Syrian Army captures Ayn Sharouq in northern Latakia



The Syrian Arab Army’s 103rd Brigade of the Republican Guard is still advancing in the Latakia Governorate’s northern countryside, despite the Turkish Army’s repeated attempt to boost the Islamist rebel forces with Turkmen fighters from inside their own country.

On Friday night in Jabal Al-Turkmen (Turkmen Mountains), the Syrian Arab Army’s 103rd Brigade – in coordination with the National Defense Forces (NDF) of Latakia City, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), and the Syrian Resistance – imposed full control over the small hilltop village of Ayn Sharouq after a series of firefights with the Islamist rebels of Jabhat Al-Nusra (Syrian Al-Qaeda group) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

In addition to capturing Ayn Sharouq in Jabal Turkmen, the Syrian Arab Army’s 103rd Brigade and their allies advanced towards the strategic hilltop of Talat Bayt Ablaq, which is located along the Turkish border near another hilltop known as Tal Marran.

As a result of this advance, the Syrian Armed Forces have once again secured the imperative Armenian town of Kassab, leaving the Islamist rebels in a poor position along the vast Turkish border with the Latakia Governorate’s northern countryside.

Currently, the Syrian Armed Forces are engaged in a violent battle with the Free Syrian Army’s “1st Coastal Brigade” and Jabhat Al-Nusra at the Al-Sayyid Mountains that are located to the north of the recently captured mountain chain known as “Jabal Al-Nuba”.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/21915/

Russia to supply President-S onboard defense systems to Egypt — manufacturer





http://tass.ru/en/defense/846996

Stratfor has 11 chilling predictions for what the world will look like in 10 years


Russia will collapse …



… and the US will have to use its military to secure the country’s nukes.



Germany is going to have problems …

… and Poland will be one of Europe’s leaders.

There will be four Europes.



Turkey and the US will have to be close allies but for an unexpected reason.



China will face one huge problem.



Japan will be Asia’s rising naval power.



The South China Sea islands won’t start a war — but there’s a catch.



There will be 16 mini-Chinas.



US power will decline.



http://www.businessinsider.my/stratfor-has...c7y5QeXJACle.97

Political Analyst: Saudi Arabia to Lose More Ground to Iran in Region





http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941004000556

The Navy SEALs Might Have Selected A New Pistol Of Choice





http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-navy-...oice-1749620057

ANALYSIS: Rebel chief's assasination deals major blow to peace talks





http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/analysis...alks-1035100751

INTERNATIONAL MILITARY REVIEW – SYRIA, DEC. 25, 2015



The Syrian Arab Army is continuing its military operations to secure the recently-captured military airport of Marj al-Sultan, and retook new areas in the Damascus province. According to the reports, the SAA attacked al-Nusra, Jeish al-Islam, al-Rahman and other terrorist groups in Eastern Ghouta, in the vicinity of Marj al-Sultan Military Airport and Harasta farms. The Syrian troops killed at least 14 militants and destroyed their vehicles and weapons in the clashes.

Separately, the SAA cut off the terrorists’ supply line militants between Darayya and al-Moadamyeh in the Damascus province. The pro-government forces captured over 1 km of the supply route disconnecting the most important arms and logistical supply route used by the militants in the region.

In North Latakia, the SAA gained control of Height 489.5 after and Height 465.5 in the al-Kabir Black mountain. Height 489.5 is located at the east side of the Attira town and around 1.5 km away from the al-Saraf town. The height is a major crossing leading to Jabal Zahia. The loss of this important logistical point made the terrorists’ counter attack in the area very difficult.

In West Idlib, the SAA and its allies launched an assault to capture the village of Al-Sirmaniyah after partly encircling it after the recent clashes. The village is controlled by the Jaysh Al-Fateh terrorist alliance. According to the field reports, the Syrian forces are advancing on Al-Sirmaniyah from the western flank while the Russian MI-24 Hind Helicopter Gunships provide air support.

The SAA has reportedly used Russia-made military robots took the strategic tower of “Syriatel”, 754m in height in the Latakia province. According to the unconfirmed reports, 6 robotic complexes “Platform-M” and 4 complexes “Argo” were used to detect the terrorists’ fire positions which then were destroyed by the SAA artillery. Amid the usage of Kalibr cruise missiles and strategic bombers in Syria, these reports could be truthful. Thus, Moscow is continuing to test the newest military equipment in the real battle conditions in Syria.

http://southfront.org/international-milita...ia-dec-25-2015/

SAS kill 20 Taliban in siege of Sangin













http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-33...night-raid.html

EARTHQUAKE MONITORS USED TO DECODE MASSIVE AMMUNITION EXPLOSION





http://www.popsci.com/earthquake-monitors-...ition-explosion

Saudi Arabia intercepts missile from Yemen





http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middl...from-Yemen.html

Syrian Kurds take strategic dam from 'Islamic State'





http://www.dw.com/en/syrian-kurds-take-str...tate/a-18943392

The U.S. Is Still No.1 at Selling Arms to the World



The United States remains the world’s preeminent exporter of arms, with more than 50 percent of the global weaponry market controlled by the United States as of 2014.

Arms sales by the U.S. jumped 35 percent, or nearly $10 billion, to $36.2 billion in 2014, according to the Congressional Research Service report, which analyzed the global arms market between 2007 and 2014.

Trailing the U.S. in weapons receipts is Russia, with $10.2 billion in sales in 2014, followed by Sweden with $5.5 billion, France with $4.4 billion and China with $2.2 billion, reports The New York Times.

The top weapons buyer in 2014 was South Korea, a key American ally, which has been squaring off with an increasingly belligerent North Korea in recent years.

Iraq was the second biggest weapons buyer, as the country seeks to build up its military capacity following the withdrawal of the bulk of American ground troops there. Brazil was the third biggest buyer, primarily of Swedish aircraft.

http://time.com/4161613/us-arms-sales-exports-weapons/

Hezbollah, Iraqi fighters prepare for Phase 3 of southern Aleppo offensive



It has been over a week since Hezbollah and Harakat Al-Nujaba (Iraqi paramilitary unit) captured the strategic town of Khan Touman and its neighboring village (Al-Khalidiyah); however, contrary to rebel reports, this brief hiatus from the southern Aleppo offensive has not been a result of fatigue or their death toll.

Instead, Hezbollah and Harakat Al-Nujaba have been preparing for Phase 3 of their southern Aleppo offensive, which will require them to advance south along the imperative Aleppo-Damascus Highway and enter the Idlib Governorate’s northeastern countryside.

Phase 3 of the southern Aleppo offensive will also be one of the most violent battles to come in northern Syria, as several thousand Islamist rebels from Jabhat Al-Nusra (Syrian Al-Qaeda group), Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, Liwaa Suqour Al-Sham, and Jaysh Al-Islam await their massive assault along the Aleppo-Damascus Highway.

However, the Islamist rebels of Jabhat Al-Nusra and Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham currently have their hands full at the town Al-Rashiddeen, as several hundred soldiers from the Syrian Arab Army’s 43rd and 154th Brigades of the 4th Mechanized Division are storming their defensive positions in order to push west towards the town of Khan Al-‘Assal.

With the Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Division pushing north towards Aleppo City, Hezbollah and Harakat Al-Nujaba are preparing to storm Al-Zorba and Al-Barqoum; if captured, they will be within 20km of the rebel stronghold of Saraqib, which sits 10km east of Idlib City and 20km north of Ma’arat Al-Nu’man.

It is safe to say that 2016 is going to be a very important year for all parties involved in this war.

http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/hezbol...eppo-offensive/

Freed from the devil's grasp: Inside the former ISIS stronghold of Ramadi after Iraqi troops recapture city just 70 miles from Baghdad

















http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-33...e-fighting.html

Kurdish, US Commandos Raid Daesh Base Behind Enemy Lines in Iraq – Media







http://sputniknews.com/military/20151227/1...raid-daesh.html

New cutting-edge missile designed to Buk-M3 air defense systems





http://tass.ru/en/defense/847164

Watch This Leopard Two Tank Plow Through A Big-Ass Trench Like A Boss





http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/watch-thi...tren-1749840499

Evacuation of three Syrian towns begins under rare deal: monitor





http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/evacuati...nitor-489668010

Will Russia Really Make Drones Armed With Flamethrowers?





http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/w...-flamethrowers/

How the Science of Smell is Changing Modern Warfare





http://io9.gizmodo.com/how-the-science-of-...fare-1717140383