Current Events in Mideast-Africa

From DefenseNews [excerpt]

From Flight Global [excerpt]

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

The Aviationist

From BBC News Last Updated: Wednesday, 12 September 2007, 20:38 GMT 21:38 UK Israel's Syria 'raid' remains a mystery By Jonathan Marcus BBC diplomatic correspondent During the early hours of last Thursday morning, a number of Israeli jets appear to have entered Syrian air-space from the Mediterranean Sea, possibly penetrating deep into the country. Later unidentified drop tanks, which may have contained fuel for the planes, were found on Turkish soil near the Syrian border, indicating perhaps the Israeli jets' exit route. The Syrian authorities are livid. They say that the aircraft were driven off but that they fired their weaponry into a deserted ar…

From DefenseNews Algeria Plans To Return 15 Fighters to Russia: Report AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Published: 18 Feb 16:40 EST (11:40 GMT) MOSCOW - Algeria wants to return 15 fighter jets it bought from Russia because of their poor quality, the Kommersant daily reported on Feb. 18, citing an official from Russia's state United Aerospace Corporation. The official said Russia was proposing to take back the MiG-29 jets, which were delivered to Algeria in 2006 and 2007, but only if Algeria bought more modern and expensive planes such as the MiG-29M2 or the MiG-35. Kommersant quoted another Russian official from the energy and industry ministry saying that a deal on…

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 the Aviationist: http://theaviationist.com/2013/08/19/sudan-su-24/

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)

Chicago Tribune April 9, 2007 Musharraf Opposition Galvanizes As protests grow and support weakens for Pakistan's president, the U.S. faces possible loss of crucial ally By Kim Barker and Bay Fang, Tribune correspondents ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- For 27 years, Anwar Khan Afridi served in the Pakistani army. But the retired colonel now plans to mail his eight medals back to the government. He also wants to return his army pension of two plots of land and $313 a month. "I will no longer write anything using the name 'colonel,'" said Afridi, 58, holding his military decorations as he joined 4,000 other protesters outside Pakistan's Supreme Court last week.…

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…

From CSIS ... Analyzing the Impact of Preventive Strikes Against Iran’s Nuclear Facilities http://csis.org/files/publication/120906_Iran_US_Preventive_Strikes.pdf

Contradictory news reports about the ex HSV-2 Swift total loss near Bab-El-Mandeb strait, after impacted (probably) by a shore launched Chinese C-802 SSM, fired by Houthis militias. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-emirates-security-yemen-idUSKCN1213B7 But this video shows the great fire after the impact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTNeEYlO3Iw After the ex HSV-2 Swift demise, we can reckon on the same impact in a Independence-class LCS ... (yes, I know Independence displacement is some 2607 tn and Swift only some 940).

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)