard politics - There are some major players in this region, but Turkey is not one of them.
 
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N

no_name

Colonel
Turkey is really caught between a rock and a hard place at the start. If they supported Assad they look bad on the stage and may risk destabilising their own country, and even now it seems they can't escape it.

When the real push comes there are only major players on would politics, the others are just sidelines. It is the same in east Asia. There are 3 players there. All the others need to see things really clearly for what they are and realise they are not players, they are fortunate if they can simply stay out of the play.
 
navyreco

navyreco

Senior Member
ATR 72-600 TMPA: the new generation maritime patrol aircraft for the Turkish Navy
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Alenia Aermacchi has signed an agreement with Savunma Sanayii Müstesarligi (SSM), the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries to deliver two ATR 72-600 TMUA (Turkish Maritime Utility Aircraft) and six ATR 72-600 TMPA (Turkish Maritime Patrol Aircraft) to the Turkish Navy.
...
The ATR 72TMPA is the Turkish Navy version of the ATR 72ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare), a highly effective, middle-size, anti-submarine aircraft with competitive acquisition and operational costs. It is a special version of the ATR 72 turboprop regional aircraft made by the French-Italian ATR joint venture (Alenia Aermacchi/EADS). The ATR 72ASW is the only modern, middle-size aircraft available in the market, equipped with state-of-the-art mission sensors, and capable of carrying out maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare tasks.

The typical missions of this version include vessel search and identification, search and rescue (SAR), drug, smuggling and piracy control, environmental control (pollution by oil and chemical substances), maritime patrol roles, economic exclusive zone patrol (fishing, off-shore platforms), and Anti-Submarine Warfare.

The ATR 72ASW is equipped with a mission system that includes:
• electro-optical sensors;
• Search radar;
• ESM sensor (Electronic Support Measures);
• MAD sensor (Magnetic Anomaly Detector);
• Integrated self-protection system, (Chaff & Flare Dispenser, Radar Warning, Missile Warning, Laser Warning);
• Sonobuoy launcher;
• Anti-submarine torpedoes carried on 2 pylons at the fuselage sides.
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Aselsan & Thales introduce the LMM Missile Launching System at IDEF 2013
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At the IDEF 2013 defense exhibition currently held in Istanbul, Turkey, Aselsan and Thales are showcasing a new gyro stabilized naval turret designed for small displacement ships.
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Turkish Shipyard ADIK showcasing its Landing Ship Tank (LST) project at IDEF 2013
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At the IDEF 2013 defense exhibition currently held in Istanbul, Turkey, Turkish shipyard ADIK (Anadolu Shipyard) is showcasing its Landing Ship Tank project. The project consists in a locally produced new generation fast amphibious vessel of upper-intermediate size designed to meet operational requirements of Turkish Naval Forces Command.
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asif iqbal

asif iqbal

Lieutenant General
Nice!

The two very capable LST are under construction and will be launched next year and handed over in 2015 within 8 months of each other

The 8 LCT have all been delivered pennants C-151-158 and are under going commissioning, one of test units clocked 22 knots with a full load, they are fast and very capable
 
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