Iran army jet trainer crashes in country’s southeast





[sos]

^ museum

Very interesting mix of Russian and western aircraft.

INTERNATIONAL MILITARY REVIEW – SYRIA, JAN. 11, 2016



The Syrian Arab Army (SAA), backed by the Syrian and Russian warplanes, reportedly destroyed an array of ISIS strongholds in Damascus countryside. The SAA’s artillery units targeted ISIS strongholds in the outskirts of the town of Jobar in the eastern countryside of Damascus and the towns of Saqaba and Zobedin in eastern Ghouta. According to the pro-government sources, dozens terrorists have been killed and many more wounded.

We remember, on Jan.6, Jaish al Islam militants shelled center of Damascus from their positions in Eastern Ghouta. At least 8 civilians were killed and 23 injured.

Separately, the Syrian warplanes pounded the militants’ positions in the towns of Hazarma, al-Nashabiyah and Hosh al-Farah.

The pro-government forces, supported by Russian air strikes, regained control of Tal Kherba, Al Juba and Height 1023 in Latakia’s mountainous regions.

The Syrian forces are making significant efforts to seize the terrorist stronghold of Salma in the Kurdish Mountains. The SAA partly surrounded the town with imposing control over Wadi Nabi’ Miro at the western flank of Salma. The clashes are continuing.

Heavy clashes also were observed in al-Dowah west of Palmyra, and close to the towns of Tir Ma’ala, Quaryatayn, Talbiseh and near the village of Maksar al-Hassaan.

About 20 militant commanders of different militant groups have been killed by unknown fighters since December. It’s definitely known that 7 commanders of Al Nusra, 6 commanders of Ahrar ash-Sham were in his list. The last development was observed on Jan.5 when Abu Rateb al-Homsi, Ahrar ash-Sham commander in the Homs province, was killed by unknown fighters. According to some experts, these actions could be conducted by the Syrian Special Forces which use information of the Russian Electronic Intelligence.

On Jan.10, the Syrian al Qaeda group Al-Nusra took two journalists, Hadi al-Abdallah and Raed Fares, hostage in a raid on a radio station in the town of Kafranbel in the Idlib province. The militants also seized the radio station’s broadcasting and technical equipment as well as its electricity generators.

http://southfront.org/international-milita...ia-jan-11-2016/

Military Minds: China's People Carrying Drone Disturbs US Media









Read more: http://sputniknews.com/military/20160112/1...l#ixzz3x2TPlhHg

looks like syrian n iraq is going to be a long one

you talking about RMAF?

Also applies.

its ok la... as long readiness and logistics can take it.. jgn 50% grounded with no spare parts sudah la

oih banneh, apa benda kes kecoh pasal rigging kat SAF tu?
kes kontraktor mana ni?

ISIS recaptures Al-Dawa in east Homs



On Tuesday morning in the Homs Governorate’s eastern countryside, the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) has launched a counter-attack in the western countryside of Palmyra (Tadmur) after enduring a 10 day long offensive from the Syrian Armed Forces.

ISIS began the counter-assault at the small village of Al-Dawa, where they struck the frontline positions of the National Defense Forces (NDF) near the western axis of Palmyra.

Following an intense series of firefights with the National Defense Forces and Kataebat Al-Ba’ath (Al-Ba’ath Battalions), ISIS was finally able to impose full control over Al-Dawa, marking the second time in two months that they have recaptured this village.

In addition to recapturing Al-Dawa, ISIS also seized four checkpoints outside of Al-Dawa and a large cache of weapons, ammunition, and armored vehicles.

The terrorist group has now shifted its attention to the imperative village of Al-Bayarat; this was captured by the Syrian Arab Army’s 67th Brigade of the 18th Tank Division two weeks ago.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-r...dawa-east-homs/

Two US Navy boats in Iranian custody - Pentagon









https://www.rt.com/usa/328691-us-boats-custody-iran/

Saudi Arabia hopes to elbow Iran out of Syrian settlement talks





http://tass.ru/en/opinions/848979

Loss of Salma sends rebels fleeing in Lattakia



Early this morning, the Syrian Arab Army, National Defence Force, Syrian Social Nationalist Party and Syrian Resistance stormed the strategic town of Salma in eastern Lattakia and quickly forced Jabhat al-Nusra (al-Qaeda) rebels to flee this vital high ground. Salma, which has long been considered an untouchable Islamist rebel stronghold, has undergone encirclement for weeks as government forces surrounded the town from both its eastern, southern and western entrances. The offensive at Salma was predominantly carried out by Syrian ground troops due to the area’s mountainous terrain; however, countless air strikes were conducted by Syrian/Russian jets during the night and early morning while Syrian tanks provided necessary cover during the final push.

Contrary to false reports of Islamist rebels recapturing the town during the day, the Syrian Army has created a small buffer zone around Salma this afternoon and evening which effectively has them overlooking neighbouring villages and the all-important Lattakia-Idlib M5-Highway. Meanwhile, government troops further north keep pushing east along the Turkish border. Currently, Islamist rebels control merely a narrow 10 kilometer strip of land in the northeastern edge of Lattakia province.

During the past months, many rebel militants have fled Lattakia governorate as to halt rebel forces from losing ground in southern Aleppo. Thereby, local Turkmen rebel fighters in the Lattakian countryside have seen their positions overrun in dozens of villages. Furthermore, today’s victory at Salma serves as a huge morale boost for the Syrian Arab Army; many analysts had otherwise considered the town impenetrable as it had been rebel-held since July, 2012. It will not require many more losses before local Islamist rebels are forced to ensue in an all-out retreat towards Jisr al-Shigbour and Idlib.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/loss-o...-from-lattakia/

After Action Report: The Battle of Salma



A month ago Al-Masdar reported a possible scenario for what to expect in the battle for the militant bastion Salma in the Latakia governance. It was theorized that the Qasab mountain would play a crucial part in securing the western and north-western flank of Salma, while Kadin would play a crucial part in securing the eastern and north-eastern flank.

Fast forward to a few days ago. With the Qasab mountain secure, the Syrian Arab Army and its allies launch an attack on Mughayriyah and Kadin, quickly capturing a large stretch of area surrounding these two villages. A day later, the Syrian forces push on in the direction of Duwayrikah, threatening to cut of Salma from the north (figure 1). With three flanks secured, the militants inhabiting Salma throw out a desperate call for aid. It would not be enough to stop the Syrian war machine.

Intense airstrikes by Russian warplanes and heavy barrages by Syrian artillery, the militant defences were weakened on January 11. The next morning was the start of the offensive to capture Salma, a long awaited wish for the Syrian command.



Figure 1: Salma threatened from 3 axes.
On the early morning of January 12, fighters of the Syrian Arab Army and its allies launched an attack on Tartiyah and Mount Kafr Dulbah (figure 2). Forces on the Kadin ridge supported their fellow soldiers by providing covering fire and mortar/artillery strikes on targets occupying Tartiyah and Marj Khawkha. A few hours later Tartiyah and the adjacent mountain were captured and phase 2 of the offensive was started.

Figure 2: Phase 1 – The attack on Tartiyah and Mount Kafr Dulbah
The offensive on the Salma suburb was launched from Kafr ‘ Ajuz and Kafr Dulbah, while infantry also attacked the mountaintop overlooking Salma (figure 3). Soldiers occupying the Durin ridge provided covering fire, while the infantry quickly advanced through the suburbs and also took control of the mountaintop. Another few hours later and the Syrian Arab Army was on the doorstep of the village Salma itself. Phase 3 was about to kick off.



Figure 3: Phase 2 – Attack on the suburb of Salma and the strategic Mount Salma
While soldiers on Mount Salma provided suppressive fire on militant targets, a large group of Syrian fighters enter Salma from the South (figure 4). Early on, the group split into 3 task forces: one attacking the western side of Salma, on the eastern side while the third group moved through the centre towards the mosque. Slowly the Syrian combatants moved through the village, while dismantling many IEDs that littered Salma. At the start of the evening, the Syrian Army had reached the city centre clearing the mosque. A militant contingent was still present in the northern part of town, but was driven towards Alyu and Marj Khawkha some hours later. With the last militants retreating northward, Salma was in the hands of the Syrian Arab Army.



Figure 4: Phase 3 – The attack on Salma
Fighting is still ongoing at the area between Salma and Marj Khawkha (figure 5). The latter is of vital importance for the militants as it will provide a broad front from the north for a counter attack. However, the small village is now under attack from three sides, making it not very likely the militants will hold out very long. The consequence of losing Marj Khawkha will be discussed in the next article, as well as other possible scenario’s now that the former rebel bastion Salma has been captured by the Syrian Arab Army and its allies.



http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/after-...attle-of-salma/

The U.S. Navy Says A Final Goodbye To The Under-Appreciated S-3 Viking





http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-u-s-n...reci-1752425937

me fat n fluffy, not banneh

ns boy angry foreigners packing parachutes... of course la.. overseas jump most of it uses parachutes pack locally there, contracted by ST kinetics unless freefall then diff case... mostly in thailand or taiwan.. local jump pack locally.. who so free go fly rigging team to overseas to just pack parachutes.. a lot of other things also done by foreigners.. mre, armor cleaning, building construction, uniform, canteen, training..

China coast guard converting former PLAN Type 053 Frigates into patrol vessels



In anticipation of the commissioning of more modern and capable warships, the Chinese PLA Navy have been steadily decommissioning its older warships and passing them into coast guard service.

Older warships such as the Type 053 Jiangwei-1 class frigates and several others are being inducted into duties with the China coast guard. While much of the their heavy weaponry and advanced equipment has been removed, the ships themselves have a good endurance and range, which come in handy in coastal patrolling duties.

The Type 053 frigates are one of the earliest modern warships in service with the PLA Navy. First commissioned in 1992, 4 ships of the class were built, with only one remaining in service with the Navy and the other 3 being re-commissioned into the coast guard.

Philippines welcomes more US forces to counter China



The Philippine Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday a security accord with the United States was legal, allowing more US forces into the former American colony as it seeks to counter Chinese expansion in the South China Sea.

MANILA: The Philippine Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday (Jan 12) a security accord with the United States was legal, allowing more US forces into the former American colony as it seeks to counter Chinese expansion in the South China Sea.

The 10-year agreement, signed in 2014 but not implemented due to legal challenges, will see more US troops and warships rotate through the Philippines, and the hosts will receive help in building military facilities.

Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te said the accord was upheld with a 10-4 vote, ruling that President Benigno Aquino's government had the authority to sign the pact and did not need congressional approval. The pact "is a mere implementation of existing laws and treaties", Te said.

Aquino negotiated the accord to help the Philippines improve its military capabilities and draw the United States closer, partly to counter a fast-expanding Chinese presence in disputed parts of the South China Sea.

US President Barack Obama also pushed hard for the Enhanced Defence Co-operation Agreement (EDCA) as part of his so-called strategic "pivot" to Asia that has involved strengthening the American military presence in the region.

However it faced immediate legal challenges from groups opposed to US military involvement in the Philippines, a US colony from 1898 to 1946.

The Philippines hosted two of the largest overseas US military bases until 1992, the year after the Philippine Senate voted to end the leases in the face of strong anti-US sentiment.

Philippine military chief General Hernando Iriberri immediately welcomed Tuesday's ruling, saying the accord would help the country address short-term "capability gaps" and modernise its armed forces.

Iriberri also emphasised the pact would help the Philippines "maintain maritime security", a term commonly used when referring to efforts to contain China's expansion in the sea.

As the court in Manila voted to approve the agreement, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defence Ash Carter met their counterparts Albert del Rosario and Voltaire Gazmin at the State Department.

"Our strategic relationship begins with a very firm pledge that the United States has an ironclad commitment to the security of the Philippines," Kerry said, welcoming the decision. "We will continue to consult and cooperate on all issues affecting regional security, such as territorial and maritime disputes in the South China Sea," he added.

ANTI-US ANGER

However opponents quickly voiced their concern. "The government may have wantonly surrendered our national sovereignty to the US but the Filipino people will continue to fight for it," said League of Filipino Students chairperson Charisse Banez.

"We will not allow the return of US bases in the country and its reoccupation of the Philippines."

Filipino and US embassy officials declined to give details on Tuesday as to how quickly the pact would be implemented, or specifics such as which bases would be used by the Americans.

But Filipino officials previously said the United States would be offered access to key bases, including those facing the South China Sea that would allow rapid deployment into the waters.

And officials said in Washington that the United States would not reopen its former bases. The Philippines and the United States are already bound by a mutual defence treaty signed in 1951 and a visiting forces agreement signed in 1998.

The Philippines, which has one of Asia's weakest armed forces, has for decades heavily relied on US military aid for weapons and training.

And thousands of American troops pass through the country for regular war games that are authorised under the 1998 agreement. US navy ships also often make port calls.

But in recent years the tensions with China have seen Aquino's government seek even greater US military and diplomatic support. China claims almost all of the South China Sea, despite conflicting claims from the Philippines as well as Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

In April 2012, after a tense stand-off with Philippine ships, Chinese vessels took control of a shoal just 220 kilometres off the main Philippine island of Luzon.

The Philippines has since become the most vocal critic of China's efforts to claim the waters, including its strategy of turning islets into artificial islands that can host military facilities.

With its own armed forces unable to counter China, the Philippines had no choice but to draw in the United States and its allies such as Japan, according to security analyst Rodolfo Mendoza. "Our only option is partnership with the US and other allies," Mendoza told AFP.

- AFP/de

no power? carry the balls of your former master...

US working to recover 10 US navy sailors from Iran



WASHINGTON: US officials said they were working to recover 10 US Navy personnel who lost radio contact and were apprehended on Tuesday (Jan 12) after straying into Iranian territorial waters.

"Earlier today, we lost contact with two small US naval craft en route from Kuwait to Bahrain," a senior administration official said. "We subsequently have been in communication with Iranian authorities, who have informed us of the safety and well-being of our personnel," the official said.

The two patrol vessels were travelling near an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy base on Farsi Island when they were approached, officials said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry made contact with his Iranian counterpart Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and "received assurances the sailors will promptly be allowed to continue their journey."

American officials admitted that the vessels appeared to have been in Iranian territorial waters. A mechanical or navigational failure has not been ruled out. "At this early stage," a senior administration official said, "there is 'nothing to indicate that' Iran had committed a hostile act.

Ben Rhodes, a top national security aide for President Barack Obama, said the administration was "hopeful we will be able to resolve the issue." The incident is a major embarrassment for Obama's administration, just hours before his final State of the Union address.

Obama is expected to use the grandstand Washington event to burnish his legacy, hailing, among other things, a nuclear deal with Iran.

Iran's hardline Revolutionary Guard, which controls a navy separate to the country's national navy, has often taken a tough approach to perceived and real territorial violations near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian patrol boats last year seized the Maersk Tigris, a cargo ship that was flagged from the Marshall Islands, which meant it was under US protection.



under water reconnaissance team?

http://thediplomat.com/2016/01/france-offe...-combat-system/