Bharat Rakshak

word on street is Rus has provided aviation fuel and rockets for uragan and smerch whose launchers were lying idle a long time.

https://elijahjm.wordpress.com/2016/03/ ... -in-syria/

some background on the withdrawal

chess pieces are on move again

kurds have declared a federal rojava across syria and iraq despite not holding 100km of their proposed country

damascus has rejected this autonomous construct

fire exchanged today between NDF and kurd militias in one town

YPG has returned north from shahdadi so looks like no immediate plan or ability to press on further south

Kurds are professional gaddars, they will get creamed by SAA once they settle the ISIS/Nusra rats.

the Kurds are outsiders in Syria who were settled there by the Ottomans and employed in armenian genocide, at that time Kurds were faithful vassals of Ottomans. Partners of loot and depravation so to speak.

Not a trustworthy bunch thes.

Took them just a day after bear left to dip hands into cookie jar

The games have truly began.

who says the bear has left?

I am most interested to understand how the kurds plan to just take over the azaz-jarablous sector.

jn + turkey and IS are all united against letting this happen. neither wants to give up 1 inch of it.

hezbollah has sent units to palmyra per reports ....

2nd batch:

The ministry added that the new batch of planes comprising Su-25 fighter jets is led by a strategic airlifter, the Il-76. All planes returning to home bases in Russia are flying in “flocks” headed by a “leader” aircraft – either Tu-154 or Il-76 transport aircraft – that carries the technical engineering crew, along with other cargo.

Once the group reaches the Russian border, each individual plane separates from the squadron and heads to its original place of deployment.

Hassan Ridha ‏@sayed_ridha
#IS claims to have shot down an #Iraq-i military plane over Hawija #Kirkuk, 5 crew members were killed - statement

Turkey has banned nuwroz in most parts

So now anger against the zorastrian kafirs

Maybe Irani Shias celebrate it too?

Half the air wing flew home so far
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0WI0G3

Singha wrote:Turkey has banned nuwroz in most parts

So now anger against the zorastrian kafirs

Maybe Irani Shias celebrate it too?

Didn't knew Turkey has Parsi population

Nuvroz is the main festival of Kurds.

NATO member Turkey however seems to be usually in ban/detain mode during such times.
Heavy Turkish security as Kurds celebrate Newroz
The above report is circa 1999.

Newroz is celebrated in a number of parts of Central and Western Asia

Seems nowroz is celebrated in Iran as spring festival regardless of religion.....so vestiges of the underlying civilization do remain in non wahabi lands

dark days ahead for libya - spiegel is a serious writer like the atlantic not the puke worthy cnn/nyt

http://www.spiegel.de/international/wor ... 81874.html

Elijah J. Magnier ‏@EjmAlrai 9h9 hours ago
#ISIS control sirte in #Lybia, expanding toward #Egypt, Tunisia and #Algeria. #ISIS attack the largest Sarir oil field with 20 vehicles.

Elijah J. Magnier ‏@EjmAlrai 9h9 hours ago
#ISIS calling Mujahideen to emigrate to #Libya because #Iraq and #Syria are "suffocating fighters". Over +5000 #ISIS are estimated in #Libya

Red Commie ‏@redcommie 36m36 minutes ago
@EjmAlrai Probably know Syrian and Iraqi project is over so these fronts are now used to delay their enemies until Libya is more secure.

Aldin Abazović ‏@Ald_Aba 6h6 hours ago
Today 6 SU-25 (44, 53, 27, 25, 22, 24) RED and 4 Su-24M2 (81, 78, 79, 74) left the base in #Syra. 4 Su-34 left yesterday. 14 planes so far.

same guy they crushed and killed later...


Fer G
‏@FGunay1
Never forget the day UK&US used a veto to dismiss Iranian proposal to condemn Saddam for gassing Kurds! #Halabja

all the northern thunder did was to introduce manpads into the conflict. the response should be more mlrsand syrian air components taking the hit. 21s, 23s are perfectly capable of doing small time mud moving.

the 34s really flew a lot. now it looks like rotary testing with 28n and 52. shirley a lot of operational experience for new platforms. as long as airspace remains closed to turki, the change in air component should not make a difference.

wonder what the state of syrian af is. 6 months is a lot of time for repair and resupply.

Singha wrote:dark days ahead for libya - spiegel is a serious writer like the atlantic not the puke worthy cnn/nyt

http://www.spiegel.de/international/wor ... 81874.html

Spiegel is better than the other western MSM.

Never really understood what they got removing Gadaffi , Under him Libya was THE most Prosperous country in North Africa and he gave up all his CBW stockpile and Missile program and cut a deal with UK in return for sanction getting lifted.

What the American really got is getting brutally killed their own Ambassador and making Libya a happy hunting ground for Terrorist and others.Same for Iraq , getting thousands in body bags at home , making Dick Cheney richer and getting Blackwater famous for wrong reason.

Iraq and Libya lost a generation or two of its citizen in bargain , making them one of the poorest country in ME and N Africa and nether of these two countries are Land of Milk and Honey or Stable Democracies , just struggling for their survival after intervention

Thank Lord that atleast for Syria they had the Russians and Iranians else it would be worst of the other two.

Sanctions lifted, Iran.ME fears oil price crash once Iranian oil floods the market,while the GOI raises prices today!
There seems to be a tacit understanding between the US and Russia over Syria,etc.,why things are improving .

So far not known but few Mi-28N and Ka-52 were operating in Syria [http://bmpd.livejournal.com/1793623.html]


Video report by Reuters on 16/03/2016, which is seen flying helicopter Mi-28N: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srra3IKtEg8

More video of Russian leaving Syria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srra3IKtEg8

LIfe under ISIS - new documentary in English

[youtube]AMcisTCJwkk&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

These links have footage of ISIS rats enroute to virgins.

https://twitter.com/Hamosh84/status/710198952784695296

https://twitter.com/IraqiSecurity/statu ... 3567512576

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1PKSxVSJKs

Su25 left in a rain soaked situation not sure early morning or dusk - probably early morning pre dawn launch to make the most of daylight.

it has range of 1000km clean at high alt, and were carrying 4 small fuel tanks..perhaps another 500k. they may have stopped in iran once to refuel.

Singha wrote:Aldin Abazović ‏@Ald_Aba 6h6 hours ago
Today 6 SU-25 (44, 53, 27, 25, 22, 24) RED and 4 Su-24M2 (81, 78, 79, 74) left the base in #Syra. 4 Su-34 left yesterday. 14 planes so far.

all these are A2G platforms. I presume the A2A platforms are the ones that are not leaving.
so basically Su-30 SM is what stays back.

And then if they are all gone in 3 days time. It means all it takes for them to come back to same strength is 3 days.
Maybe the Russian engineers repaired the MiG-23 & MiG-27s, Su-25 with SAAF back to working conditions, giving engine overhaul etc. If they are capable for night combat, all the better since risk of MANPADs will also be lesser then.

there were some 40-70 a/c on that base depending on who one asks. plenty more to go home or stay back - picture will be clear only after 2 weeks to see if RuAF is still conducting airstrikes against JN and IS or its all left to SyAAF now.

a squadron of Su25 fwd based in T4 or palmyra would have been most useful for the coming major battles

Aldin Abazović ‏@Ald_Aba 7h7 hours ago
@Ald_Aba UPDATE 2 more Su-25 (31, 21) left #Syria for #Russia So total number of planes that left is 16.

one of these cessna crates provided by the gotus to IraqAF as a pathetic CAS bird was shot down by IS yesterday with all 5 crew killed
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CdrJ09hW4AASJS9.jpg

2 hellfires seem like their loadout. OK for drug wars in south america not ok for IS.

Ed Schultz ‏@NewswithEd now7 hours ago
Russia’s leaving #Syria, but when will the US? @DanielLMcAdam & I take a look the cease fire's impact http://bit.ly/1QZNvNu

Video discussion in link:
https://www.rt.com/on-air/rt-america-air/

Singha wrote:one of these cessna crates provided by the gotus to IraqAF as a pathetic CAS bird was shot down by IS yesterday with all 5 crew killed
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CdrJ09hW4AASJS9.jpg

2 hellfires seem like their loadout. OK for drug wars in south america not ok for IS.

WoW you can even shoot those single engine type with a 12.5 mm gun , would be hardly maneuverable bird forget about ability to take hit and land much less fight.

Even the Afghan Army uses a better CAS bird

the guardian
A British academic in Turkey has said he is being deported from Istanbul after being found with invitations to Kurdish new year celebrations.

Chris Stephenson, a computer sciences lecturer at Bilgi University in Istanbul, says he was detained on Tuesday at a courthouse where he had gone to support three scholars charged with making terrorism propaganda.

Stephenson told AP that security guards found Nawroz – or new year - invitations in his bag and then police detained him. Stephenson said that moments before his departure on Wednesday from Istanbul’s Atatürk international airport there was “no offence, no trial, just an administrative decision to deport me after 25 years of residency in Turkey.”.

There was no immediate comment from Turkish officials. Britain’s Foreign Office said it was providing assistance to a British national who was arrested on Tuesday.

Kemal Tuncaelli, Mr Stephenson’s lawyer, told APs the lecturer had been accused of “making terror propaganda” and said they plan to appeal against the decision to deport him.
Stephenson, who is married to a Turkish national and has a 13-year-old daughter, said he was “gutted” and denied supporting terrorism.

“In no way was I supporting terrorism. I was supporting a peaceful solution.”

He said the invitations found in his bag were issued by the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic party, and featured a reference to Kurdish self-determination and a small picture of a barricade.

this must be a uighur who had a change of heart and crossed the line to ypg.
name is hueng lei per the caption
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CdsMjxoXIAEPzcW.jpg

or a taiwanese or even PRC lad who has joined the peshmerga
they have attracted many volunteers from different places

Look Closely and you will see Ka-52 in background http://img185.imagevenue.com/img.php?im ... _378lo.jpg
Another one from Ila Kramnik http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/bmpd/380 ... iginal.jpg


Now the Mi-24 is getting replaced with Mi-28N and Ka-52

So finally we have the cost for Syria operation

Russia's Syria operation cost over $460 million — Putin

http://tass.ru/en/politics/863079

MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. Russia's military operation in Syria cost 33 billion rubles (roughly $464 million) from the Defense Ministry’s budget for military drills and training, Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

According to the president, additional costs are required after the operation in Syria but they are justified in order not to pay a higher price in future.



Lets says $465 million for for 5 months of Syrian operation involving more than 9000 Sorties and close to 45-50 Fighter and dozen combat helicopter and transport aircraft plus other stuff

That's almost half a day of Eyerak/A'Stan operation!

Russian air defense systems to remain on permanent combat duty in Syria

More:
http://tass.ru/en/defense/863093

MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. Russia’s air defense systems will remain on permanent combat duty in Syria to be used against any targets that might threaten Russian military, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Russian military servicemen in the Kremlin.

"Our bases in Syria at Tartus and Hmeimim and their personnel that will remain on duty there will be well-protected on the ground, on the sea and in the air. All components of the deployed air defenses, including the Pantsir-F near range systems and long-range systems Triumf S-400 will be on permanent combat alert," Putin said.

"All of our partners have been warned and know well: our air defense systems will be used against any targets we may interpret as a threat to Russian military servicemen," Putin said.

http://lenta.ru/news/2016/03/16/oyvey/

Russian Ministry of Defense to transfer to Syria, the latest combat helicopters Mi-28N and Ka-52. This is evidenced by the video channel "Star" and agencies to Reuters , made ​​March 16 at the airbase Hmeymim.

Fly over the air base Mi-28N helicopter captured at 15 seconds of the video , filmed by Reuters. The Ka-52 is seen at the beginning of video footage "stars" on the background of Sukhoi Su-24. The Ka-52 is without blades, which probably says that he has only recently been transferred to the database of military transport aircraft.

Earlier Aerospace Russian forces used in the Syrian Mi-24 helicopter gunships and only the Mi-35. At the same time the Mi-28N helicopters, known as the "Night Hunter", is used for strikes against terrorists Iraqi Air Force.

The conclusion is made
Why does the bulk of the Russian military out of Syria
President Vladimir Putin in the evening on March 14 gave the order to withdraw from Syria the main part of the Russian military contingent. According to the President, due to the fact that the military decided to almost all their tasks.

Later, the Ministry of Defense reported that Russian aircraft will continue to strike at terrorists in Syria. According to media reports, at the airbase Hmeymim remain Squadron bombers Su-24, as well as fighters and helicopters.

Russia has deployed in Syria grouping of aircraft and providing units in September 2015, and on September 30 aircraft were involved in attacks against radical Islamist groups. The reason for this operation was the official request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with a request for military assistance.