https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-51014352
Some confusion over the letter.
Middle East
Re: Middle East
You couldn’t make it up! sums up the whole sorry mess from it started confusion! It’s would be funny if it weren’t so serious.
Re: Middle East
I have a suspicion that there will never be clarity on it.
Whoever leaked/released it has probably achieved their goal already. For all his bluster, Trump is about to be vastly overwhelmed by circumstances beyond his control and influence.
Closer to home this is probably our first big test as 'Global Britain'. I hope we don't waste it.
-
ArmChairCivvy
- Senior Member
- Posts: 16312
- Joined: 05 May 2015, 21:34
- Has liked: 78 times
- Been liked: 78 times
Re: Middle East
The above agreements were reported in 2017 and by now the UAV is ready.ArmChairCivvy wrote:the Gulf where the UAE is starting to assemble Mig35s and China will set up a UAV factory in Saudi
- - all of this announced since the Iran sanctions were lifted; hedging the bets
The ultimate holding company to the one partnering with KSA on it is younger, though, almost like a last-minute thought to register one:
"UAVOS Holdings Limited was incorporated on 14-MAR-2018 as a Private company limited by shares registered in Hong Kong. It's company registration number is: 2665800. The date of annual examination for this private company limited is between Mar 14 and Apr 24 upon the anniversary of incorporation. As so far the company has been running for 1 years 11 months, and 28 days. The company is " Live" now. "
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
-
ArmChairCivvy
- Senior Member
- Posts: 16312
- Joined: 05 May 2015, 21:34
- Has liked: 78 times
- Been liked: 78 times
Re: Middle East
6 years since Crimea and real incomes in Russia have shrunk every year since.
Intervention in Syria showed that Russian forces can project (even though got bogged down in Ukraine). But it has cost a lot and what has been left ' in the hand'? A strategic foothold around the Latakia region and trying to make the Assad regime cough up for all the deliveries of hardware that have sustained it.
Libya? Is the two-year long involvement a futile exercise; is the latest buildup by air force just a smoke screen for getting the mercenaries out, without too many of them actually being left on the battlefield for good.
As daily life in Russia is getting ever more difficult (and the pandemic not helping), will all these adventures actually be weighing up against Putin when the constitutional change is put to vote over the summer?
- time is too short to beat a complete retreat or to achieve anything substantial, to show for all the effort and considerable expense
Intervention in Syria showed that Russian forces can project (even though got bogged down in Ukraine). But it has cost a lot and what has been left ' in the hand'? A strategic foothold around the Latakia region and trying to make the Assad regime cough up for all the deliveries of hardware that have sustained it.
Libya? Is the two-year long involvement a futile exercise; is the latest buildup by air force just a smoke screen for getting the mercenaries out, without too many of them actually being left on the battlefield for good.
As daily life in Russia is getting ever more difficult (and the pandemic not helping), will all these adventures actually be weighing up against Putin when the constitutional change is put to vote over the summer?
- time is too short to beat a complete retreat or to achieve anything substantial, to show for all the effort and considerable expense
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
Re: Middle East
Numbers that will sadly only rise and significantly so considering the utter devastation. Hopefully they start moving quickly.
Qatar field hospitals being flown in by c17s and French aircraft with similar heading that way also, French media reporting the French president will arrive there tomorrow.
The costs to rebuild and regenerate will be huge and if the west doesn’t step up the Chinese most likely will. The international development budget can be put to go use and with long term strategic benefit for all.
High detail before and after photos
Qatar field hospitals being flown in by c17s and French aircraft with similar heading that way also, French media reporting the French president will arrive there tomorrow.
The costs to rebuild and regenerate will be huge and if the west doesn’t step up the Chinese most likely will. The international development budget can be put to go use and with long term strategic benefit for all.
High detail before and after photos
Re: Middle East
Quite a significant moment in the ME perhaps
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-53770859
Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to normalise relations, US President Donald Trump has announced.
A joint statement by Mr Trump, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed said they hoped the "historic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East".
As a result, they added, Israel would suspend its plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank.
Until now Israel has had no diplomatic relations with Gulf Arab countries
However, shared concerns over Iran's regional influence have led to a unofficial contacts between them.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-53770859
Israel and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to normalise relations, US President Donald Trump has announced.
A joint statement by Mr Trump, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed said they hoped the "historic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East".
As a result, they added, Israel would suspend its plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank.
Until now Israel has had no diplomatic relations with Gulf Arab countries
However, shared concerns over Iran's regional influence have led to a unofficial contacts between them.
-
ArmChairCivvy
- Senior Member
- Posts: 16312
- Joined: 05 May 2015, 21:34
- Has liked: 78 times
- Been liked: 78 times
Re: Middle East
Armour can't get anywhere by air? Well, just did, to the part of Syria where the US maintains a presence (and where traffic accidents have become rife).
" CENTCOM also messaged Friday that it can send more Bradleys, since their troops are practicing rapid deployment loading drills from Kuwait's Ali Al Salem Airbase. "
- picked up by Defenceone
" CENTCOM also messaged Friday that it can send more Bradleys, since their troops are practicing rapid deployment loading drills from Kuwait's Ali Al Salem Airbase. "
- picked up by Defenceone
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
-
ArmChairCivvy
- Senior Member
- Posts: 16312
- Joined: 05 May 2015, 21:34
- Has liked: 78 times
- Been liked: 78 times
Re: Middle East
In his today's Thin Pinstriped Line post Sir Huphrey had been doing some digging and
" of interest is the specific nature of the deployment to Riyadh. The radar only has a range of around 120km, which isn’t enough reach to see into foreign airspace, and presumably also overlaps with existing Saudi air defence radar coverage. Does this point to a potential weakness in Saudi air defences that needs urgently to be addressed, or was this being delivered as a second level of assurance on the provision of timely information?
To make matters more interesting still, a wider google search shows that at almost the same time as 16 Regt deployed, the French Government publicly announced that it was deploying an equivalent capability to eastern Saudi Arabia.
The so-called ‘Jaguar Task Force’ was deployed following a statement by President Macron, and consisted of a radar unit and other elements, deployed to an unknown location. This was done in response to the rising threat from Iran.
Some public source media suggests that the deployment comprises around 50 personnel, using the Giraffe radar system, and came about following attacks on oil refineries. It is reportedly fully integrated into the Saudi air defence system. This is an open ended deployment with no fixed end date.
At about the same time, the US armed forces were stepping up their presence in Saudi Arabia, expanding their reach and demonstrating capability as part of the reassurance to the Kingdom.
So what can we draw from this? What we know is that in early 2020 the British Army / RAF deployed a unit consisting of surveillance radars to participate in an operation in Saudi Arabia. We know the French armed forces have carried out an identical deployment in the North East of the country. We do not know when, or if the deployment was concluded or if this was part of a wider joint UK/French/US operation. We do not know if this operation was carried out at the request of the Saudis, or was at the initiative of the UK."
... So what can we draw from this? It is not different at all from what was going on at the time of the Siege of Mecca (more accurately: the holy sites there that had been taken over by domestic extremists).
Counting by nation:
- at that (same) time there was considerable unrest in the predominantly Shia areas of the KSA (where he oilfields happen to lie, in the main)... surely Aramco's security contractors there were swiftly sent 'more muscle' though all the actions in the 'field were by the Saudi NG
- as for the 'burning problem' how to take back the holy sites, without damaging them, both the SAS and the French equivalent were consulted. According to creditable sources, it was actually the French side that planned and directed the operation by Saudi security forces
The same 'usual suspects' spotted on the scene again
REF:
Hiding in Plain Sight - The 'Secret' deployment of 16 Regt RA to Saudi Arabia
Posted: 16 Nov 2020 10:32 AM PST
" of interest is the specific nature of the deployment to Riyadh. The radar only has a range of around 120km, which isn’t enough reach to see into foreign airspace, and presumably also overlaps with existing Saudi air defence radar coverage. Does this point to a potential weakness in Saudi air defences that needs urgently to be addressed, or was this being delivered as a second level of assurance on the provision of timely information?
To make matters more interesting still, a wider google search shows that at almost the same time as 16 Regt deployed, the French Government publicly announced that it was deploying an equivalent capability to eastern Saudi Arabia.
The so-called ‘Jaguar Task Force’ was deployed following a statement by President Macron, and consisted of a radar unit and other elements, deployed to an unknown location. This was done in response to the rising threat from Iran.
Some public source media suggests that the deployment comprises around 50 personnel, using the Giraffe radar system, and came about following attacks on oil refineries. It is reportedly fully integrated into the Saudi air defence system. This is an open ended deployment with no fixed end date.
At about the same time, the US armed forces were stepping up their presence in Saudi Arabia, expanding their reach and demonstrating capability as part of the reassurance to the Kingdom.
So what can we draw from this? What we know is that in early 2020 the British Army / RAF deployed a unit consisting of surveillance radars to participate in an operation in Saudi Arabia. We know the French armed forces have carried out an identical deployment in the North East of the country. We do not know when, or if the deployment was concluded or if this was part of a wider joint UK/French/US operation. We do not know if this operation was carried out at the request of the Saudis, or was at the initiative of the UK."
... So what can we draw from this? It is not different at all from what was going on at the time of the Siege of Mecca (more accurately: the holy sites there that had been taken over by domestic extremists).
Counting by nation:
- at that (same) time there was considerable unrest in the predominantly Shia areas of the KSA (where he oilfields happen to lie, in the main)... surely Aramco's security contractors there were swiftly sent 'more muscle' though all the actions in the 'field were by the Saudi NG
- as for the 'burning problem' how to take back the holy sites, without damaging them, both the SAS and the French equivalent were consulted. According to creditable sources, it was actually the French side that planned and directed the operation by Saudi security forces
The same 'usual suspects' spotted on the scene again
REF:
Hiding in Plain Sight - The 'Secret' deployment of 16 Regt RA to Saudi Arabia
Posted: 16 Nov 2020 10:32 AM PST
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
Re: Middle East
https://questions-statements.parliament ... -11/114286
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, have any British personnel accompanied the deployment of Giraffe radars to Riyadh since February 2020 to assist Saudi Arabia to track and identify objects in its airspace.
UK Defence personnel have accompanied the deployment of Giraffe radars to Riyadh. This deployment is purely defensive in nature and helps Saudi Arabia with the very real threats it faces.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, have any British personnel accompanied the deployment of Giraffe radars to Riyadh since February 2020 to assist Saudi Arabia to track and identify objects in its airspace.
UK Defence personnel have accompanied the deployment of Giraffe radars to Riyadh. This deployment is purely defensive in nature and helps Saudi Arabia with the very real threats it faces.
-
wargame_insomniac
- Member
- Posts: 735
- Joined: 20 Nov 2021, 19:12
- Has liked: 1132 times
- Been liked: 144 times
Re: Middle East
UK takes command again of Combined Task Force 150.
Good to see continued UK involvement and leadership of multinational Naval policing of global shipping lanes.
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/britain ... ity-force/
Good to see continued UK involvement and leadership of multinational Naval policing of global shipping lanes.
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/britain ... ity-force/
Re: Middle East
Interview with the UK Maritime Component Commander (UKMCC), Commodore Phil Dennis, during NAVDEX 2023 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
- These users liked the author xav for the post (total 2):
- wargame_insomniac • RichardIC