The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc)

habal · Post by **habal** » 07 Oct 2015 12:46

ATTN: Achtung

SSV 231 Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev, has been deployed to Syria

Meridian class intelligence & radar ship Vasiliy Tatischev of the Baltic fleet arrives on Syrian shores. It will be able to "listen" to all communications in a very large area, including Turkey. Russia is well prepared with what it needs to control Syrian airspace and beyond.

Another chief purpose of this ship is also to direct tactical nuke weaspons & cruise missiles in flight to their targets. Turkish and Israeli air bases and military bases are now in the crosshairs of Putin.

https://twitter.com/agitpapa/status/651408826906902528

RUMORS: U.S.A. Delta Force operators sent on multiple operations to rescue stranded CIA personnel.

RUMORS: CIA personnel violating communication protocols and contacting relatives from Syria and saying goodbye to love ones for the last time.

state-of-the-art Russian electronic warfare system Krasukha-4 has reportedly been deployed in Syria.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/world/20151005/1 ... z3nptHYFmm

CIA/SAS/Delta Forces to intensify 'search & rescue' operations in Syria.

http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/mili ... /73098074/

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 07 Oct 2015 12:50

Now the regime is getting its ground act together,supported by intense Russian air strikes.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... -time.html

Syria regime launches ground offensive under 'intense' Russian air strikes for first time
Overnight Russia air strikes in western Syria provinces of Hama and Idlib accompanied by regime forces and ground shelling.

Russia's Sukhoi Su-30 fighter aircraft at the Hmeymim airbase in Syria Photo: TASS / Barcroft Media
Andrew Marszal

By Andrew Marszal, and agencies
07 Oct 2015

A wave of "intense" Russian air strikes in western Syria on Wednesday was accompanied for the first time by an Assad regime ground assault on at least four rebel positions, a group monitoring the war said.

The ground attacks were being carried out by "regime forces", the British-base Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, a term it also uses to describe local and foreign militia allied to Damascus.

"For the first time the strikes were accompanied by fighting on the ground between regime forces and rebels," said British-based Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

The intense wave of Russian air strikes hit the Syrian province of Hama and nearby areas in the neighbouring province of Idlib on Wednesday, the group said.

Clashes took place on the ground in Hama province and began when regime forces including pro-government militias launched an attack on rebels as Russian planes carried out air strikes.

"There was also heavy use of surface-to-surface shelling by the regime in the province," Mr Abdel Rahman added.

The group had no immediate tolls from the strikes overnight and in the early hours of Wednesday which were "more intense than usual".

Russia, a top ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, started carrying out air strikes in Syria last week saying they were targeting hardline Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) jihadists.

But fighters on the ground and Western countries have said the Russian campaign is mainly focusing on other rebel groups and is aimed at shoring up Assad rather than combating Islamic State.

Russia's Wednesday strikes targeted the towns of Kafr Zita, Kafr Nabudah, al-Sayyad and the village of al-Lataminah in Hama province and the towns of Khan Shaykhun and Alhbit in Idlib, the Observatory said.

Most of Idlib province is held by an insurgent alliance that includes al Qaeda's Syria wing Nusra Front and other Islamist factions and that has put pressure on the Syrian military.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, Russia said it could implement US proposals aiming to coordinate Moscow's strikes in Syria with the Washington-led coalition.

"The Russian defence ministry has answered the demands of the Pentagon and is examining in depth American proposals on coordinating operations carried out ... against the terrorist group Islamic State on Syrian territory," Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

"On the whole, these proposals could be put in place," he said, adding: "We will for our part only try to clarify certain technical details which will be discussed today between Russian military defence experts and those from the Pentagon."

US and Russian officials held discussions last week – at Russia's request – on establishing measures to avoid accidents so warplanes flying over Syria would not be in the same place at the same time.

The so-called "deconfliction" talks came after Russia started bombing in support of Mr Assad, further complicating the four-and-a-half-year conflict.

Russian jets carried out air strikes on 12 Isil sites in Syria on Tuesday, as Moscow expanded its week-old bombing campaign in the war-torn country amid mounting tensions with Ankara over the violation of Turkey's airspace by Russian military planes.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Oct 2015 13:07

Syria: Sukhoi Su-30M armed before take-off for another sortie

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Oct 2015 13:10

The airbase must be No 1 target for any anti-Assad Jihadi , So the protection level would also be high.

They will have to make sure of any black ops by US/NATO or GCC forces or MRLS attack from Jihadis.

Ofcourse you can plan contigency but cant eliminate every risk , Thats the nature of the game , The Russians must be prepared for losses in Air like Engine Flame out or being Shot by unfriendly airforce or SAM to sudden sneak attack at their airbase.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Oct 2015 13:12

habal wrote:RUMORS: U.S.A. Delta Force operators sent on multiple operations to rescue stranded CIA personnel.

RUMORS: CIA personnel violating communication protocols and contacting relatives from Syria and saying goodbye to love ones for the last time.

The Russian MOD in their press release mentioned they already warned CIA/Pentagon to remove all their trained personal so called FSA before the strike , So CIA would have done that already and moved their assets out of syria or at safe place

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Oct 2015 13:29

Deans wrote:I believe the real learning for other countries including India, is how Russia has been able to completely transform its armed forces in barely a decade.

The credit should go to previous defence minister Anatoliy Serdyukov , Post 2009 Georgia crisis he was brought in by then President Medvedev to reform the Armed Forces.

He was very Ruthless in his reform with capital R and S ,Similar to Stalin Era Purges , The reform completly changed Russian Armed Forces structure from Soviet Era types structure to more lean and efficient but much reduced one

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatoliy_Serdyukov

Serdyukov chose not to get involved in the daily administration of troops and operational-strategic planning, leaving these matters to the professionals. Instead, he focused on organizational and budgetary issues, in which he, according to Moscow Defense Brief, "insisted upon an unprecedented (at least for the MoD) level of precision and fastidiousness."[10] This reportedly enabled him to quickly "put the generals in their place," and "to instill a level of background fear that even the old-timers do not recall having seen before." According to an anecdote, an officer in one of the central directorates of the MoD explained: "senior generals go to meetings of the Defense Board as to the scaffold."

Serdyukov also launched plans to reduce the personnel in the central administration by 30%, which would lead to the liquidation of a significant number of positions filled by generals and colonels.[10] He was demanding drastic cuts in Russia's officer corps. There was an officer to every two and a half men. After the reform there should be just one to every 15, more similar to western armies. The reform would mean losing 200,000 jobs, and has been met with fierce political opposition by the "old guard."[13] Because of the pressure, the deadline for implementing the cuts was put back from 2012 to 2016.[13] Army divisions were disbanded and replaced by brigades. The six military districts of Russia were replaced by 4 geographic commands.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Oct 2015 13:30

This link has better explaination of Russian Armed Forces Reform under Serdyukov

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Russ ... ary_reform

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Oct 2015 13:43

On the negative side I must add that Serdyukov was not popular in military , He was a Business Man who was appointed by Medvedev as Defence Minister to reform the fat Armed Forces , His affair with the Lady who just stayed above his floor ( very convinient ) was know and the generous business favours he granted her but power that be allowed him to stay as he was very effecient in reforming the armed forces and would humilate the generals.

Finally his story of being very Brash and Humilating The Generals reached epic proportion as he never understood the Ethos of Army ( Most Defence Minister infact all are ex Armed Forces people so they knew the ethos of the force )

Many ex Armed General and Serving one wrote to Putin to replace him and finally he was replaced with the current Guy Sergey Shoygu , who has good respect in the armed forced and in public

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 14:11

https://www.rt.com/news/317849-ukrainia ... s-revenge/

top ukraine official supports posting details of russia servicemen for caucasus jihadis take revenge on

Deans · Post by **Deans** » 07 Oct 2015 14:25

Russian military reform was actually started under Defence minister Ivanov - Serdyukov's predecessor. However, not much progress as made due to the entrenched General and bureaucrat lobby and serious funding became available only from 2007 - which was when a 20 year defence plan was put together and Serduykov appointed to implement it.
One of the things Ivanov did, was improve intelligence (he was a KGB man and the deputy head of the FSB). Some might remember a Chechen terrorist leader killed in Qatar (courtesy Ivanov). Ivanov's son, in turn, died in a mysterious drowning accident in the UAE.

The downsizing of the officer corps has to be looked at in context. The Russian army was conscript based. NCO's were simply conscripts serving their last 6 months. Any technical task which would have been done by an NCO in a Western army, was done by an officer in Russia. Also, since Russian army reserves were very high, a large number of officers were needed in regional Military districts so that
newly activated reserve divisions could quickly be functional.
The 2008 downsizing plan became possible once it was accepted that mass mobilisation in any future war was not going to happen.
A lot of officer positions (in reality around 40,000 not 200,000 officer jobs are going to be reduced) have been replaced by NCO's,
warrant officers, or civilians.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 14:46

glimpse of daily life under IS
http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/the-isla ... ip-1228756

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 14:52

IS posts online threat against bin laden shooter with address
http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/jihadist ... ce=taboola

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Oct 2015 14:54

Deans you are right , the reforms were pursued under previous DM but nothing moved until Serdyukov came into the picture.

I never thought Ivanov was any good useful guy up there , Yes they botched up the Quatar ops bad planning and execution

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Oct 2015 14:55

I am not sure of US will like this or may be they wont mind

Iraq may soon request Russian airstrikes against ISIS on its soil – defense committee chairman

https://www.rt.com/news/317853-iraq-rus ... ikes-isis/

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 14:58

will require a unified ATC to control air traffic over eastern syria and north iraq.

west syria is a russian ground because nobody else wants to bomb the moderate terrorists there.

chanakyaa · Post by **chanakyaa** » 07 Oct 2015 15:20

yum yum

Israeli oil prospectors have discovered a large oil deposit in the Occupied Golan Heights

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Oct 2015 15:56

This is interesting , these missile would have to travel over Iran , Iraq to reach Syria if you look at map

4 Russian warships launch 26 missiles against ISIS from Caspian sea

https://www.rt.com/news/317864-russian- ... es-launch/

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Oct 2015 16:04

More details , this was Club Missile fired from ships that travelled 1500 km to destroy target today morning according to Russian Defence Minister

Shoigu: Four Russian ships carried 26 missile launches by the IG in Syria

http://ria.ru/syria_mission/20151007/1298227990.html

"

In order to defeat the militants, except aviation, morning drew ships of the Caspian Flotilla, four rocket ship made 26 launches of sea-based cruise missiles" Caliber "11 goals", - said Shoigu, the TV channel "Russia 1".

He added that, according to objective control, all the targets were destroyed, and civilians do not suffer. "The results confirmed the high efficiency impacts of missiles at great distances - almost 1.5 thousand kilometers," - the minister said.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 07 Oct 2015 16:14

So this is a continued Air Show by Comrade Vlad. I noted the Mariupol eyewitness report:
Three tanks (UkBapzi) drove into the school compound and parked there. About a couple of minutes later, a missile came in and blew up one tank. A couple of seconds later, another missile came in and blew up a second tank. Pieces of the tank crew were hanging from neighboring trees...
The crew in the third tank got out as fast as they could and ran away.

That indicated pretty awesome detection, identification, response, precision and weapon effectiveness. But it is not really new overall. Remember how the first Chechen leader (Dodayev?) was 'neutralized'? He got on his cellphone. A (helicopter-launched in those days) missile homed in on his cellphone signal and blew him up. Today drones could do that, or direct missiles from ground launchers. I think the CIA folks would be well-advised to "Run 4 da Border"

Deans · Post by **Deans** » 07 Oct 2015 16:21

I bet the US never saw that coming.

Accurately firing long range missiles from small corvettes, is a big development and greatly increases Russia's naval
capability.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 16:22

Austin wrote:This is interesting , these missile would have to travel over Iran , Iraq to reach Syria if you look at map

4 Russian warships launch 26 missiles against ISIS from Caspian sea

https://www.rt.com/news/317864-russian- ... es-launch/

most interesting news from the fight yet - another H&D loss for Unkil who had a monopoly on pounding land targets from safety of the sea

hope they release psyops HD footage soon

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 16:28

1500km indicates the 2 gepard class flagships have been refitted or rigged up for the SS-N-21 SLCM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gepard-class_frigate

other than these gepards with a few Kalibr tubes they have a few of these 1000t corvetes with Klub tubes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buyan-class_corvette

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 16:29

the last remaining piece to the puzzle is the entry of heavy strategic bombing regiments based north of the caspian in Engels AFB, saratov oblast. maybe drop a couple of FOABs at night over Raqqa GHQ pindi. encourage people to desert and either hit the refugee route to europe or go back home to the gulf / UK / wherever

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Oct 2015 16:33

These are buyan class only ,the Kalbir LACM variant has a range of 2600 km , The first time Klub/Kalbir used in actual combat

They flew over Iraq and Iran as per RT

https://www.rt.com/news/317864-russian- ... es-launch/

Here is the link if Caspian Flotila Chief confirming Kalbir Range

2600 for LACM and 375 Km for Anti-Ship Variant ( Supersonic Dart Variant of Klub )

http://flotprom.ru/news/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=113993

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 16:39

i read somewhere the Yasen class has some 40 kalibr loadout in vls . would be fun to watch one sail into the Med and unload at dusk.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 07 Oct 2015 16:39

Absolutely stunning! To launch missiles from the land-locked Caspian Sea is incredible.
The GOI/MOD/IN should take note of the Syrian display of Russian mil prowess before Mr.Modi's visit to Moscow in Nov.

Russian Warships in Caspian Sea Launch Attack on ISIL in Syria

14:19 07.10.2015
Russian warships have launched a total of 26 cruise missiles at Islamic State facilities, destroying all targets.

Russian warships have attacked Islamic State targets in Syria, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday during a meeting with President Putin.

“Besides using aviation to destroy militants, this morning ships from the Caspian Flotilla were brought in, four destroyers launched 26 cruise missiles at 11 targets from the Kalibr Marine Base,” Shoigu told Putin in a meeting televised by Rossiya-1.

All targets were destroyed, Shoigu said. "The attacks showed that our missiles are efficient at long range, up to 1,500 Kilometers [932 miles]," he added.

Russian Military Ready to Coordinate Its Syria Operation With Pentagon
President Putin expressed his gratitude to the pilots operating in airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria. "Special thanks is due to the pilots who are operating in Syria, as well as the sailors from the Caspian Flotilla for their use of high-precision weapons," he said.

Putin praised the Russian military operation against ISIL in Syria, but warned against early conclusions. "We know how difficult such anti-terrorism operations are, and, of course, it is too early to draw conclusions. But what has been done so far certainly deserves a highly positive assessment, both the work of the Ministry of Defense as a whole, the work of General Staff experts, and our officers, soldiers operating on the scene," he said.

On September 30, Russia began airstrikes on ISIL in Syria following Syrian President Bashar Assad's request for military assistance. "From September 30 to this day, airstrikes have been carried out against 112 targets, their intensity is increasing," Defense Minister Shoigu said.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20151 ... z3nso9VEar

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 16:43

yes shades of IN innovating by towing the Osa class boats behind DDGs until the final run in and attack on karachi.

this will be discussed for sure around the world.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 07 Oct 2015 16:48

We could similarly have elements of our Eastern fleet launching missile strike over the Ind. land mass to hit targets well inside Pak. No need for them to sail to the West coast!

https://www.rt.com/news/

The NATO-Russia face off in Syria
Pepe Escobar
Published time: 6 Oct, 2015 16:32

So a Su-30 enters a few hundred meters into Turkish airspace for only two minutes over Hatay province, and returns to Syrian airspace after being warned by a couple of Turkish F-16s.

Islamic State, Russia-NATO relations, Russian anti-terror op in Syria, Syria unrest, Syria-Turkey
Then all hell breaks loose as if this was the ultimate pretext for a NATO-Russia war.

NATO, predictably, went out all rhetorical guns blazing. Russia is causing “extreme danger” and should immediately stop bombing those cute “moderate rebels” the coalition of the dodgy opportunists refuses to bomb.

READ MORE: Accidental Turkish airspace incursion 'used to involve NATO in info war against Russia over Syria'

But wait; NATO is actually too busy to go to war. The priority, until at least November, is the epic Trident Juncture 2015; 36,000 troops from 30 states, more than 60 warships, around 200 aircraft, all are seriously practicing how to defend from the proverbial “The Russians are Coming!”

Still, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu – he of the former “zero problems with our neighbors” doctrine - actually “warned” Moscow that next time Ankara would respond “militarily”.

Until, of course, he backed down; “What we have received from Russia …is that this was a mistake and that they respect Turkey's borders and this will not happen again.”

The incident could have been easily defused – via military to military communication - without the posturing.

But Ankara – NATO’s eastern flank – is under immense pressure from ‘Exceptionalistan’. It’s no accident Pentagon supremo and notorious neocon Ash Carter “conferred” with Ankara about the incident. Carter of course is the most stellar practitioner of the official Beltway diktat; “By taking military action in Syria against moderate groups’ targets, Russia has escalated the civil war.”

‘Sultan’ Erdogan, right on cue, and straight from Strasbourg (no, he was not campaigning for the European Parliament) doubled down: “Assad has committed state terrorism, and unfortunately you find Russia and Iran defending (him).”

And yet ‘Sultan’ Erdogan won’t go down in history as the catalyst for the much-awaited NATO-Russia Hot War 2.0. At least not yet.

READ MORE: Turkey says ‘no tension’ after Russian airspace violation mistake, NATO cries foul
Only bomb if we say so

Enter Dr. Zbigniew “Grand Chessboard” Brzezinski, growling in a FT Op-Ed that Washington should “retaliate” if Moscow does not stop attacking US assets in Syria. “US assets” means CIA-trained “moderate rebels”. And after all, “American credibility” is at stake.

Dr. Zbig – Obama’s prime foreign policy mentor – insists bombing CIA-trained “rebels” accounts for “Russian military incompetence”. And the American counter-attack should be to “disarm” the “Russian naval and air presence.” Now that’s how you go for a NATO-Russia Hot War 2.0.

Dr. Zbig admitted though that “regional chaos could easily spread northeastward,” and then “both Russia and then China could be adversely affected.” Who cares? What matters is that “American interests and America’s friends…would also suffer.”

This is what passes for prime geopolitical analysis in the ‘Empire of Chaos’.

‘Sultan’ Erdogan, for his part, remains restless. Moscow has already evaporated his so cherished three-year-old dream of a no-fly zone over northern Syria. There is an actual no-fly zone all over Syria now in effect. But it’s managed by Russia.

And that explains why there’s already full spectrum hysteria for more US Congress sanctions on Russia. How can a no-fly zone be imposed over Syria when Russia got there first?

And it was all going so swimmingly for the ‘Sultan’. Ankara – at the insistence of Washington – had finally thrown open its air bases to fight ISIS/ISIL/Daesh, but as long as this was part of a regime change operation in Damascus. And for that, Ankara would get its no-fly zone.

Enter ‘The Sultan’s’ recurrent nightmare; the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its sister organization, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

‘The Sultan’ simply cannot accept the PYD advancing to the western bank of the Euphrates to help in the fight against ISIS/ISIL/Daesh. ‘The Sultan’ wants to “contain” the PYD in Kobani.

The problem is the PYD – supported by the PKK – is the only reliable ‘Empire of Chaos’ ally in Syria. Yet ‘the Sultan’ could not help himself; he got into a war – again – against the PKK. Washington was not exactly amused.

And then there’s the key corridor from the Bab al-Salam border crossing down to Aleppo - controlled by Ankara-supported goon squads. That’s Ankara’s bridge to Aleppo; without it, not the slightest chance of regime change, ever. The fake “Caliphate” was threatening to take over the corridor. So action was imperative.

Russia’s spectacular entry into the war theatre threw all these elaborate plans into disarray. Imagine a complete liberation of northeast Syria as soon as the PYD – with help from PKK fighters - is weaponized enough to smash the ISIS/ISIL/Daesh goons. And imagine the Russian Air Force providing air cover for such an operation, with extra coordination by the Russia-Syria-Iraq-Iran central in Baghdad.

‘The Sultan’, in desperation, would have to maneuver his F-16s against such an offensive. And then we might really have a NATO-Russia five seconds to midnight scenario – with terrifying consequences. ‘The Sultan’ would blink first. And NATO would collapse into the ignominy it never left – back to its elaborate “Russia is invading” drills.

Say hello to my geopolitical jihadi tool

Next steps for the Russian campaign would be to pay close attention to the road linking ISIS/ISIL/Daesh’s capital, Al-Raqqah, around which jihadis are fighting for the control of oil and gas in Sha’ir and Jazal. And then there are pockets east of both Homs and Hama, and in al-Qaryatayn. Moscow – slowly, surely, methodically - is getting there.

What the Russian air campaign has already graphically exposed is the whole rotten core myth of the new Jihad International.

ISIS/ISIL/Daesh, Jabhat al-Nusra and assorted Salafi-jihadi goon squads have been kept up and running by a massive financial/logistical/weaponizing “effort” – which includes all sorts of key nodes, from arms factories in Bulgaria and Croatia to transportation routes via Turkey and Jordan.

As for those Syrian “moderate rebels” – and most of them are not even Syrian, they’re mercenaries – every pebble in the ravaged Sykes-Picot desert sands knows they were trained by the CIA in Jordan. The desert pebbles are also aware that ISIS/ISIL/Daesh goons have been infiltrated into Syria from Turkey – once again, across Hatay province; and vast swathes of ‘the Sultan’s’ Army and police were into the game.

As for who pays the bills for the lavish weaponizing, talk to the proverbial “pious wealthy donors” – incited by their clerics - in the GCC, the petrodollar arm of NATO. None of these goon squads could possibly thrive for so long without full, multidisciplinary “support” from the usual suspects.

So the hysterical/apoplectic/paroxystic rage enveloping the ‘Empire of Chaos’ betrays the utter failure, once again, of the same old “policy” (remember Afghanistan) of using jihadis as geopolitical tools. Fake “Caliphate” or “rebels”, they are all NATO-GCC’s bitches.

To add insult to injury, a frustrated ‘Sultan’ has also been forced to annex himself to a slightly changing Washington position – which now rules that “Assad must go,” yes, but it may take some time, as part of a yet to be defined “transition”.

‘The Sultan’ will remain a pile of nerves. He does not give a damn about ISIS/ISIL/Daesh. Washington now does – sort of. He wants to smash the PYD and the PKK. For Washington, the PYD is a helpful ally. As for Moscow, ‘the Sultan’ better watch his neo-Ottoman step.

‘The Sultan’ simply cannot afford to antagonize ‘The Bear’. Gazprom will expand the Blue Stream pipeline into Turkey. It would be by 3 billion cubic meters; instead it will be by 1 billion cubic meters. According to Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, it’s due to technical capabilities.

Yet Ankara better get its act together, because even that extension may evaporate if there’s no agreement on the commercial terms of TurkStream, the former Turkish Stream. Ankara is under tremendous pressure from the Obama administration. And ‘the Sultan’ knows very well that without Russia all his elaborate plans to position Turkey as the key energy transit hub from East to West will vanish in Anatolian scrub. In the end, he may even get regime-changed himself.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 16:51

seems like Kalibr entered FOC In July 2015, so that was a quick demo

http://lewis.armscontrolwonk.com/archiv ... e-missiles

It appears that the geography of planned deployment of Kalibrs reflects the emphasis on conventional capability. They will be deployed on Project 971 (Yasen) SSNs; they will also be deployed on diesel Varshavyanka-type submarines (which are being deployed to the Baltic and the Black Seas); there are plans to arm with them Shchuka-class diesel submarines of the Northern Fleet. Certain categories of surface ships, such as the Project 1155 “large anti-submarine vessel” will also be refitted with these missiles, as well as two large heavy cruisers, including Petr Veliki and the future Project 11356M frigates. Of greatest significance perhaps is the decision to equip missile ships of the Caspian Fleet with Kalibr missiles; moreover, Caspian ships have already flight-tested them several times from different ships.

Overall, the Northern, the Baltic, the Black Sea, and the Caspian Fleets can hold at risk wide swaths of territory in Europe and the Middle East, perhaps reaching as far as parts of the Persian Gulf region. Even assuming the range of conventional Kalibrs at 1,500 km, the reach is truly global. The vast majority of countries within that range do not have nuclear weapons of their own or US nuclear weapons in their territories. Thus, Russia cannot threaten them with nuclear SLCMs, but conventional SLCMs are a whole different ball game.

The new strategic situation goes well beyond the gloomy, but, in truth, pretty timid warnings of Bill Gertz. This is not just about Europe and perhaps not necessarily about Europe: Moscow is on the path toward breaking the US monopoly on conventional long-range precision-guided strike weapons. Kalibr is not the only class of such weapons: Moscow has already started deployment of a dual-capable Kh-101/102 air-launched cruise missile and plans to develop and deploy a liquid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile that, some reports suggest, will be primarily intended for conventional warheads (given the long and successful history of Soviet liquid-fuel ICBMs, this project will hardly encounter any challenges except financial).

caspian sea test fire

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 07 Oct 2015 17:30

Buyan is the "flavor of the month".A lot of interest is going to be shown in this missile corvette by world navies,esp those looking for a relatively inexpensive counter to ward off larger navies.These little corvettes are even smaller than the Nanuchkas/Durg which we operated. They also come with a new SAM system,based upon the Igla series,very compact,which could be used in many classes for point defence.

http://www.janes.com/article/52773/russ ... sam-turret

Russia to equip Buyan-M corvettes with Komar SAM turret

Nikolai Novichkov, St Petersburg - IHS Jane's Navy International
05 July 2015
Russia's Buyan-M (Project 21631) corvettes are to be armed with the RATEP Komar air-defence turret mount, according to the deputy assistant director of the company.

RATEP's Komar turret mount is to be fitted to all of Russia's Buyan-M corvettes (Nikolai Novichkov)

Vladimir Odintsov said the company (a subsidiary of Almaz-Antey) signed a contract with the Zelenodolsk shipbuilding plant to equip all Buyan-M corvettes (including the leading ship Grad Sviyazh ) with Komar. Every ship will be armed with two Komar combat modules (one in the nose and one in the stern), he added.

The Komar turret mount is equipped with 9M38/9M313/9M342 surface-to-air missiles from the Igla-series of man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS). As such the system is armed with one-channel missiles, which are equipped with passive optical searching seekers, and a selector for false thermal noises.

http://kuow.org/post/russias-naval-base ... b]Russia's naval base in Syria has decades of history [/b]

By Shirin Jaafari •

Russian Navy amphibious landing vessel "Nikolai Filchenkov" is docked at the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Sevastopol, June 19, 2012. The vessel can be deployed to support the Russian naval base at Tartus in Syria.

Russia has operated a military base in Tartus, Syria, for more than 40 years. Located on Syria's Mediterranean coast, the base has been in Russian hands since 1971.

“They leased it back in the 70s, back when they were Syria’s primary arms supplier,” says Edward Delman, who has written about this for The Atlantic.

But it’s only in the past couple months that Russia has shown a renewed interest in the base.

In 2012, Ruslan Aliev, the head of information at the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in Moscow, told the BBC’s Frank Gardner that Tartus is “just a point on the map to replenish food and water and carry out some occasional repairs.”

He added that “there are a maximum of 50 Russian sailors and specialist technicians there.” Delman says in 2013 the Russians more or less evacuated the base.

But the base has seen a dramatic turnaround as the Syria conflict mounts.

“There are now about 1700 active personnel at the base who are working to modernize it and repair it,” Delman says.

Russia’s renewed interest in the base could be tied to its recent involvement in Syria. But Delman says a look at the country’s history shows it has always wanted to have bases in warmer waters.

“Russia is not a landlocked nation but if you look at what it’s owned historically, its oldest port is Arkhangelsk [also known as Archangel], which is on northern coast of Russia — [and] St. Petersburg,” he says.

Both of these ports, before the invention of icebreakers, were closed much of the year, because of ice and cold weather. That’s why Russia showed great interest in warmer waters in the Mediterranean.

“The sweep of Russian history throughout the 18th century can in many ways be seen as a sweep south, towards the Black Sea in order to gain access to warm water ports,” says Delman.

Plus, Russia wants to project power. According to Delman, Russia wants to be respected as a great power in the world and one way it can do that is by revamping its port in Syria.

“Having a presence in the Mediterranean so you can play in the same court as NATO and everyone else is absolutely a priority to Russia, both from a military perspective and a symbolic [one],” says Delman.

Meanwhile, Russia is increasing its military presence at a second port in Syria, in the city of Latakia, north of Tartus.
[/quote]

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 17:57

Nytimes.

Russian diplomats, Ms. Zakharova said, have asked the United States to identify armed groups other than units of the Syrian Army that are fighting the Islamic State and that should be avoided in airstrikes, but she said they had received no answer.

“If there are some forces that also have weapons in their hands and are on the ground fighting, as the coalition says, with the Islamic State, and they should not be touched, then wonderful,” Ms. Zakharova said. “Give the list, give the call signs of these people. Tell us where are they located, explain why we shouldn’t be touched. Indeed, this information is not provided.”

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 07 Oct 2015 17:58

Strategically, me am impressed.

Now on to Balouchistan.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 07 Oct 2015 18:01

^^^ Over and above the obvious military and weapons capability of the Russians which has surprised everyone, after missile attacks, Turkey and NATO allies will have to sing a new song. Claiming airspace violation by Russian fighters is not going to save their pet - ISIS.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 18:30

Holy moly video incl impact footage is up on YouTube
https://youtu.be/GA7DWGMr_Fk

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 18:33

Longer one. Each ship has 4 only. 40 would be sweet.
https://youtu.be/BgKRngB3ryo

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 18:37

They even show a map of Syria and flight paths to the target set...the missiles diverge after entering Syrian airspace...atleast one big ammo dump went up in the drone footage

ldev · Post by **ldev** » 07 Oct 2015 18:52

This conflict is certainly exposing a variety of Russian military equipment and tactics. One of the areas neglected is Russian electronic warfare capabilities. An interesting article in foreignpolicy.com. Particularly the deployment of the Krasukha-4 jamming system which supposedly can disrupt aircraft avioncs and according to this report prevented the establishment of a no-fly zone by NATO in eastern Ukraine. The same system which has been deployed in Syria will prevent establishment of a Western no fly zone along the Turkish border and over the "moderate-rebel" held areas, something that Turkey has long been clamouring for. Now it is a strict no-go. What with the missile barrage from the Caspian seas and this....interesting times ahead. Get the popcorn out!!

Spy planes, signal jammers, and Putin's high-tech war in Syria

Far less attention has been paid to Moscow’s simultaneous deployment of advanced surveillance, signals intelligence, and electronic warfare equipment that could deal a new blow to the beleaguered, American-backed rebels working to oust him.

In recent weeks, Russia has deployed the IL-20 surveillance aircraft, better known by its NATO name “Coot” and roughly equivalent to the U.S. Navy’s P-3 Orion, a mainstay of the Pentagon’s spy tools. The Russian plane is bristling with high-tech equipment like surveillance radar, electronic eavesdropping gear, and optical and infrared sensors. One of the Kremlin’s premier spy planes, it provides Russian forces with a powerful tool for locating rebel units and assigning targets to its fighter planes. In late September, Syrian rebels posted a video purporting to show the plane flying over a battlefield.

The Russian buildup of intelligence assets and tools of electronic warfare also includes the deployment of the Krasukha-4, an advanced electronic warfare system used to jam radar and aircraft.

Russia’s transfer of advanced electronic warfare tools to Syria is the latest example of Moscow’s so-called “hybrid warfare” tactics, which use deception and covert operations to achieve strategic objectives with a minimal use of military force. Indeed, the Krasukha-4 was also spotted in Ukraine and played a key part in Russia’s campaign of electronic warfare there, which Kiev claimed resulted in a disruption of cell service at times. The deployment of the Krasukha, which can be used to disable aircraft avionics, came at around the same time that Western policymakers publicly entertained the idea of establishing a no-fly zone over eastern Ukraine. The positioning of the Krasukha, in addition to other air defenses, prevented the enforcement of such a no-fly zone and kept Putin in control of the skies, according to Igor Sutyagin, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a London think tank.

Now, too, the Krasukha has been put in place as several countries are calling for the establishment of a no-fly zone in northern Syria. Sutyagin described the deployment of the Krasukha as an effective “no-fly zone for those who want to create a no-fly zone.”

Between the Krasukha, the IL-20, and the Vasily Tatishchev — in addition to the reported presence of surveillance drones — Russia has poured its best assets into Syria against targets that really shouldn’t be particularly hard for the country’s air force to hit. But that deployment is still quite small, and its concentrated use has allowed Putin to achieve his goals with a minimal amount of effort.

With a handful of fighter jets, a few naval assets, a jammer, and a signals intelligence plane, Putin has managed to reshape the balance of power in Syria. It is what Sutyagin, who spent 11 years in jail in Russia on flimsy espionage charges that caused human rights groups to label him a political prisoner, called a huge achievement “with tiny efforts.”

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Oct 2015 19:21

https://www.rt.com/news/317853-iraq-rus ... ikes-isis/

Baghdad, Russia’s ally in its fight against ISIS, wants Russia to have a bigger role in the anti-terrorist campaign in Iraq than the US and may soon officially request to start airstrikes on its soil, the chairman of Iraqi parliament’s defense committee said.

"We might be forced to ask Russia to launch airstrikes in Iraq soon. I think in the upcoming few days or weeks Iraq will be forced to ask Russia to launch airstrikes and that depends on their success in Syria," said Hakim al-Zamili, Reuters reported.

"We are seeking to see Russia having a bigger role in Iraq... Yes, definitely a bigger role than the Americans," Zamili said.

The Iraqi official told RIA Novosti that the decision would depend on how efficient the Russian campaign in Syria proved to be.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told France 24 on Tuesday that his government would welcome Russian warplanes in Iraq.

Valentina Matvienko, the speaker for the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, which has the constitutional authority to green-light military operations in foreign countries, said that Russia may consider such a request.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Oct 2015 19:31

Russian MOD released Video of Kalbir Cruise Missile Attack

Earlier on Wednesday, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu confirmed that four Russian destroyers had launched 26 Kalibr-class sea-based cruise missiles at 11 targets. All the targets were reported to have been destroyed.

"The fact that we launched high-precision missiles from the Caspian Sea at approximately 1,500 kilometers [932 miles] and hit all of the targets says much about the good training in the military-industrial complex and good skills of the staff," Shoigu noted, speaking at a meeting with Russian president Putin.

ITAR-TASS is reporting from MOD Kalbir Struck the Target with a CEP of not more than 3 meter

Defense Ministry: rocket "Calibre" was struck by the IG facilities in Syria, up to three meters.

http://tass.ru/politika/2326051

"Cruise missiles successfully hit all the set objectives, - emphasized in a statement the Ministry of Defence. - Precision engage targets at long distance was not more than three meters."

As specified in the military, strike objects have become "factories for the production of shells and explosives, command centers, ammunition dumps, arms and fuel and lubricants, as well as terrorist training camps."

Rockets launched missile ship "Dagestan" of the project 11661 and small missile ships of the project 21631 ("Buyan- M") "Sviyazhsk", "Uglich" and "Great Ustyug", specified in the Ministry of Defense.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Oct 2015 19:36

CNN Reporting Assad and Putin could be tried for War Crimes according U.S. State Department's ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/06/world ... index.html