This is so typical of Gulfies. Yes, we all saw how good you are "defending" yourself. Exactly, "with distinction", because you are ... defenseless, as is the US. But, yes, in a typical Gulfies' manner a humiliating defeat must be wrapped into hyperbole and self-praise. UAE, however, does have experience with good air defense, it even helped to finance it in 1990. I am talking about this:
Yes, first versions of S1 Pantsir bought in 2000. They have been upgraded relatively recently but the nature of this upgrade remains uncertain and they are not Pantsirs operated by Russian Air Defense. There have been certainly successful intercepts of Iranian drones and missiles by Pantsirs, but what passes for "layered air defense" in US AD parlance is not layered and not real defense as a sad fate of PAC3s and THAAD demonstrated, with them being incapable to provide REAL AD with at least moderately acceptable intercept rate. It is not acceptable, of course--it is dismal.
Meanwhile, Yaroslavl Air Defense Academy.
404 and its NATO terrorists tried to strike this academy 100 times (it is described in video)--all 100 targets have been shot down. NATO air defense is not in the same league and it doesn't have own dedicated military academies in the field where for 5 years, 6 days a week you prepare full blown high end engineers with massive STEM background and tacticians with the step into operational planning. UAE knows that and they know that THAAD, let alone PAC3, ain't no S-400. But the best way out of it for them is to do what Iran demanded--remove US presence. Looks like the message was received. Details of future contracts will be discussed later.
Translation:Supplies of Pantsir anti-aircraft missile and gun systems to the troops will almost double this year, its head Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting of the Ministry of Defense.The Pantsir-SM modification is considered the most modern short-range air defense system.These complexes received a new radar with an active phased array, as a result, the target detection range increased from 32–36 km to 75 km.The maximum engagement distance is 40 km.Small-caliber ammunition is being developed for Pantsirs, Izvestia previously reported.They use a control system and warhead similar in their capabilities to conventional Pantsir missiles.The new ammunition will be very effective against drones, and can also be used against ATGMs, MLRS shells, anti-radar missiles and other air attack weapons.The minimum area (zone) for hitting air targets with such missiles will be reduced to 500 m. The full ammunition load of an anti-drone installation can be up to 48 missiles.
So, combined with ECM this is what development of counter-measures looks like. Both Tor M2s and Pantsirs performed admirably already in Syria, now it is a new scale.
In related news, oopsie--there is no hiding anymore, especially when you are a high level military bureaucrat. Deputy Defense Minister of Russia, General Timur Ivanov has been detained under the suspicion of taking a bribe (in Russian). The guy was (now "was") in charge of construction for military personnel. In other words--the most senior quartermaster of Russian Defense Ministry. Not anymore. He took, allegedly, more than one R 1 million (how much more? MORE) bribe and will now have up to 15 years in "resort" to think about his life, if his guilt will be proven, which I think it will be. Rear services of such immense force as Russian Armed Forces means access to immense financial resources and contracts dispensation, which, I speculate, what the bribe was all about--to get juicy construction contract. I am sure more arrests are coming. What the fuck this guy was thinking while having the salary about the size half of this bribe a month. I guess greed got to him big time. Most likely it is one of possibly many such episodes which will be "attached" later. The conclusion? Serve honestly...
1. When people ask why getting hands on some S1 Pantsir (belonging to UAE) in Libya makes a huge news in the West, my answer is simple--because it is the best air defense, as is all nomenclature of Russian-made air defense complexes, in the world even in their export variants with significantly reduced combat capabilities. But even those are enough to be superior to anything anyone produces in the world. As Israeli Air Force learned it a hard way today, once Syrian Air Defense Forces get their combat readiness up, they intercepted all 12 guided missiles launched by IAF at Damascus suburb and airport (in Russian). This kind of news will never make it into the Western media. Here, you can see the work of Siryan AD S1 Pantsir and Buk M2 intercepting Israeli's missiles yesterday.
Obviously, such highly professional actions by Syrians who, by now, have one of the best combat training in matters of repelling all kinds of stand-off weapons in the world, merely demonstrate that it is always a combination of man and machine which matters. Obviously, Israeli combat planes prefer to remain in Israeli air space or far in the international one when launching. Modern air defense complexes from Russia can shoot down literally anything in terms of manned combat aircraft. I am yet to find how the process of transfer of S-300 PMU2 from Russian forces to Syrian ones is ongoing, but it is clear that it is an extremely sensitive matter for a number of operational reasons. You know, S-300 PMU2 on combat duty near Damascus can easily shoot down Israeli combat aircraft within Israel and this is a tricky business.
It is not "planned", it is already signed and Russia will have not base but "Point of Material-Technical Supply" (PMTO). It is not quite "base". Tartus IS base, Port-Sudan is not a base but a provision point, albeit with some important clarifications such as the ability to keep there a nuclear powered ships and subs. Here is Admiral Grigorovich in Sudan. yesterday (in Russian).
Now, imagine a modernized Admiral Nakhimov "parked" there, with a couple of 11356 or 22350 with all those 3M14M and 3M22 Zircons. Well, you get my drift, right? Here is how it looks like on the map, wink, wink...
Just in case, the distance to Persian Gulf is also given. You know, marine traffic through Suez into the Red Sea may need (hopefully not) at some point of time real protection from who knows what may pop up in the future as a threat...
3. In other news, US media still remain crude propaganda tools, as are most US "journalists" working there and US remains completely delusional about Russia. This cannot be helped and will continue to deteriorate because they are one trick ponies and ignorant to boot. Well...
It seems that the butt-hurt level in US media re: Russia is off the scale lately. When I say "I told you so", I do it not to feed my ego, however large, but to make a point that to speak on matters of practical geopolitics, let alone modern warfare, military and engineering background, not to speak of human and professional integrity--the only filter which separates facts from propaganda--is a must. No, it is a MUST. But that is precisely what modern, not just American but European, Russian etc. pop-military "analysis" and military porn sphere lacks. Luckily, my blog and my books keep the record straight in terms of how basic analysis applies and speak ad nauseam about necessity to have a clue. Here are some examples of what I am talking about from this week.
Will start with out famous and highly "competent" US military "analyst" (nah, I am screwing with you) Kyle Mizokami, who "analyzes" things for a number of news outlets and here is his take on the "sensational" story from Libya which The Times broke yesterday. Mizokami, being very excited, concludes that the S1 Pantsir captured by whatever faction fights in Libya is a, quoting Mizokami:
This little bit alone contains a couple of open lies and that is the level of "reporting" in the US whenever dealing with anything Russia related. For starters.
Lie 1. Reports of three S1 Pantsirs being captured in Libya appeared as early as May 2020 (in Russian) and it was clear that once Turkish-supported forces took air base Al Watyia, which contained quite a few items of hardware transferred to General Haftar's forces by United Arab Emirates, there was very little doubt where the only intact AD complex will end up.
In other words, what's the big deal? The United States operated and continues to operate a number of Soviet/Russian-build hardware items since very early times (Google Operation Moolah) and has at its possession even such things as earlier versions of S-300, Mi-24 helos and even MiG-29 As. So, what's so important about it? This didn't help the US in any way (except for the fairy tales narratives) and that brings us to Lie #2.
Lie 2. There is no "a windfall" to US "intelligence community" since those UAE's S1s are export versions of this famous AD complex--that means they are significantly less capable than the Russian ones--and they are not new, like in old. Why? Very simple: the United Arab Emirates started to take delivery of S1s in 2003 and, as news have it, started to upgrade them in 2019, which is a testimony to the fact that these were older export versions of S1s which, in the words of Lieutenant-General Bizhev, a former Deputy Commander of Russia's Air Force Air Defense, is nothing to get worked over it. I quote:
Translation:There will be no serious damage to our combat readiness. War is war. Trophies are expected in wars. Sometimes we also get trophies. The equipment which goes for export differs from what is delivered to our Armed Forces. Americans will have to study this Pantsir for a long time, as well as think for a long time on how to make a copy. For a number of reasons they will not be able to make an exact copy. I think Pantsir will create admiration among Americans, but they will not be able to make an analogue.
Why? Just a single fact--not only export versions DO differ from domestic ones, both in hardware and software solutions, but many key software solutions are literally hard-wired, making them useless for anyone who gets to them. Remarkably, the excitement in Western media re: this "secret" (I kid you not--it is "secret" alright) operation--sure, load a truck into the transport plane and fly it anywhere you want--shows a huge hardon as well as implicit admission to the superiority of Russian-made AD systems, which are in the league of their own. Don't believe me? Ask Turkey, a NATO member, what she thinks about S-400, export version no less.
You will not find this news in Anglo-sphere unless you specifically look for it and even then--it takes some effort to find it from Al Arabya, no less, because no US media outlets will not touch it since US media are into propaganda and the butt-hurt management, not news reporting. This brings us to another point. Here is a delivery of the first serial SU-57 to a units of Russia's Air Force. You don't need to know Russian to see it.
The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) immediately reports that its facilities (in Russian) are being expanded for the serial production of this aircraft. 76 to be built in the first batch. Now, the Western media cannot ignore it and they do report this. But look what happens next. Russia started the development of the MiG-41 interceptor. And guess who appears immediately with their "opinions"--of course a bunch of clowns from CAST, such as Ruslan Pukhov--a guy who is an epitome (together with another clown, Barabanov--degree in librarian "science") of humanities "dumbed down" "analyst", who didn't serve a day in Armed Forces, never worked a day on a production floor, saw military on TV only and wouldn't know the difference between shit and shinola, but get this headline.
According to Ruslan Pukhov, the director of the Centre for Analysis of
Strategies and Technologies, the primary focus of Russia’s defense
industry is to develop that engine. That main effort takes away
much-needed resources for the new plane, he explained.
My question at this stage is this: these people from CAST couldn't find their own ass with both hands in a brightly lit room and have zero competencies in any issue pertaining Russia's real economy, military industry, military technology, tactical, operational and strategic problems, yet they pass opinions on the matter of which they have zero understanding. I recall this very same Pukhov trying to scare Russia that, Russia cannot win war with the US but can deal serious damage (in Russian). Recall me constantly pointing out to the "Revelation Mode" in Russia's rearmament and changing defense posture. From what I gather, for all very real Russia's economic problems, only Russia and China restored industrial production and, in fact, started to grow, with Russia increasingly shifting towards processing and complex manufacturing (in Russian). So, what is the real size of Russia's real economy and, by implications, of her military-industrial complex? Your guess is as good as mine, the only thing which I can tell for sure is that the record of Russia's rearmament speaks for itself and we all can be damn sure that projects of such import as MiG-41 will get done.
You know, the same as this 3M22 Zircon thingy whose state tests are to be finished this 2021 year and it will start serial deliveries in 2022, TASS reports. Believe me, I recall how for years, decades really, I had discussions, including among my classmates and acquaintances, many of them senior officers, many with a serious command experience, that future of Russian Navy will be in anti-shipping cruise missiles which will be hypersonic, AI-driven and will have a stunning range. I also debated some from this very CAST, especially when they tried to tell me fairy tales about... the US Navy. As it turned out, not only Russia's military-industrial complex was able to produce truly revolutionary weapon systems, but in a relatively short time remake Russia's Armed Forces into a deadly, super-modern, mighty fighting machine. All that, despite constant "opinions" of armies of those "experts" in Russia whose level of expertise was primarily of high school graduates. Now, when all this is happening in a front of our own eyes, be that Russia's return to a superpowerdom, to the United States finding itself in a deepest political and economic crisis, to a massive remake of the world order (sorry, Samuel Huntington), I kinda want to reiterate: "I told you so".
Meanwhile, Kerch shipyard Zaliv just floated yet another pr. 22160 patrol ship Sergei Kotov.
Another angle:
So, is Russia's defense industry "too busy". You can bet your ass on it. It will get even busier. At least START was prolongated today. That's reassuring that we all can die now only six-seven times over, not the whole twelve or thirteen which will surely kill us. Whew.
Yes, yes, that is what Turkey declared in Brussels and I think they, out of traditional humbleness, lowered numbers of destroyed S1 Pantsir AD systems dramatically. I think there were at least 25-30 those systems destroyed together with those 3,500 SAA soldiers and, probably, couple battalions of Russian SSOs. In related news, before lunch I was Napoleon, after lunch I became Marcus Aurelius. Turkish baloney and butt-hurt from what they experienced in Idlib is such that they don't see anything wrong with simply making shit up. So much so, that Russia's Ministry of Defense was forced to flatly debunk those fairy tales. In its statement Russian MoD underscored:
Translation: Assessments of combat effectiveness of strike UAVs in Idlib Province, presented to the head of Turkish Republic, alleging the destruction of eight Syrian gun-missile complexes "Pantsir" do not correspond to reality and are more than just exaggeration".
Truth is, only four S1s have been deployed around Idlib, two were damaged and repaired. Most of SAA's S1s remained deployed around Damascus and didn't take part in operations in Idlib. But never mind, as long as it is stated that it happened, it DID happen in accordance to NATO's combat doctrine which is rigged towards media and brainwashing, not fighting the actual war against competent adversary. The butt-hurt in Turkey is understandable, but it wouldn't be completed without this S-400 soap opera.
Erdogan was in Brussels to "report" on Turkey's great victory in Idlib. Meanwhile lunatic "Ambassador" Jeffrey was thinking on:
Jeffrey also said they
had considered possible responses should Russia and the Syrian
government break a ceasefire in Idlib, officials said. He
suggested other NATO states could individually or as an alliance provide
military support to help Turkey. But he ruled out sending ground troops
and said there still needed to be a resolution to the S-400 issue for
the security relationship to move forward. "You can forget ground
troops. Turkey has demonstrated that it and its opposition forces are
more than capable of holding ground on their own," Jeffrey said. "The
issue is the situation in the air and it's what we are looking at," he
said. Washington did not believe that Russia and Syrian had any interest in a permanent ceasefire in Idlib, he said. "They are out to get a military victory in Syria and our goal is to make it difficult for them to do that," Jeffrey said. "Our
goal is...to make them think twice. If they ignore our warnings and
preparations and move forward, then we will react as rapidly as possible
in consultation with our NATO and European allies on what the package
of sanctions and other reactions will be."
Jeffrey is delusional and is very butt-hurt, possibly because of his utter professional and human inadequacy, which is expected from a man with background in management and a member of "National Security" team of W (we all know how "well" that played out) and a burden of "victory" in Vietnam War with which utter irrational hatred of Russians comes naturally and, in fact, is a requirement; enough to recall another American Vietnam War "hero", late John McCain. Obviously Jeffrey's deal with Syria is not to fight terrorism but to support Al Qaeda (and its many iterations) operations there. In general--anything to not allow Syria (and Russia) to defeat Islamic terrorism there. He even speaks openly about it. Jeffery, an infantry officer in Vietnam, then some CIA "spook", in addition to his "diplomatic" background, is a 74 year old and, obviously, cranky man who does not understand modern warfare and, as is expected from US "experts" in Russia, has no knowledge of real Russia. Nor, obviously, he knows his own country, the United States that is, since he still thinks that the United States is this unstoppable military juggernaut which....lost most of its wars. That is why this senior citizen is so eager to start the war with Russia. There are many like him in all kinds of D.C. institutions.
Highlighted in yellow is a very good indicator of a depth of a delusion this whole cabal of US "strategists" resides in: sanctions are good for Russia. But as was demonstrated in the last 72 hours, Russia can also "sanction" back and that shakes the bejesus out of not only the US, but global economy. But here is the larger issue: how many still rational and competent people are left out there in the US governing institutions? How many of them have real strategic awareness and I am not talking about Mnuchin suddenly having an urge to talk to Russians on "investments" and "sanctions". Mnuchin is a bankster who understands only debit and credit, black and red, and when he sees red he (and his ilk) react, in pain. I am talking about people who have any strategic vision based on reality. Whole American geopolitical thought in the last 30 years is a permanent record of one failure after another. US "diplomacy" is a laughing stock of the world, US military, ask Iran. Economically? You all know what is going on. How this all could have gone so wrong, so fast? I have a metaphysical answer for that--exceeding established limit on a number of ass-holes populating governing institutions. It all comes down, in the end, to how many decent, honorable, honest that is, people are still out there and I'd say not many. In final analysis these are always human choices we make, which count most towards the final outcome. Or, as beloved by me Barnett stated:
…
swift decline in British vigor at home and the failure to exploit the
empire were not owing to some inevitable senescent process of
history....That cause was a political doctrine.... The doctrine was
liberalism, which criticized and finally demolished the traditional
conception of the nation-state as a collective organism, a community,
and asserted instead the primacy of individual. According to liberal
thinking a nation was no more than so many human atoms who happened to
live under the same set of laws.... It was Adam Smith who formulated the
doctrine of Free Trade, the keystone of liberalism, which was to
exercise a long-live and baneful effect on British power.... Adam Smith
attacked the traditional “mercantilist” belief that a nation should be
generally self-supporting.
We all will pay one way or another for an expected and predicted and ongoing as I type it collapse of liberalism, it is just that one cannot escape a desire to see some of the most ardent enablers of liberalism, who have their hands soaked in blood, be seen behind bars or in a front of a firing squad. Some of them know today that this is not anymore beyond the realm of possible and will try to light the world on fire, thinking that under the cover of ensuing chaos they can make an escape. But I know for sure now that there are those who keep the score. Just listen about "We can repeat":
A sort of Russia's atonement, I guess, for betraying Serbs in 1999. I recall vividly when in a huge crowd of Serbs who went to greet Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Alexy II in Belgrade in 1999, visible were the banners with such message: Don't give us Patriarch, Give Us S-300s. That was my sentiment too. But Russia of 1999, led, if one may say so, by alcoholic low life and his cabal of "reformers" many of who were openly anti-Russian, was speedily shown her place by the US and she... obliged. Things changed since then, as did Russia, who was forced to change after NATO aggression against Serbia.
Anyone is 100% positive that all of those systems will get back to Russia? After all, this kind of statements DO mean something important:
The two countries have also boosted intelligence cooperation. On
Wednesday, Sergey Naryshkin, head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence
Service (SVR), told Serbian state-run RTS TV that the two countries were
performing "complex mutual operations" to protect their external
interests. Serbia has relied on Russia for support in its
continued refusal to recognize the independence of its former southern
province of Kosovo, which seceded in 2008 after a bloody guerrilla
uprising. NATO peacekeepers remain in Kosovo. Serbia also depends
on Russia for natural gas supplies and the largest local oil company,
Naftna Industrija Srbije, is majority-owned by Russia’s Gazprom.
The West was behind gang-rape of Serbia based on a completely cooked "intelligence" which ignored completely the fate of Serbs, who were ethnically cleansed and are being ethnically cleansed in the illegal statelet of Kosovo. Obviously NATO had no inhibitions in supporting Kosovar organized crime and Islamism--a feature of the contemporary West from the times of Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. We know the results, don't we?
I am in no position to write on Serbia's internal dynamics--to be sure Serbia is filled with all kinds of Western "assets" and other "democracy"-activists--but there is very little doubt that many, very many, Serbs DO view Russia as their only chance at restoration of territorial integrity and, in the end, economic growth. S-400s and other systems can help ensure Serbia's safety from aggression. This was 9 months ago in Belgrade. No comments are necessary here.
It is now up to Serbs themselves, Russia, it seems, will do her part. History is a peculiar thing, some things in it you just can't break.
