Current Events in Mideast-Africa

From Reuters FEATURE-Could Israel use submarines against Iran? Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:04am EDT By Dan Williams HAIFA, Israel, April 17 (Reuters) - Anticipating a showdown with Iran, Israel decides secretly to deploy a submarine off its arch-foe's coast. But how? The quickest route from Israel's Mediterranean coast is via the Suez Canal, which runs through Egypt and which the classified vessels shun. So the submarine is hidden in the belly of a commercial tanker, which delivers it to the Gulf. Such is the plot of an Israeli thriller, "Undersea Diplomacy". Does it hold water? Perhaps not. Then again, the author, Shlomo Erell, is no mere novelist. He's an ex-ad…

This link was originally posted by a member of the shipwreck yahoo group and appears to be interesting fodder for current day strait of Hormuz scenario development. MIT Press Journals - Closing Time Assessing the Iranian Threat to the Strait of Hormuz

From Defense Aerospace Statement (Source: Spokesperson of the Israeli Ministry of Defense; issued Feb. 11, 2007) The Arrow Weapon System marked tonight at 9:18 PM, 11/02/07, an important milestone by completing another successful test. The test, the 15th for the interceptor, the 10th for the complete weapon system, is part of the Arrow System Improvement Program, ASIP, which is being carried out jointly, by Israel and the United States. The objectives of the test were: - To examine improved performance including widening of the interception envelope - To test the system in an integrated operational configuration engaging two batteries located…

Marines join counter-piracy mission Find Marine Corps Times article here. By Trista Talton - Staff writer Posted : Friday Jan 23, 2009 13:30:36 EST Members of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit are participating in counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, a spokesman for Marine Corps headquarters said Thursday. Amphibious transport dock San Antonio, the flagship for Combined Task Force 151, is carrying a reinforced Marine platoon, said 2nd Lt. Josh Diddams. Officials will not say how many Marines are on the ship, which left Camp Lejeune, N.C., in late August with the Norfolk, Va.-based Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group. A typical Marine infan…

In a French blog, with links saying they will be Rafale standard F3 (no AESA radar?) and equipped with SCALP/Black Shasheen cruise missiles: http://www.defens-aero.com/2015/07/les-premieres-photos-des-rafale-de-la-force-aerienne-egyptienne.html

Russia Confirms Sale of Missiles to Iran By HENRY MEYER Associated Press Writer MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia has struck a deal to sell short-range, surface-to-air missiles to Iran, the defense minister said Monday, confirming reports that have raised concern in the United States and Israel. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov didn't give details. But Russian media have said that Moscow agreed in November to sell $1 billion worth of weapons to Iran, including up to 30 Tor-M1 missile systems over the next two years. "A contract for the delivery of air defense Tor missiles to Iran has indeed been signed," Ivanov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. "This…

New York Times link, with a link to the YouTube video

Patriots enroute to the Turkish-Syria border (DefenseNews' Intercepts blog) With pics.

Sinking of INS Khukri: Was it avoidable? Rediff December 03, 2006 16:01 IST It has been thirty-five years since INS Khukri sank in the Arabian sea after being torpedoed by a Pakistani submarine. A new book believes that the incident could have been avoided had the naval top-brass been a little more careful. Questions are being raised over the very idea of forcing Khukri to face a submarine that was far superior and not allowing the anti-submarine Seaking helicopters to give cover to Khukri despite the Pakistani threat. Even the strategy that Capt Mahendra Nath Mullah adopted on the sea is probed. The book, The Sinking of INS Khukri: Survivors' Stories by …

Commanders in Gulf keep in touch with Iran By Jim Krane - The Associated Press Posted : Friday Jun 8, 2007 5:58:39 EDT ABOARD THE USS NIMITZ IN THE GULF — Even as Iran and the U.S. face off bitterly, Navy commanders in the Persian Gulf are working quietly to keep communications open with Iran’s military, hoping the contact will avert an accidental stumble into armed confrontation. Most of the talk takes place over the crackle of radios, using the standard international bridge-to-bridge communications network, Rear Adm. Terry Blake, commander of the strike group led by the aircraft carrier Nimitz, said aboard ship this week. Other contacts are between Iran…

N. Korea thanks U.S. for fighting pirates By Burt Herman - The Associated Press Posted : Friday Nov 9, 2007 8:26:16 EST SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea expressed rare gratitude Thursday for U.S. help in ending a high-seas standoff with Somali pirates, a sign of warming ties between the longtime foes fostered by progress on Pyongyang’s nuclear disarmament. The U.S. Navy’s aid to North Korean sailors last week was unprecedented in the half-century of hostility between the Cold War enemies, according to the Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C. The North’s Korean Central News Agency hailed the maritime collaboration as a “symbol of cooperation” betwee…

Israel takes new torpedo into service (Jane's) Is this an indigenous design (seems unlikely?) or a variant or name for the DM2A4?

From Flight International DATE: 10/11/08 SOURCE: Flight International Israel revives interest in F-22 purchase By Arie Egozi Israel may renew its request for the acquisition of Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor air superiority fighter from the incoming US administration. "I anticipate that the Pentagon will release $140 million to let the next administration more easily extend production of the F-22," said Lockheed chief executive Robert Stevens during a 9 November press conference in Tel Aviv. While Lockheed is making efforts to keep its F-22 production line alive, the Israeli air force has again expressed interest in the stealth fighter. "This aircraft…

From ARES Has Hamas Tested a C-802 Shore-to-Ship Missile off Gaza? Posted by David Eshel at 2/2/2009 9:42 AM CST Israeli military analysts have revealed what could become a formidable addition to Hamas' arsenal: The missile fired from Gaza out to the Mediterranean last week and shown on Israel TV as a Hamas display, was not a Qassam as reported but could be a modified version of a Chinese C-802, possibly an Iranian shore-to-ship Nur C-802 missile, which is based on the Chinese "Silkworm." Chinese C-802 shore-to-ship missile launched A C-802 shore-to-ship missile was fired during the Second Lebanon War from Beirut beach hitting the rear section of the I…

Link to their Middle East Military Balance "database" with by country analysis, many updated this calendar year. Can provide useful information to wargamers/scenario designers alike. Find it here.

From Defence Talk Iran warns US: your Mideast bases in our range Agence France-Presse | Jun 11, 2007 Iran has warned that US military bases in the Middle East are within the range of its missiles, amid increasing tensions with Washington over the Iranian nuclear programme, media reported Sunday. "All the American bases in the region are within the reach of our weapons," said Mohammad Baqer Zolghadr, the deputy interior minister in charge of security issues. "If the United States attacked Iran, US interests would be in danger everywhere in the world," added Zolghadr, a former deputy chief of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards. Iran has an array of mediu…

Triumphant Syrian Rebels Seize Fighter Jets (DefenseNews)

From The Telegraph

How the Shah of Iran chose the F-14 Tomcat over the F-15 Eagle (The Aviationist blog)

For a related HCCE scenario, check out "My Love is Vengeance" for the EC2003 IOPG battleset at the Harpgamer Scenarios page. From Navy Times June 06, 2006 Deployment could take Cole to area of 2000 attack By William H. McMichael Times staff writer NORFOLK NAVAL STATION, Va. — The crew of the destroyer Cole is getting ready to deploy once again. But this time, its sailors could end up operating in the vicinity of the October 2000 terrorist attack that crippled and nearly sank the ship. It would be natural to assume that everyone on board would love to sail to Yemen and the waters off east Africa to somehow “get back” at al-Qaida — which investigators say…