Current Events in Mideast-Africa

From Defence Talk Israel air force training for distance missions: report Agence France-Presse | Jun 25, 2007 Jerusalem: Israel's air force is training for long distance missions, after agreeing a timetable with the United States for sanctions against Iran's nuclear programme to work, a report said on Friday. Israel's tabloid-style Maariv daily, which said the military censor had authorised its report, said the training included long-range strikes as well as in-flight refuelling. The newspaper gave no further details of the flights but said Israel and the United States would hold joint assessments at the end of the year of the effectiveness of economic sancti…

from the November 28, 2005 edition - http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1128/p01s04-wosc.html Indian Air Force, in war games, gives US a run Foreign fighter jets performed well against F-16s in recent exercises. By Scott Baldauf | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor NEW DELHI - Mingling over a few rounds of golf, dogfighting a bit over the jungles of West Bengal - this month's Cope India 2005 war games were billed as a standard two-week exercise between Indian and American top guns. But in website chat rooms devoted to the arcania of fighter aircraft, there was a buzz. Arre, wa! Oh, wow! Had the Indian Air Force beat the Americans? Not exactly, ac…

From DefenseNews Posted 04/20/07 11:14 Kuwait Readies for Possible U.S.-Iran War By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, KUWAIT CITY U.S. ally Kuwait is to form an emergency team to draw up contingency plans for any conflict between the United States and Iran, a senior minister said in comments published April 20. ”The team ... will devise a comprehensive contingency plan to deal with risks that may result in case a war breaks out in the Gulf on the back of the rising U.S. military escalation towards Iran,” State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Faisal al-Hajji told the Al-Watan daily. The cabinet will form the team at its weekly meeting on April 22, drawing on officials from th…

From Foreign Affairs, May/June 2007 issue Summary: By rushing into Iraq instead of finishing off the hunt for Osama bin Laden, Washington has unwittingly helped its enemies: al Qaeda has more bases, more partners, and more followers today than it did on the eve of 9/11. Now the group is working to set up networks in the Middle East and Africa -- and may even try to lure the United States into a war with Iran. Washington must focus on attacking al Qaeda's leaders and ideas and altering the local conditions in which they thrive. Read the remainder of the article at the link above.

India, Russia may export 1,000 BrahMos [ 24 Jan, 2007 0005hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ] NEW DELHI: The US used almost 800 cruise missiles for its attack on Iraq in 2003. Much cheaper and easier to operate than ballistic missiles, cruise missiles are rapidly becoming the preferred option to wage a war. So much so that there are around 80,000 cruise missiles in the inventories of 75 countries at this moment. Keeping this "huge export potential" in mind, India and Russia now obviously want to rake in the moolah by selling at least 1,000 of the jointly-developed BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to "friendly" countries in the near future. The export version will basic…

I wonder why? I thought that they already field the Arrow SAM which is claimed to be similarly capable.

While no one would entirely discount 'flying telephone poles', Tehran should take note that a version of the S-200 (NATO SA-5 Gammon) is not a version of the S-300 (NATO SA-10 Grumble family), and to say otherwise does nothing for one's credibility ... From RIA Novosti Iran's domestic air defense system is upgraded version of S-200 Iran's domestic air defense system reported to be an analogue of the Russian S-300 is a mere upgraded version of the obsolete Soviet-made S-200, Iran's Press TV website said referring to top military officials. The S-200 was officially accepted into service in 1967. Iran acquired several systems from the Soviet Union in the la…

From Aviation Week U.S., Israel Ponder How to Slow Iranian Nuclear Weapons Development By David A. Fulghum and Douglas Barrie 09/10/2006 04:47:58 PM BUSTING THE BOMB The fighting in southern Lebanon revealed Iran's willingness to supply sophisticated weaponry to Hezbollah, and one of its ships was intercepted trying to do just that for Hamas in the Palestinian territories. A continuing series of tests has demonstrated Iran's growing arsenal of ballistic, tactical and sea-based weapons, and Western intelligence officials anticipate its fielding of locally built versions of fighter-launched, long-range, air-to-surface missiles. But the real fear is Iran's deve…

From Flight Global DATE: 05/11/09 SOURCE: Flight International South Africa cancels order for eight A400M transports By Craig Hoyle The EADS-led A400M airlifter has suffered its first orders blow since the programme ran into development difficulties, with South Africa having cancelled its order for eight of the aircraft. Confirmed on 5 November, South Africa's decision comes after deliveries of the Airbus Military product have fallen around three years behind schedule. The South African government says the decision was taken during a meeting in Cape Town on 4 November, and that its action was informed by an extensive review into the troubled acquisit…

While Biden gives a green light? ... From Navy Times Mullen cautions against strike on Iran Vice President Biden says U.S. wouldn’t stop Israeli attack The Associated Press Posted : Sunday Jul 5, 2009 14:10:22 EDT WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden seemed to give Israel a green light for military action to eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat, saying the U.S. “cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do.” Israel considers Iran its most dangerous adversary and is wary of hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who just won a disputed re-election. He repeatedly has called for Israel to be wiped off the map and contends th…

What do we know about this?

Pakistan Pins High Hopes on New Chinese Fighter Jet By TAHIR IKRAM, REUTERS, KAMRA, Pakistan eDefense Pakistan, which has been seeking high technology aircraft for the last two decades, said May 9 it hoped to start joint production with China from 2007 of multi-role fighter jets. The first four JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft are expected to be introduced into the air force some time in 2006, said Air Vice Marshal Shahid Latif, project director for JF-17 planes. The medium-technology aircraft matches the Mirage in performance but has better avionics and weapons, Latif told a news conference at the Kamra Aeronautical complex, 80 km (50 miles) west of Islama…

French Leader Raises Possibility Of Force In Iran By Elaine Sciolino PARIS, Aug. 27 — In his first major foreign policy speech as president, Nicolas Sarkozy of France said Monday that Iran could be attacked militarily if it did not live up to its international obligations to curb its nuclear program. Addressing France’s ambassadorial corps, Mr. Sarkozy stressed that such an outcome would be a disaster. He did not say France would ever participate in military action against Iran or even tacitly support such an approach. But the mere fact that he raised the specter of the use of force is likely to be perceived both by Iran as a warning of the consequences if…

From Defense-Aerospace Saudi Arabia Launches Huge Arms Buying Spree; France to Net Most Orders (Source: defense-aerospace.com; issued July 22, 2006) By Giovanni de Briganti Saudi Arabia will buy 142 helicopters from France, including 64 NH-90 helicopters such as the one shown here, as well as tanker aircraft and other weapons in the largest arms export deal ever signed by France. PARIS --- The Saudi government last week agreed to purchase a total of 142 helicopters from France, in a deal that will modernize its military helicopter fleet at a single stroke and that, together with additional contracts to follow, firmly establishes France as the kingdom’s main …

Obama: Iran a year away from nuclear weapon (Army Times)

From BBC News Taleban 'getting Chinese weapons' By Paul Danahar BBC Asia bureau chief, Beijing Britain has privately complained to Beijing that Chinese-made weapons are being used by the Taleban to attack British troops in Afghanistan. The BBC has been told that on several occasions Chinese arms have been recovered after attacks on British and American troops by Afghan insurgents. The authorities in Beijing have promised to carry out an investigation. This appears to be the first time Britain has asked China how its arms are ending up with the Taleban. Boasting At a meeting held recently at the Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing, a British …

Tehran officially launches production of first Iranian-made submarine CanadaEast Tehran launches production of Iranian-made submarine TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran officially launched production of the country's first Iranian-built submarine, a craft capable of operating stealthily, state-run television reported. Defence Ministry spokesman Mohammad Imani was quoted as saying "the enemy would not be able to detect the submarine." He did not elaborate. One submarine has apparently already been built and was shown on television Tuesday, cruising at sea level. The Defence Ministry has commissioned an unspecified number of the craft, dubbed Ghadir in honour of a site…

Pakistan admits defense role of China-built Gwadar port Special to World Tribune.com EAST-ASIA-INTEL.COM Thursday, May 26, 2005 The Chinese-built port facility at Gwadar, on the Indian Ocean in western Pakistan, will be used for defense purposes, a Pakistani admiral said. Gwadar is seen as part of Beijing's 'string of pearls' strategy to secure sea routes for oil from the Middle East. Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Shahid Karimullah said at a conference on April 26 that while the port is also a commercial facility it will also be used by warships. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said last year that the port would be strictly a commercial facility …

Iranian Unit To Be Labeled 'Terrorist' U.S. Moving Against Revolutionary Guard By Robin Wright, Washington Post Staff Writer The United States has decided to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country's 125,000-strong elite military branch, as a "specially designated global terrorist," according to U.S. officials, a move that allows Washington to target the group's business operations and finances. The Bush administration has chosen to move against the Revolutionary Guard Corps because of what U.S. officials have described as its growing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as its support for extremists throughout the Middle East, the s…

From Flight Global [excerpt]