Current Events in Mideast-Africa

From http://www.defensenews.com India, France Practice Anti-Mine Operations in Arabian Sea By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, NEW DELHI India and France practiced their first joint anti-mine operations Feb. 28 as part of naval exercises in the Arabian Sea, off the coast of southern India, a French officer said. The nine-day exercise, code-named “Varuna 2005” began Feb. 27, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. The leader of the French naval team, Capt. Marechal, told reporters this was the first time the two navies had taken part together in “mine warfare exercises,” the report said. Marechal said the Varuna exercises, which began in 1998 within the fr…

From Navy Times [excerpt]

From DefenseNews [excerpt]

Part 1 (War is Boring) Part 2 (War is Boring) Part 3 (War is Boring) Part 4 (War is Boring)

This month's issue of Foreign Affairs has several thought provoking articles that you may want to check out, including: From Great Game to Grand Bargain, Ending Chaos in Afghanistan and Pakistan, by Barnett R. Rubin and Ahmed Rashid Summary: The crisis in Afghanistan and Pakistan is beyond the point where more troops will help. U.S. strategy must be to seek compromise with insurgents while addressing regional rivalries and insecurities.

From DefenseNews Israel To Clear Future Arms Deals With U.S. After China Row By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, JERUSALEM Israel was set June 27 to sign an agreement to clear future defense deals with Washington after a spat over an arms contract with China which could leave it with a multi-million dollar compensation bill. Defense ministry spokeswoman Rachel Ashkenazi said negotiations “to reach an understanding with the United States are at an advanced stage” after Israel effectively apologized to Washington over a controversial drones deal. The Haaretz newspaper said the agreement will mean Israel having to renege on the agreement to upgrade Harpy Killer drones …

This month's issue of Foreign Affairs has several thought provoking articles that you may want to check out, including: The Latter Day Sultan, Power and Politics in Iran, by Akbar Ganji Summary: The real decision-maker in Iran is Supreme Leader Khamenei not President Ahmadinejad. Blaming Iran's problems on President Ahmadinejad inaccurately suggests that Iran's problems will go away when Ahmadinejad does.

From DefenseNews UAE to Buy Boeing C-17, Lockheed C-130J Airlifters By andrew chuter Published: 23 Feb 07:38 EST (12:38 GMT) The United Arab Emirates has confirmed it is to purchase Boeing C-17 and Lockheed Martin C-130J airlifters. Sheik Mohammed is congratulated by executives from Lockheed Martin after signing an agreement for C-130J airlifters at IDEX 2009 in the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Feb. 23. (SHEILA VEMMER / STAFF) The confirmation came not with an official announcement, but with a simple ceremony involving the removal of shrouds covering models of the two aircraft in the presence of Sheikh Mo…

Israel Inaugurates 5th Dolphin-Class Sub (DefenseNews)

From Navy Times Enterprise departs for deployment to Mideast Group just returned in November By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer Posted : Saturday Jul 7, 2007 17:14:21 EDT NORFOLK, Va. — As the towering aircraft carrier Enterprise slowly pulled away from the pier for at least a six-month deployment to the Middle East, Lori Kaiser, 18, was not happy about her high school sweetheart going away for so long. Somewhere on board was her boyfriend, Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Dexter Ledbetter, but the ship is huge, and when it leaves the pier, she can only see a handful of sailors manning the rails. “I don’t know what to think,” she said. “He kind of got me prepare…

From Flight International DATE: 20/02/08 SOURCE: Flightglobal.com Singapore 2008: India to induct two squadrons Tejas Light Combat Aircraft from 2010 By Siva Govindasamy India is to induct two squadrons of the long-delayed Tejas Light Combat Aircraft from 2010, with up to six squadrons possible if the first batch impress in operations. The decision is a shot in the arm for the programme, which national research organisation Aeronautical Development Agency developed and state-owned contractor Hindustan Aeronautics is responsible for production. The long-delayed and much derided aircraft was to enter service early this decade, but design and performanc…

Washington Times April 10, 2007 Pg. 9 Kurdish Tensions Move Iraq Meeting Global conference set for Egypt By Nicholas Kralev, Washington Times Tensions between Iraq and Turkey have risen sharply in recent days, contributing to a decision to convene an international conference on Iraq in Egypt rather than in Istanbul, diplomats said yesterday. The spat began over the weekend when Massoud Barzani, leader of the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq, infuriated Ankara with threats to promote disturbances in Kurdish cities in Turkey. "Turkey is not allowed to interfere in the Kirkuk issue, and if it does, we will interfere in Diyarbakir's affair…

From http://www.defensenews.com/article/20120930/DEFREG03/309300006/Iraq-Stop-Iran-Flights-Over-Suspicions-Syria-Arms?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p [excerpt]

US Says Syria Has Beefed Up Air Defenses (DefenseNews)

Four Israeli F-15s Dodged Syrian Missile Fire to Attack Urgent Targets (War is Boring)

Army records first UAV kills kosborn@defensenews.com - kosborn@defensenews.com Posted : Saturday Sep 15, 2007 7:58:53 EDT When Army scouts in Iraq spotted two men planting a roadside bomb Sept. 1, they called in a nearby Hunter unmanned aircraft, which dropped a laser-guided bomb and killed the two men. “We had the first confirmed use of an Army weaponized UAV,” said Col. Don Hazelwood, project manager for Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. The Army is mounting precision-guided weapons on hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hazelwood said. The MQ-5B Hunter will carry the laser-guided GBU-44/B Viper Strik…

From RIA Novosti Israel proposes naval blockade of Iran 13:34 | 21/ 05/ 2008 TEL AVIV, May 21 (RIA Novosti) - The Israeli prime minister has proposed that a U.S. naval blockade be imposed on Iran to stop the Islamic Republic from moving ahead with its uranium enrichment program, an Israeli newspaper said on Wednesday. According to the Haaretz daily, at a meeting in Jerusalem with the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, Ehud Olmert said, "The present economic sanctions [against Iran] have run out of steam," and proposed "a naval blockade of Iran," using the U.S. navy to limit movement in and out of the Islamic Republic by Iranian mercha…

As if there was any doubt ... From RIA Novosti Ahmadinejad links Iran's nuclear program to Israel MOSCOW, October 27 (RIA Novosti) - Iran will move forward with its nuclear program as long as Israel possesses nuclear weapons, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying on Tuesday. Ahmadenijad's comment came during a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "When an illegal regime possesses nuclear weapons, the other countries' rights for peaceful nuclear energy cannot be denied," he said. Israel does not admit having nuclear weapons. Four UN nuclear inspectors arrived in Iran on Sunday…

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 …

From DefenseNews U.S., India Sign New Defense Agreement By GOPAL RATNAM The United States and India have signed a new defense cooperation agreement intended to strengthen military ties during the next decade and set up a bilateral working group that would guide India’s purchase of U.S. arms. Indian Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is visiting Washington ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit in July, announced the new cooperation agreement and said although the two countries have different world visions on some key issues, the growing strategic partnership will continue. For example, “the United States considers Pakistan an effective ally” i…