Lavrov calls on US to influence Turkey on issue of including Kurds in inter-Syrian talks
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"Kurds, including the Democratic Union (party) headed by Salih Muslim, control, in accordance with common estimates, at least 15% of the territory where they live in peaceful times," Lavrov said. "Now, when Kurds have become allies to the US-led coalition and Russia in the fight against Islamic State and Jebhat al-Nusra (terrorist organizations banned in Russia), they (Kurds) have strengthened their influence ‘on the ground’, their positions," he added.
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"Only Turkey blocks inviting Kurds - the only country that hopes to continue using only ultimatums in the future not only on Syria but also in the dialogue with EU. Other participatns of Syria Support Group speak clearly for the importance of including Kurds from the very start of the negotiations process,"
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"At least US understands it as they are, just like us, the allies to Kurds, including the Democratic Union Party, on the battlefield against terrorists. The main thing is that this understanding is followed by political will to influence one of their allies,"
AFAIK the AK-630 CIWS are on the KCR-40s made by PT Palindo. The KCR-60s are made by PT PAL. Different type of ship different type of weaponry.
last 4 unit (total 8 unit) KCR-40s is built by PT Citra Shipyard have small different hull with KC-40 built by PT Palindo. also KCR-40 last unit KRI 648 which is improve version with ship hull design change & some enhancement。
Super Stealthy: New-Look Russian Nuclear Sub to Join Pacific Fleet
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“The Kuzbass is undergoing sea trials and will soon return to her permanent station in Kamchatka. The submarine now carries a new systems of life support, radio and hydro-acoustic communications,”
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To increase stealth, the sub carries a two-tier anti-vibration mechanism. All the units are placed on elastic foundations and each one is separated from the next by pneumatic shock absorbers. This helps lessen the impact of underwater blasts on the sub’s mechanisms and crew
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The Kuzbass is a multirole Akula-class attack submarine. Unlike a Barracuda sub, which has a titanium hull, the Kuzbass features a steel hull
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The Soviet Union once acquired a number of high-precision metal-cutting lathes from Toshiba to build more streamlined screws and make the subs less noisy. The news of the secret deal was eventually leaked to the media and Toshiba came under US sanctions.
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The modernized Project 971 submarines are armed with Kalibr-PL cruise missiles and jet-powered torpedoes, designed to destroy submarines and surface ships as well as land-based targets
Nicholas de Larrinaga, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly 10 March 2016
The British Army has retired its Warthog (ST Kinetics Bronco) articulated armoured tracked vehicles, seen here in service in Afghanistan. Source: Crown Copyright
Key Points
• The ST Kinetics Warthog has been retired from British Army service • The move is a U-turn on previous plans to keep the vehicle in service
The British Army has retired is ST Kinetics Warthog articulated tracked armoured vehicles from service, IHS Jane's can reveal.
In total, 115 Warthogs (an improved version of the ST Kinetics Bronco) were purchased by the United Kingdom as an urgent operational requirement (UOR) for use in Afghanistan instead of the less-well protected BvS 10 Viking articulated tracked vehicle.
In December 2013 the MoD announced that 100 Warthogs would be brought into the 'core' equipment budget, meaning they would remain in service once UOR funding for operations in Afghanistan ended. Under this plan the Warthogs would be modified and transferred to the Royal Artillery's 32 and 47 Regiments to support unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations.
However, speaking to IHS Jane's on 10 March, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated that this decision had been reversed, with Warthog instead having been retired from service in October 2015.
In a statement the MoD said: "Warthog was delivered in 2010 to replace Viking and was designed specifically for use in Afghanistan. A number of protected mobility vehicles have been brought into core; it was decided that the capability required from Warthog could be delivered by other vehicles, therefore Warthog was withdrawn from service in 2015. The Army has a fleet of other protected mobility platforms still in service delivering this capability."
The MoD were not able to answer questions from IHS Jane's on whether work was indeed undertaken to modify Warthog for post-Afghan use after the 2013 decision to keep them, or if any money was wasted on this effort. The MoD also did not answer questions on exactly what vehicles 32 and 47 regiments would operate instead of the Warthog in the future.
last 4 unit (total 8 unit) KCR-40s is built by PT Citra Shipyard have small different hull with KC-40 built by PT Palindo. also KCR-40 last unit KRI 648 which is improve version with ship hull design change & some enhancement。
Could THAAD Encourage Negotiations With North Korea?
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United States finally entered into formal discussions with the ROK government over the prospective deployment of the American-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system
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Deploying THAAD could make negotiations with North Korea more palatable to the United States and even act as a precursor to engagement
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First, THAAD deployment will further cement ties with the ROK
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Chinese leaders surmise that THAAD’s true target is China’s own missile arsenals
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Prospective engagement with North Korea sounds very unattractive if South Korea forces the U.S. to accommodate Chinese interests at every turn.
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Accepting THAAD deployment sends a strong message about alliance cohesion and provides Washington with the confidence that when push comes to shove, South Korea will stand with the U.S.
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In early 2012, during a military parade in Pyongyang, a number of North Korean ballistic missiles were ferried by six heavy transport vehicles
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Because of the size and sophistication of these vehicles, they were suspected of being of Chinese origin.
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Deploying THAAD may encourage the U.S. to relax this precondition, knowing that there exists a safety-net should negotiations break down or if North Korea decides to cheat and expand its nuclear and missile programs once more
North Korean submarine missing, presumed sunk: Reports
WASHINGTON - A North Korean submarine is missing, reports said on Saturday (March 12), as the reclusive state issued a fresh threat of retaliation against United States and South Korean forces involved in joint military drills.
The unknown class of vessel had been reportedly operating off the North Korean coast earlier in the week when it disappeared.
A South Korean Defence Ministry official told AFP that Seoul was investigating the reports. Pentagon officials declined to comment on the matter.
The US military had been observing the submarine off the North's eastern coast, CNN said, citing three US officials familiar with the incident.
American spy satellites, aircraft and ships have been watching as the North Korean navy searched for the missing sub, the report added.
The US is unsure if the missing vessel is adrift or whether it has sunk, CNN reported, but officials believe it suffered a failure during an exercise.
The US Naval Institute (USNI) News said the submarine was presumed sunk. "The speculation is that it sank," an unidentified US official was quoted as telling the USNI News. "The North Koreans have not made an attempt to indicate there is something wrong or that they require help or some type of assistance."
The incident comes as tensions were further heightened on the Korean Peninsula by a fresh threat from Pyongyang.
The official KCNA news agency, citing a statement from military chiefs, warned of a "pre-emptive retaliatory strike at the enemy groups" involved in the joint US-South Korean drill.
Pyongyang added it planned to respond to the drills with an "operation to liberate the whole of South Korea including Seoul" with an "ultra-precision blitzkrieg".
Responding to the statement, South Korea's Defence Ministry urged Pyongyang to stop making threats or further provocations, according to Yonhap news agency.
North Korea's navy operates a fleet of some 70 submarines, most of them being rusting diesel submarines that are capable of little more than coastal defence and limited offensive capabilities.
But the old, low-tech submarines still pose substantial threats to South Korean vessels.
In 2010, a South Korean corvette was reportedly torpedoed by a North Korean submarine near their sea border.
In August last year, Seoul said said 70 per cent of the North's total submarine fleet - or around 50 vessels - had left their bases and disappeared from South's military radar, sparking alarm.
According to the US, the military had been observing the submarine operate off North Korea's east coast when the vessel stopped.
US spy satellites, aircraft and ships have been secretly watching for days as the North Korean navy searched for the missing vessel.
US officials said they are unsure if the missing vessel is adrift under the sea or whether it has sunk, but believes it suffered some type of failure during an exercise, said the report.
INTERNATIONAL MILITARY REVIEW – SYRIA, MAR. 7, 2016
Russian warplanes targeted the ISIS oil transport routes near the villages of al-Zara’yah, Wadi al-Dhakara, al-Sakhanah and Arak in Northeastern Homs. Russian air raids in the area forced ISIS oil smugglers to refrain from travel.
On Saturday, the Syrian Army troops repelled ISIS’ attack on Jazal oilfield in the eastern part of the Homs province and forced the terrorist group to pull forces back from the battlefield. Pro-government sources report a heavy death toll among terrorists.
The Syrian Democratic Forces, mainly Kurdish YPG units, struck al Nusra militants’ concentration centers near Tal al-Shaqif and a road towards Castello in Northern Aleppo, which ended in the killing or wounding of several militants and destruction of their military vehicles and equipment.
The YPG Kurds have been coordinating with the Syrian government. The Syrian army sent several arms cargoes to the YPG militia in the province of Hasaka and trained the first group of Kurdish volunteer forces in the city of Hasaka last month.
On Saturday, the ISIL attempted to capture part of the strategic Ithriya-Khanaser road near the village of Sheikh Hillal. The attempt was prevented by the Syrian Army troops.
INTERNATIONAL MILITARY REVIEW – SYRIA, MAR. 9, 2016
The Syrian Army supported by the Russian warplanes continued an advance against Al-Nusra and its allies in the province of Latakia liberating Jabal Zuwayqat. The nearby village of Zuwayqat was also liberated. Thus, the Syrian forces are in position to launch and advance on Kabani which is one of the highest points inside the province’s northeastern countryside.
On Mar.8, Kurdish units and its allies took control of the villages of Al-Hamd, Al-Jad’an, Al-Jadou, Al-Badr, Al-Sarad, Delian and Delian Matli in the province of Raqqa after clashes with the ISIS. In a relevant development on Monday, the Kurdish forces liberated the village of al-Makman in the Hasaka province.
A top ISIS emir, Mahmoud Ahmad Al-Kaleezi, has been assassinated by unknown assailants in the Tabaqa Military airport on Mar.8. Al-Kaleezi is the third ISIS emir to be killed in the last 7 days.
On Mar.7, nearly 100 men left ISIS for the Faylaq al-Sham militant alliance in northern Aleppo. The pro-militant sources claimed that defectors had been mistreated at the hands of ISIS, including being repeatedly accused of treason. On the other hand, there are numerous cases of sharing manpower among militant groups in Syria. Faylaq al-Sham has been formed from 19 different Islamist militant groups some of which directly affiliated with the Qatar-backed Syrian Muslim Brotherhood. Considering Qatar’s role in creation of ISIS, it could be suggested that the case of Mar.7 is an attempt to re-brand ISIS militants excluded from the ceasefire supported by the US and Russia.
According to Syrian officials, over 100 villages have agreed on the ceasefire. The majority of the reconciliation agreements have taken place in the province of Hama.
International Military Review – Syria, Mar. 11, 2016
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies are continuing to clash against ISIS in Southeastern Aleppo. On Wednesday, the pro-government forces seized the villages of Shabib, Kharbeel, ‘Akeel, Al-Qalay’at, and Sirada in Khanasser Plains expanding a buffer zone along the strategic supply route to Aleppo.
At least 26 members of al Nusra and Jund al-Aqsa have been killed in a series of their failed offensives in Tal al-Eiss. However, there are no indications that militants will cut their attempt to counter-attack in the area.
Syrian and Russian warplanes intensified air raids on ISIS positions at Palmyra. According to reports, the aerial operation focused on as-Sawwanah and al-Bayarat areas near the city. The Syrian artillery units also pounded the militants’ positions in the oil-rich region of Jezl.
Meanwhile, ISIS launched offensive in the Eastern and Southeastern parts of Homs province attacking the loyalists’ strongholds in al-Maqale’a (quarries), Thaniyeh al-Rajmeh and Dhuhour al-Hayyal. The SAA repel these attacks.
The SAA launched an offensive on an ISIS stronghold near the town of Quaryatayn. Calshes are ongoing there.
On Mar.9, there reportedly were sporadic clashes between the civilians and ISIS militants in the city of Raqqa, the self-proclaimed Caliphate’s capital in Northeastern Syria. ISIS answered with setting up additional checkpoints and a new wave of arrests across the city. Earlier there have been a series of reports that some 200 militants switched sides and seized part of the city of Raqqa.
One has to consider the distinctive possibility such reports represent an effort by local Sunni tribes to establish a truce with at least one of the two main forces marching in the direction of Raqqa: the Syrian Arab Army or the Kurdish militias. Such developments represent the fact that ISIS has started to lose the influence even in the formally controlled territories of Syria.
INTERNATIONAL MILITARY REVIEW – SYRIA, MAR. 11, 2016
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has advanced in the East Ghouta region of Greater Damascus targeting Al Nusra militants and its allies in the area. Following a violate battle with militants, the SAA seized the villages of Bala Al-Jadida and Hatita Al-Jarsh. Thus, the SAA split the militant forces in 2 different pockets. The government forces’ next step will likely be to clear the Northern pocket where the concentration of Al Nusra militants is especially high.
The SAA and its allies are continuing to expand a buffer zone along the Khanasser-Aleppo road advancing to the East in direction of the Raqqa province. The SAA’s mid-term goal in this advance is to capture such strategic points as Tabqa Airbase and Jirah Airbase. In turn, ISIS is strengthening defenses in the area east to the Al Jaboul Lake.
On Mar.10, the Kurdish YPG units continued their advances against al-Nusra in the Ashafiyeh neighborhood of the Aleppo city. Pro-Kurdish sources report that at least 8 militants have been killed in firefights. The clashes are ongoing there.
Meanwhile, heavy clashes reportedly took place between ISIS and other militant groups near Qara Koubri region in the Northern parts of Aleppo.
Iraqi forces have liberated the Zankura area from ISIS in the western province of Anbar, evacuating some 10,000 civilians, Sabah al-Noman, spokesman of the Counter-Terrorism Service, said on Mar.10. According to al-Noman, 80 ISIS militants were killed in the operation and 56 were arrested.
On Mar.9, the Iraqi security forces also retook villages of Hit, Zankura and Qariya Asriya near Ramadi.
Apache Attack Helicopters Get Skis And Crew Survial Pods For Arctic Combat
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The Pentagon is realizing that fighting in the frigid north may be more of a possibility than ever as Russia prepares its forces for sustained arctic operations
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The Apache’s permanent presence in Alaska is still a relatively new development
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Alaska is the first Army Apache unit to permanently bolt on skis to their aircraft. They are now in the process of training on how to fly and fight with them attached, including developing procedures that will keep themselves from blasting the skies to pieces with their articulated 30mm cannon
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Skis are nothing new when it comes to helicopters in Alaska, Army ones included. They distribute the weight of the helicopter over a much broader area than wheels or skids, and allow for aircraft to land on even marshy areas, known as muskeg
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The skis are build by renowned purveyor of such apparatuses Airglas and weigh just 400 pounds in total
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25th Aviation Regiment is also testing a crew survival pod that will hang on one of the Apache’s weapon stations. The pod provides an additional 13 cubic feet of space for Apache crews to use, which is just enough for the bare minimum cold-weather survival necessities
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An arctic-capable Apache is a good thing for the Pentagon, which is racing to catch up and adapt to Russia’s emerging hawkish foreign policy stance in regards to the arctic
If I'm not mistaken one sub, the SSBN is called 'Akula' (Shark) by the Russians themselves, this sub is more known to the world as the 'Typhoon', its NATO designation.
The other one, the SSN is called an 'Akula' by NATO. The Russians actually call the class the 'Shchuka' (Pike).
So it's actually we are the mistaken & confused ones.
This post has been edited by MilitaryMadness: Mar 12 2016, 07:08 PM
Ready for action: American and South Korean soldiers carry out full scale amphibious beach landing exercise amid growing threats from North Korea who pledged to ‘annihilate' its enemies
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The North has denounced the exercises as 'nuclear war moves' and threatened to respond with an all-out offensive
As part of Xi’s reorganization of the armed forces to focus on five theaters of operation, China has formed a new science and technology committee to manage defense R&D. According to a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Defense, the committee, known in Chinese asjunweikejiwei, is designed to meet the needs of China’s ongoing military modernization. The committee will strengthen management of defense S&T, promote indigenous innovation in national defense, and coordinate integrated development of military and civilian technologies, the spokesperson says. China’s central government plans to spend $147 billion on defense this year; the amount allotted to defense R&D is a state secret. “Nobody knows how much is spent on military R&D,” says Dennis Blasko, a former Army attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
Military Thread V20 
Mar 11 2016, 09:52 PM
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