Current Events in Mideast-Africa

A bit of free advertising for Clash of Arms' new wargame Persian Incursion ... And their rather good briefing on the subject matter: Israel and a Nuclear Iran (PDF)

From Defense Update Mystery Shrouds Air Strike in Sudan A convoy of trucks carrying weapons destined for the Hamas in Gaza through Sudan was attacked and destroyed January 2009 but no country has assumed responsibility on this attack. Sudanese State Minister for Highways, Mabrouk Mubarak Saleem confirmed that a "major power bombed small trucks carrying arms, burning all of them. According to Sudan-Tribune the attack launched from a US base in Djibouti took place in a desert area northwest of Port Sudan city, near Mount al-Sha'anun and destroyed all 17 trucks in the convoy killing 39 people, among them Sudanese, Eritreans and Ethiopians. The totality of the att…

Breaking news: British government loses a vote on the principle of military action in Syria.

From DefenseNews U.S. Deploys Radar, Troops To Israel By gayle s. putrich Published: 26 Sep 12:14 EDT (16:14 GMT) U.S. European Command (EUCOM) has deployed to Israel a high-powered X-band radar and the supporting people and equipment needed for coordinated defense against Iranian missile attack, marking the first permanent U.S. military presence on Israeli soil. More than a dozen aircraft, including C-5s and C-17s, helped with the Sept. 21 delivery of the AN/TPY-2 Transportable Radar Surveillance/Forward Based X-band Transportable (FBX-T), its ancillary components and some 120 EUCOM personnel to Israel's Nevatim Air Base southeast of Beersheba, said sources…

From DefenseNews Iran Hits Back After Ejection From Arms Fair agence france-presse Published: 30 Apr 16:33 EDT (12:33 GMT) KUALA LUMPUR - Iran on April 30 expressed regret it had been thrown out of an international arms fair last week even after removing items deemed to break United Nations resolutions. Iran's display at the fair in Kuala Lumpur was shut down when Malaysian deputy premier Najib Razak said that the host nation would not allow "lethal and offensive equipment in violation of the U.N. resolutions" to be put on show. On April 30 Iran complained that organizers of the Defense Services Asia exhibition had refused to let its display re-open desp…

I saw some vague news reports today of a new indiguous Iranian DDG? Anyone more in tune with this?

From Navy Times San Antonio laid up in Bahrain By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer Posted : Friday Nov 7, 2008 9:43:49 EST NORFOLK, Va. — The troubled amphibious transport dock San Antonio — in the middle of its first deployment — has been forced to undergo two weeks of maintenance in Bahrain due to leaks in its lube oil piping system, Navy officials said. “They had a scheduled port visit,” said Lt. Nate Christensen, spokesman for 5th Fleet in Bahrain. “They’re in port for two weeks for a maintenance availability on some lube oil deficiencies. It’s related to the diesel generators.” Pat Dolan, a spokeswoman at Naval Sea Systems Command, confirmed that the pr…

From Fars News Agency [excerpt]

Iranian ships 'harass' U.S. Navy, officials say CNN report here

From Defense Aerospace Israel - F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft (Source US Defense Security Cooperation Agency; dated Sept. 29, issued Sept. 30, 2008) WASHINGTON --- On September 26, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Israel of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $15.2 billion. The Government of Israel has requested a possible sale of an initial 25 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Conventional Take-Off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft with an option to purchase at a later date an additional 50…

This almost certainly warrants its own thread.

Source: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B7D...90095339D5A.htm Thursday 17 February 2005, 16:54 Makka Time, 13:54 GMT An Iranian official has said a key agreement with Russia on the return of spent nuclear fuel will be signed by the end of the month. The deal will pave the way for Iran's first nuclear power plant. Asadollah Sabouri, a deputy head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation, was quoted by state television as saying that the agreement would allow Russia to provide Bushehr's power reactor with fuel, and would be signed on 26 February. The signing of the agreement, which obliges Iran to return spent nuclear fuel to Russia, will …

From Jane's A new line of defence: Iran's naval capabilities By Hossein Aryan 27 January 2009 Iran has signalled its intention to increase its naval presence along the coast of the Gulf of Oman and up to the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil conduit, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. The commander of the navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran Military (IRIM), Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, said: "A new line of defence has been established to the east of the Strait of Hormuz ... and if necessary we can prevent any enemy ship from entering the Persian Gulf." Adm Sayyari was speaking at the October 2008 opening ceremony of a new naval base at…

Country: Libya 2010 Air Assets: Air Force 18,000 personnel Flying hours 85 hrs/year FORCES BY ROLE & EQUIPMENT BY TYPE (many non-operational, many ac in store) AIRCRAFT 590 combat capable BMR (6): 1 sqn with: 6 Tu-22B Blinder-A FTR (200): 9+ sqn with: 15 Mirage F-1ED 65 MiG-25P/PB/PDS/M Foxbat-A/B/D/E (storage) 75 MiG-23ML/MS Flogger-B 45 MiG-21bis Fishbed-N MiG-25U Foxbat FGA 134: 7 sqn with: 11 Su-24MK Fencer-D 14 Mirage F-1AD 40 MiG-23BN Flogger-H 45 Su-22M-2 Fitter-J 8 Su-22UM-3K Fitter-G MiG-23UB Flogger-C* 16 Soko J-21E Jastreb (Light Ground Attack) Recce 2 sqn with: 30 MiG-25R/RE Foxbat-B/D Mirage 5D…

[iran continues to beef up the point defences, and check out the bold print ... interesting stuff] From Jane's Defence Weekly 22 May 2007 Iran set to obtain Pantsyr via Syria By Robin Hughes Iran is set to acquire at least 10 96K6 Pantsyr-S1E self-propelled short-range gun and missile air-defence systems as a derivative of a major deal struck between Syria and Russia earlier this year. A source close to the deal told Jane's that Russia has agreed to sell Damascus "some 50 Pantsyr-S1E systems", with initial deliveries set to begin later in 2007. Syria is understood to be receiving the Pantsyr-S1E equipped with the latest Roman I-Band fire control radar. …

This is both a "Congratulations" moment and an "Oh Dear" one...

CV32: That didn't take long! From DefenseNews [excerpt]

From BBC [excerpt]

Apparently 4xC-704 anti-ship missiles. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defe...d-ship-1.349410

Well, this is interesting ... From DefenseNews [emphasis mine]