All things Middle East related

[SunnySide]

The Turkish military's devastating display of power against the Syrian army last week — which saw the destruction of hundreds of regime tanks, artillery pieces and armored vehicles — came from a cheap but effective domestic drone program that NATO officials say has changed the military equation against Russia in Syria's Idlib Province.

Russia should have won this one — but it didn't

In theory, Russia would win such a conflict.

Yet Turkey won this round.

How?

Turkey has a new ace up its sleeve, one that forced Russia to think twice about escalating against President Recep Erdogan's government, military sources told Insider.

Turkey's offensive was conducted with about 100 domestically produced drones launching cheap guided munitions with deadly efficiency.

"Dropping these bomblets on Syrian regime tanks all night got Putin's attention"

While Turkey guards the exact cost of producing the Bayraktar TB2 as a state secret, it sold 12 drones and three ground command centers to Ukraine last year for $69 million. At less than $6 million per drone, the TB2 is about a third of the cost of the similarly capable US produced Reaper MQ-9, which retails for US allies at about $16 million a piece.

Turkey's President of Defence Industries İsmail Demir, in a 2016 panel discussion hosted by the Atlantic Council, lauded the U.S. restriction on drone sales for pushing Turkey to become an independent UAV manufacturer. "I don't want to be sarcastic, but I would like to thank [the U.S. government] for any of the projects that was not approved by the U.S. because it forced us to develop our own systems," Demir quipped, adding that Turkey no longer wanted U.S.-made armed drones.

"Flying dozens of these drones over Idlib and dropping these bomblets on Syrian regime tanks all night got [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's attention," said the NATO official. "Sure in a direct confrontation, Russia could use its airpower and standoff munitions like cruise missiles to breakdown Turkey's air defenses and drone command and control, but at a cost that would be inconceivable in a conflict over Idlib. Turkey knows it can't force Russia out of Syria as much as they might like to, but they did reinforce that Putin and Assad cannot force Turkey out of Idlib. So it's back to agreements and discussions for now."

Today, Turkey and Russia agreed to another ceasefire in Idlib, with Russian troops patrolling a corridor about 6km on either side of the disputed M4/5 highway that is a critical link between the regime-controlled cities of Damascus and Aleppo.

The peace will no doubt be welcomed. And among military analysts, so will the news that there are some wars that Russia is apparently not willing to fight.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/turkey-us...174456745.html

Drone wars. The new proxy war frontier.

Ive read other articles about how the US is vulnerable to a swarm of hundreds of drones attacking at one time. Its been somewhat reported we have "knock down" technology but for every outpost for every part of the world where we are stationed?

This seems like something straight out of Spider-man Homecoming.

[SunnySide]

Iranian-backed Shia militia launched 18 Katyusha rockets at Camp Taji, located 17 miles north of Baghdad -- the largest attack on U.S. troops since Iran fired ballistic missiles in early January, days after a U.S. drone strike that killed Iran's most powerful general Qassem Soleimani at Baghdad's airport. Wednesday would have reportedly been Soleimani's 63rd birthday, the same day as the attack.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-l...raq-us-general

I dont pretend to know the answer with what to do with Iran and the ME. I dont like the fact that they attacked us but I dont want escalations leading to misunderstandings that cost civilians lives like with the airplane getting shot down or to all out war.

[sdskinsfan2001]

1st time hearing about this missile. Sounds pretty bad ass. Got em!

https://www.foxnews.com/world/al-qae...ire-ninja-bomb

[SunnySide]

Heres a photo.

It doesnt explode to reduce collateral killing.

It just has knifes pop out right before impact.

Most be accurate as hell.

[sdskinsfan2001]

^^^^^
Best part about it is the reduction of collateral damage.

[BaltimoreSkins]

Sounds like some Dr. Evil shit there sharks with laser beams and muddled with knives

[BaltimoreSkins]

Originally Posted by sdskinsfan2001

^^^^^
Best part about it is the reduction of collateral damage.

I’d throw in not needing American troops for the engagement as a huge plus. Anytime we can save American lives, reduce traumatic exposure and risk of future medical co dictions is a huge plus

[sdskinsfan2001]

Originally Posted by BaltimoreSkins

I’d throw in not needing American troops for the engagement as a huge plus. Anytime we can save American lives, reduce traumatic exposure and risk of future medical co dictions is a huge plus

Definitely!!!

I was moreso talking about just the missile itself. But I agree with above 100%.

[sdskinsfan2001]

ISIS camps taken out...

https://www.foxnews.com/world/coalit...-hideouts-iraq

[SunnySide]

https://dailytimes.com.pk/635209/fir...no-casualties/

The Natanz nuclear plant lost a building when fire tore through it at 2:06 a.m. local time Thursday. Satellite images beefed up the photos from ground level that slowly led Iranian officials to switch from calling the damage at the facility "limited" to "significant."
The plant has a florid history: It was the target of Israel's Stuxnet cyber attack in 2010, an attack experts believe was carried out by Israel and the United States, and a focus of the uranium enrichment activity Iran has recently restarted at a higher level since the JCPOA (or nuclear deal) finally collapsed last year. This makes its even partial damage hard to simply dismiss as a broken generator in the summer heat.
The fire came in the middle of a series of unexplained incidents at other facilities. A huge blast hit near the town of Parchin and its military complex last month. Another explosion hit the Zargan power plant in Ahvaz over the weekend and hours later, a chlorine gas leak made dozens ill in southeast Iran. There is such a thing as coincidence, and sanctions mean maintenance issues can be more frequent. But the pattern just added to the speculation around Natanz.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/06/middl...ntl/index.html

Currently there are 7 boats that exploded in a port.

Iran is being very quiet and downplaying it. Apparently they cited to a mayor saying all is well ... but the mayor died last year.

Strange things happening.

[Warthog]

If you want to see how Iran supplied rockets to anti-government forces, read my book:

“CRISIS IN BAGHDAD: Leadership in a Risk Adverse Environment”

Available in Amazon. If you don’t like it, PM me and I’ll send you a refund in cash. Iran has been sticking its fingers into Iraq’s military and political affairs since 2003.

Hope anyone who gives this book a chance, really enjoys it!!

[Chico23231]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/123084...ng-entry-port/

Iran humiliated as they completely bungle symbolic sinking of fake US warship blocking entry to main naval port


Lol...lol......lol...these fuckin guys


More good news from this trash heap of a region

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/he...nalysis-637463

Hezbollah looted Lebanon and it will cost $93b. to bail it out - analysis

And they just blew themselves up at a major port today. One day these poor people will get it.

[SunnySide]

Not middle east .... but Ethiopia and its northern autonomous area of Tigray is on the verge of civil war. Apparently the capital city of Tigray and about 500k people are surrounded by Ethiopian military. The young nobel peace prize winning Prime Minister has given them 72 hours to leave. The Tigray leader said his people would rather die. in 2018, Tigray refused to join the political coming together when the new prime minister was elected and tried to bring peace.

2 weeks ago an airport was attacked, suspected by Tigray Liberation Army.

1 week ago, Ethiopia cut power to a city of 30k. They waited a week so everyones phones would be dead (no recording) then started bombing civilians for a few days then sent in ground troops who killed people with guns and knifes.

This is escalating quickly. I imagine any invasion and killing of civilians in this capital city will make the internet no matter what Ethiopia does.

-------------------

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...k-of-civil-war

Ive read several articles, this one gives the best overview of Ethiopia from 2018 (so much hope for their new young prime minister) to these kind of sudden events.

Really hope they dont bomb the city.

[BaltimoreSkins]

27K Ethiopians crossed into Sudan in the last two weeks. This will become the next big global refugee crisis. This could be a big global problem.

[sdskinsfan2001]

Humans are such piece of shits too each other. Pretty depressing.