Current Events in Mideast-Africa

An unmanned Syrian MiG-21 and the threat of chemical warfare (Flight Global's Ariel View blog) Interesting rumour ...

CRS report, 6 December 2012 Irans Ballistic Missile and Space Launch Programs (pdf)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20808517 (rmks: Sky News gives this a lot greater prominence. I believe this is a partial make-up for the UK lowering its order)

Israel, India Advance Co-Development of Ship-Defense System (Defense Aerospace)

Iran displays captured ScanEagle UAV (Jane's)

Iran Shipping Signals Conceal Syria Ship Movements (Aviation Week)

Magic Wand missile makes first flight (Jane's) aka David's Sling

Appears to be a good source for video and imagery: Brown Moses blog

Pakistani Ballistic Missile Test Failed (DefenseNews)

Launch of modernized Project 877EKM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o19rmiU-CuI Test launch of 3M14 (SS-N-27 Sizzler) cruise missile http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFyAJhJfjQU&feature=share

Israeli Defense Chief Sounds Ready to Hit Iran, Thanks in Part to Iron Dome (Wired's Danger Room blog)

Gunning for Damascus (Foreign Policy)

From Flight Global [excerpt]

Improved and enlarged San Giorgio (in French, from Mer et Marine): http://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/le-nouveau-batiment-de-projection-algerien

Several of the wire services are carrying a report that Turkey may be in the process of requesting NATO long-range PATRIOT surface-to-air missile batteries to be deployed in its border areas to enforce Turkish air sovereignty, guarantee the refugee camps, and possibly to create a undeclared no-fly-zone in Syrian airspace. It would be interesting to see if it was a European deployment of PATRIOT, which I think would be a first; or if the US would deploy units. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/08/syria-crisis-turkey-border-idUSL5E8M8BWP20121108

From Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): Iran and the Gulf Military Balance (pdf)

The Aviationist

From Flight Global [excerpt]

From RIA Novosti [excerpt]

From Iraq considers MiG-29 fighter buy [excerpt] This on the heels of ... Iraq Says Signs Contract For 18 F-16 Fighter Jets [excerpt]