#U.S.-supplied missiles

[indianexpalert]

Ukrainian drones strike deep into Russian territory, hundreds of miles from the front line

KYIV: Ukraine brought the war into the heart of Russia Saturday morning with drone attacks that local authorities said damaged residential buildings in the city of Kazan in the Tatarstan region, over 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) from the front line. The press service of Tatarstan’s governor, Rustam Minnikhanov, said that eight drones attacked the city. Six hit residential buildings, one hit an…

[zvaigzdelasas]

[Haaretz is Israeli Private Media]

[According to] a senior [IDF] air force officer[...]

[M]ost of the air force's equipment in the war so far was bought from American companies using U.S. military aid.[...]

With Congress' approval, the Biden administration has sent over unprecedented emergency military aid of $14 billion, on top of the regular annual U.S. military aid of $3.8 billion. Washington has also sent another $500 million for Israel's air defense systems – Iron Dome, David's Sling and Arrow.[...]

The senior air force official told Haaretz that without the Americans' supply of weapons to the Israel Defense Forces, especially the air force, Israel would have had a hard time sustaining its war for more than a few months.[...]

The Iranians thus made clear [in their attack] that they intended to very seriously damage the Nevatim Air Base in the south, where Israel's F-35 squadrons are based. Iran also launched a number of surface-to-surface missiles at the Mount Hermon base in the far north as a deception, but they missed the target.

Thus, the air force's planes and air defense systems inflicted a serious defeat on the Iranians. But this was also done with the vital help of American, British and French planes, and reportedly also from Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and with the coordination of radar and warning systems between Israel and those five countries.[...]

The Arab and wider international cooperation with Israel remains the most important component of the defense of Israel's skies – and this happened at a time when some government officials were disparaging our friends. This cooperation provided the most important contribution to the Iranian failure. We can safely estimate that many of the interceptions were done by foreign militaries.

"What do you even expect Biden or Kamala to do? Israel doesn't even need the US really" [2 Sep 24]

[vague-humanoid]

The Israeli military has embarked upon a massive bombing campaign in Lebanon. Last week, it began with the remote detonation of thousands of personal electronic devices. On Friday, an Israeli strike leveled a building in the Beirut suburbs. On Sunday and into Monday, the bombings expanded into the largest attack on Lebanon since Israel’s 2006 invasion. All told, the Israeli military bombed 1,300 targets, killing at least 490 people, including more than 90 children and women. 

The death toll is already the highest since the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War, and certainly the worst since October 7, when Israel and Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia group backed by Iran, began exchanging strikes. The Israeli government continued its attacks over the course of the day Monday, hitting a Beirut suburb with three missiles, injuring at least six others. While Israel said it targeted Hezbollah’s weapons supplies, Lebanon’s health minister also said the strikes hit hospitals, medical centers, and ambulances.

With this new bombing campaign, Israel has opened a new front in its wars on Gaza and the West Bank — and critics of U.S. policy have renewed calls for the U.S. to halt its weapons transfers to Israel as the conflict continues to grow.

“It’s easier to stop sending the Israel government weapons to conduct its genocidal wars than it is to evacuate every American in Lebanon,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., on X on Monday, captioning a tweet from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, urging American citizens to leave the country. 

[palms-upturned]

For US unions like the UAW — which has thousands of members in weapons factories making the bombs, missiles, and aircraft used by Israel, as well in university departments doing research linked to the Israeli military — the Palestinian trade union call to action is particularly relevant. When the UAW’s national leadership came out in support of a cease-fire on December 1, they also voted to establish a “Divestment and Just Transition Working Group.” The stated purpose of the working group is to study the UAW’s own economic ties to Israel and explore ways to convert war-related industries to production for peaceful purposes while ensuring a just transition for weapons workers.

Members of UAW Labor for Palestine say they have started making visits to a Colt factory in Connecticut, which holds a contract to supply rifles to the Israeli military, to talk with their fellow union members about Palestine, a cease-fire, and a just transition. They want to see the union’s leadership support such organizing activity.

“If UAW leaders decided to, they could, tomorrow, form a national organizing campaign to educate and mobilize rank-and-file towards the UAW’s own ceasefire and just transition call,” UAW Labor for Palestine members said in a statement. “They could hold weapons shop town halls in every region; they could connect their small cadre of volunteer organizers — like us — to the people we are so keen to organize with; they could even send some of their staff to help with this work.”

On January 21, the membership of UAW Local 551, which represents 4,600 autoworkers at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant (who were part of last year’s historic stand-up strike) endorsed the Palestinian trade unions’ call to not cooperate in the production and transportation of arms for Israel. Ten days later, UAW Locals 2865 and 5810, representing around forty-seven thousand academic workers at the University of California, passed a measure urging the union’s national leaders to ensure that the envisioned Divestment and Just Transition Working Group “has the needed resources to execute its mission, and that Palestinian, Arab and Muslim workers whose communities are disproportionately affected by U.S.-backed wars are well-represented on the committee.”

Members of UAW Locals 2865 and 5810 at UC Santa Cruz’s Astronomy Department have pledged to withhold any labor that supports militarism and to refuse research collaboration with military institutions and arms companies. In December, unionized academic workers from multiple universities formed Researchers Against War (RAW) to expose and cut ties between their research and warfare, and to organize in their labs and departments for more transparency about where the funding for their work comes from and more control over what their labor is used for. RAW, which was formed after a series of discussions by union members first convened by US Labor Against Racism and War last fall, hosted a national teach-in and planning meeting on February 12.

Meanwhile, public sector workers in New York City have begun their own campaign to divest their pension money from Israel. On January 25, rank-and-file members of AFSCME District Council (DC) 37 launched a petition calling on the New York City Employees’ Retirement System to divest the $115 million it holds in Israeli securities. The investments include $30 million in bonds that directly fund the Israeli military and its activities. “As rank-and-file members of DC 37 who contribute to and benefit from the New York City Employees’ Retirement System and care about the lives of working people everywhere, we refuse to support the Israeli government and the corporations that extract profit from the killing of innocent civilians,” the petition states.

In an election year when President Joe Biden and other Democratic candidates will depend heavily on organized labor for donations and especially get-out-the-vote efforts, rank and filers are also trying to push their unions to exert leverage on the president by getting him to firmly stand against the ongoing massacre in Gaza. NEA members with Educators for Palestine are calling on their union’s leaders to withdraw their support for Biden’s reelection campaign until he stops “sending military funding, equipment, and intelligence to Israel,” marching from AFT headquarters to NEA headquarters in Washington, DC on February 10 to assert their demand. Similarly, after the UAW International Executive Board endorsed Biden last month — a decision that sparked intense division within the union — UAW Labor for Palestine is demanding the endorsement be revoked “until [Biden] calls for a permanent ceasefire and stops sending weapons to Israel.”

[judgemark45]

The U.S. Navy's Seawolf-class submarines are among the most advanced and powerful submarines in the world. Here are some key features and capabilities that make them so powerful:

Stealth

- Quietness: Seawolf-class submarines are designed to be extremely quiet, making them difficult to detect by enemy sonar. They have advanced sound-absorbing materials and hull design, which significantly reduce their acoustic signature.

- Anechoic Coating: They are covered with anechoic tiles that absorb sound waves, reducing the noise they emit and improving their stealth capabilities.

Speed and Depth

- Speed: These submarines are capable of reaching speeds in excess of 35 knots (about 40 mph or 65 km/h) when submerged.

- Operating Depth: Seawolf-class submarines can operate at depths greater than 1,600 feet (approximately 490 meters), allowing them to evade detection and operate in deeper waters than many other submarines.

Armament

- Torpedoes: Each Seawolf-class submarine is equipped with eight 660mm (26-inch) torpedo tubes, which can launch a variety of torpedoes, including the advanced Mk-48 ADCAP (Advanced Capability) torpedoes.

- Missiles: They can also carry up to 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles, which are capable of striking land targets with high precision from a great distance.

- Mines: The submarines can deploy mines for area denial and strategic control of waterways.

Sensor and Combat Systems

- Sonar Systems: The Seawolf-class features advanced sonar systems, including bow, flank, and towed-array sonars, which provide comprehensive detection and tracking capabilities.

- Combat Systems: They are equipped with the AN/BSY-2 combat system, which integrates all sensors, fire control, and weapons systems, allowing for rapid and effective response to threats.

Survivability and Endurance

- Robust Construction: The hull is made of HY-100 steel, which provides greater strength and durability, enhancing survivability.

- Endurance: These submarines can operate submerged for extended periods, limited only by food supply, due to their nuclear propulsion system.

Versatility

- Multi-Mission Capability: Seawolf-class submarines are capable of performing a wide range of missions, including anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), intelligence gathering, special operations support, and strike warfare.

Summary

Overall, the Seawolf-class submarines are among the most formidable submarines in the world, combining stealth, speed, firepower, and advanced technology. Their ability to operate in various environments and perform diverse missions makes them a critical asset to the U.S. Navy's undersea warfare capabilities.

[soon-palestine]

American military says it has spent about $1 billion fighting the Houthis to support Israel's Gaza War.

It has conducted more than 450 strikes and intercepting 200 drones and missiles.

U.S. officials worry that the conflict is simply not sustainable.

“Their supply of weapons from Iran is cheap and highly sustainable, but ours is expensive and our logistics tails are long. We are playing whack-a-mole, and they are playing a long game.”

source

[porterdavis]

About freaking time!!

[darkmaga-returns]

I have been warning that our Computer has projected that war will continue and that the Neocons are traitors to the people of the United States and a threat to the entire world. Biden, the senile one, will sign anything put in front of him, and he is incompetent to be president. For that matter, so is Kamala. Both threaten the National Security of our nation and the world. Putin is justified to start attacking the United States directly. Since he knows Trump is coming, he will try to sit on his hands. God help us if the Russian Neocons overthrow Putin. There will be no stopping this.

The Russian Foreign Ministry recently came out reminding the collective West that allowing Ukraine to use west-supplied, long-range missiles to attack deep into the interior Russia would make the collective West “parties to the conflict” because those long-range missiles require satellites to guide them to target.  The Foreign Ministry reminded everyone that Ukraine does not HAVE any satellites. This is precisely what the Neocons are hoping for. Zelensky has abandoned defending the Donbas and switched to invade Russia on orders from the Neocons. They hoped Putin would attack anything in NATO. Now that Trump is president-elect and he has rejected all Neocons from his cabinet, they are desperate, and this is their next step to force Putin to attack anything so they can claim he started World War III when it has been the West under their control.

The Neocon propaganda is that Biden has authorized the first use of U.S.-supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine to strike inside Russia and then claim it will only be for short-range in defense of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region of western Russia, the officials said. Let’s face the truth. Ukraine cannot defeat Russia, and this is all a ploy to weaken Russia for the NATO invasion.

[mariacallous]

Ukraine is outraged by the unwavering American support for Israel, calling it a "double standard" as the United States refuses to intercept Russian missiles and drones over Ukraine, Politico reported on Oct. 16.

This week, the United States deployed the advanced THAAD missile defense system to protect Israel from Iranian ballistic missiles. However, Ukraine receives no similar level of assistance despite facing daily attacks from Russian drones, missiles, and bombs, the article states.

The reason for this discrepancy is that Russia possesses nuclear weapons, making Washington wary of escalating tensions with Moscow.

"The tough answer that Ukrainians may not like to hear but is unfortunately true is that we can take the risk of shooting down Iranian missiles over Israel without triggering direct war with Tehran that could lead to nuclear war," a high-ranking U.S. Senate aide working on Ukraine policy told Politico.

“There’s a lot more risk in trying that with Russia.”

Two officials from the Biden administration confirmed this. The White House fears that sending U.S. troops to Ukraine to intercept Russian missiles could provoke a direct military confrontation between the two leading nuclear powers, with potentially apocalyptic consequences.

"It is sad to look at all this as an ordinary citizen of Ukraine — when in an agreement to prevent escalation on the part of Moscow, your country and citizens are being sacrificed," said Mykola Bielieskov, a research fellow at the Ukrainian National Institute for Strategic Studies.

Kyiv wants Poland and Romania to help intercept Russian targets over western Ukraine. This option is being discussed, but the countries have not changed their policies yet, Politico writes. Warsaw has stated that it will not act without full NATO alliance support.

Meanwhile, two Ukrainian air defense officers, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that it is easier for the United States to defend Israel's skies because it is a small country, and America can use ship-based air defense systems. In contrast, Ukraine is vast and inaccessible to Western fleets; its allies would need to place air defense systems on the country's western border, from which they could only protect adjacent territory.

"NATO members entering into the aerial defense of Ukraine would need to bring a much larger contribution, over a broader area, with a greater risk of ‘entering the war’ for uncertain gains," said Matthew Savill, military sciences director at the Royal United Services Institute in London.

“The cost would also be greater, as the frequency of Russian attacks is far greater than the significant but reactive Iranian attempts to strike Israel directly.”

However, Ukraine's frustration is growing as the Biden administration is not doing enough to help Kyiv stop Russian attacks, Politico notes. This includes slow weapons deliveries and a ban on using long-range missiles to strike Russian territory.

According to the outlet, U.S. officials are aware of Kyiv's growing dissatisfaction. They stated that they are working on new weapons supplies, which they hope will address the outrage.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized on Oct. 13 the deployment of a THAAD battery and associated U.S. military personnel to bolster Israel's air defense following Iranian attacks on April 13 and Oct. 1.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said on Oct. 15 that the United States will not intercept missiles over Ukraine as it does over Israel because "the wars are different."

[hadesoftheladies]

palestine is a wake up call to all the people in the global south and all countries and peoples that have experienced colonialism by western empires. especially following the western world's response to ukraine.

when you're flooded with footage of children starving, their bodies shredded by missiles, shrapnel and collapsed buildings, when you see once vibrant, beautiful lands reduced in seconds to rubble . . . you realize how easy it is to provoke a white man. all you have to do is a be a person of colour on your land with all its natural resources. that's it. all you have to do is exist on the same soil as your ancestors. and if a white man says you're in the way of his expansion, it doesn't matter what moral ethics you think white people have. it really doesn't matter what you expect of a human being. what conscience you think they have.

you will die. no one will rescue you. they will murder you. torture you. they will justify it. they will make jokes about it. and years later, when it's not too inconvenient for their people to feel guilt, they will feel sorry and still make what they did to you about them. about their "human complexity" and their "nuance." your people will be dead for thousands of years before they "apologize" (not to you but) to their descendants. and even then they'll lie. they'll blame the "internal conflicts of the region." conveniently leaving out who supplies the guns and military gangs. why. what they get in return.

what's happening in congo, tigray, palestine, haiti, iran, afghanistan, etc is not an isolated event. you cannot afford to think so. it's literally what they did from the 17th-20th centuries. the exact same tactics. the exact same propaganda. these are millions of people dying and set up to die within this year alone.

white man sees resource, white man cuts a bloody path toward it. he is superior, so it's his right. it's that simple.

if you are self-righteous about politics (especially toward western empires like france, britain, russia, canada and the u.s., etc.) please understand that the only thing between your "peaceful" or stable country and all-out war is how agreeable you are to the demands of these empires. please don't think these people have evolved or will consider you in any way. they will nuke you, too, if you resist. that isn't peace. we don't have peace with them. they aren't peaceful. complying under threat of war isn't peace. coercion is not consent.

if these insane people can hear from the mouths of their own scientists that their wars are killing their own people and accelerating the death of life on this planet, i don't know why you'd think they have a shred of humanity left in them. that there's anyone in this life they could possibly care for.

reject that lie. that you can appeal to their humanity. how many fucking "peace talks" have we had since hitler? for fucks sake. begin to build your community and focus your aid and efforts on each other. be aware, but also think smaller. focus on local businesses and markets rather than imports. let's change the way we consume (this is hugely important). wherever you are, whichever people concern you, take care of your own communities. give back. even if you're part of the diaspora. just find a way to give back and strengthen your communities. don't let "the drain" empty out in the west. i'm not claiming its simple work, or that i have all the answers. i'm just saying increase your awareness of how these empires and their propaganda function and don't give into them however you can afford to. you know what you can do. you know your own communities and countries better than i do. and we all know that one of the prime ways the empires keep us weak is by destroying or own intracommunity solidarity.

because there is no UN we can appeal to. there is no western "mediator" we can rely on.

they'd kill us all if it wouldn't tank their economy.

internalize that. don't ever let them coax any trust out of you. there is no "international unity" we can have with them because their prosperity will always require our suffering. resist, at least, by reclaiming your mind from them. see them outside of how they have conditioned you to see them. every time your president shakes one of their hands, see the blood smearing them.

don't trust a single word out of their dirty, lying mouths.

[usafphantom2]

Israel Executes Long Awaited Buy Of F-15IA Advanced Eagle Fighters

After a break of almost three decades, Israel has ordered more F-15s, which will spearhead its air force alongside F-35 stealth fighters.

Posted on Nov 7, 2024 12:54 PM EST

Israel will buy 25 F-15IA fighters, marking the first new Eagles that the country has acquired since November 1995, when it ordered F-15I Ra’am jets. This summer, Israel had been given U.S. approval to by as many as 50 F-15IAs, as well as upgrade its F-15Is. Whether more F-15s or upgrades are added, the current wars in the Middle East mean that further acquisitions of combat aircraft are likely.

Boeing

Israel will buy 25 F-15IA fighters, marking the first new Eagles that the country has acquired since November 1995, when it ordered F-15I Ra’am jets. This summer, Israel had been given U.S. approval to buy as many as 50 F-15IAs, as well as upgrade its F-15Is as part of an overall package valued at $18.82 billion that you can read about here. Whether more F-15s or upgrades are added, the current wars in the Middle East mean that further acquisitions of combat aircraft are likely.

The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced today that it was buying the 25 F-15IAs at a cost of $5.2 billion. The ministry signed the contract with manufacturer Boeing yesterday, noting that an option remains to buy the other 25 jets.

An earlier Boeing graphic showing a heavily armed F-15IA. Boeing

The Israeli Ministry of Defense confirmed that deliveries of the F-15IAs will start in 2031, with between four and six aircraft being supplied annually.

“This procurement marks a significant milestone in deepening the defense cooperation between Israel and the United States, reflecting their mutual commitment to regional security,” the Israeli Ministry of Defense said on X.

The director general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir; the head of the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s Mission to the U.S., Aviram Hasson; and the Senior Deputy Head of the Mission, Offer Zavatzky, during the signing of the F-15IA deal yesterday. Israel Ministry of Defense

“The new F-15IA will be equipped with cutting-edge weapon systems, including state-of-the-art Israeli technologies,” the ministry added. “The upgraded aircraft will feature enhanced range capabilities, increased payload capacity, and improved performance across various operational scenarios.”

As we have discussed in the past, the F-15IA will be based on the F-15EX used by the U.S. Air Force.

Boeing and the U.S. Air Force have both heavily touted the aircraft’s range and stores-carrying capabilities as key features of the design. While this is seen as being particularly valuable for operations across the vast expanses of the Pacific with the U.S. Air Force, Israel has also long prized the Eagle for its ability to strike targets at long range with heavy loads of ordnance.

A USAF F-15EX Eagle II armed with 12 AIM-120 AMRAAMs.

A U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II armed with 12 AIM-120 AMRAAMs. U.S. Air Force

USAF/SSgt Blake Wiles

As for the weapons Israel will likely procure to arm the F-15IA, the official press release when approval for the sale was granted mentioned only AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) launchers as well as the internal M61A Vulcan cannons. As it stands, the current F-15I Ra’am carries almost the entire range of Israeli Air Force air-launched weapons, defensive and offensive, and from U.S. and domestic production.

The ability of the F-15IA to potentially carry outsize weapons, including hypersonic missiles, as well as simply larger numbers of legacy weapons, is also something that will very likely be of increasing interest to Israel. The recent operations against Iran have demonstrated Israel’s expanding use of air-launched ballistic missiles, which would also be a perfect fit to arm the F-15IA.

An Israeli Air Force F-16I armed with the Rampage air-launched ballistic missile. U.S. Air Force

For the Israeli Air Force, the 25 F-15IAs will provide an additional Eagle squadron, which will double the number of strike-optimized F-15s available to the service. Currently, the 25 F-15I Ra’am jets serve with 69 Squadron “Hammers” at Hatzerim Air Base.

The Israeli Air Force also operates squadrons flying the older F-15A-to-D Baz, which operate in air-to-air and air-to-ground capacities, but which are by now very long in the tooth, having first seen combat as long ago as 1979. Successively upgraded, and also bolstered through transfers from U.S. Air Force stocks, these jets are stationed at Tel Nof Air Base, and you can read more about them here.

Israeli Air Force F-15A-to-D Baz fighters from 106 Squadron “Tip of the Spear.” Amit Agronov

Israel’s continued demand for F-15s of any kind has seen the surviving Baz jets progressively upgraded to keep them in frontline service. Potentially, the incoming F-15IAs might replace one of the two Baz squadrons, but that remains unclear at this point.

There’s also the option to upgrade the F-15I Ra’am to a standard similar to the F-15IA — known as F-15I+ — although the Israeli Ministry of Defense didn’t mention the status of this in their announcement.

An Israeli Air Force F-15I Ra’am. Israeli Air Force

More generally, however, the F-15IA purchase is seen by Israel as an investment in long-term strategic capabilities, with these being under particular scrutiny right now as tensions with Iran continue to build, after several rounds of hostilities already this year. After all, the F-15 has — and will continue to be — Israel’s primary long-range strike weapon.

“The Ministry is executing a comprehensive strategy to enhance the IDF’s operational capabilities,” said the director general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir. “We have secured procurement agreements worth nearly $40 billion since the onset of the war,” Zamir said, referring to the conflict that began in the Middle East after the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023.

Also part of this longer-term strategy of enhanced military capabilities is the purchase of a third squadron of F-35I Adir stealth fighters, earlier this year. An agreement for that deal was signed in June this year. Covering 25 F-35Is worth approximately $3 billion. This will expand the Israeli Air Force Adir fleet to 75 aircraft. The latest batch will begin to be delivered in 2028.

Israeli Air Force F-35I Adir stealth fighters. Israeli Air Force Israeli F-35I Adirs. Israeli Air Force

Buying the F-15IA and F-35I will provide the Israeli Air Force with two complementary platforms, both of which are among the most capable anywhere in the world, especially when it comes to long-range strike. Israeli F-15s, in particular, are also used for forward networking and command and control nodes, vital for managing long-range operations. On the other hand, both the F-15IA and F-35I are also more than efficient for air defense, including against drone threats, as well as air-to-ground operations closer to Israel, such as the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

An Israeli Air Force F-15I flying along the border with the Gaza Strip near Sderot in southern Israel on October 27, 2023, amid battles between Israel and the Hamas movement. Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

Together, the Israeli Ministry of Defense described the joint F-15IA and F-35I acquisitions as “a historic enhancement of our air power and strategic reach — capabilities that proved crucial during the current war.”

That last statement would appear to be a direct reference to the Israeli Air Force’s retaliation strike on Iran last October 26, which came in response to Iran’s massive October 1 missile barrage on Israel. The Israeli strikes appear to have involved both F-15I and F-16I fighters, which largely launched exclusively standoff strikes from outside Iranian airspace.

Of course, Israeli interest in buying more F-15s goes back many years, but the developing security situation in the Middle East seems to have prompted a decision to finally be made.

The sale of 25 F-15IAs was obviously welcomed by Boeing.

“Boeing takes pride in its longstanding partnership with Israel, a relationship that dates back to our nation’s establishment,” said the President of Boeing Israel, Maj. Gen. (ret.) Ido Nehushtan.

While Boeing is now building F-15EXs for the U.S. Air Force, that service is currently looking to buy 98 of the jets, so another batch of 25 F-15IAs is significant. It could also help secure further export orders. Indonesia has formally committed to buying up to 24 Advanced Eagles, but the deal is yet to be signed off by the U.S. government, while Poland has also been earmarked as a potential customer.

An Indonesian delegation, led by Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto (center) during a visit to Boeing’s St. Louis facility. Boeing

There is also growing speculation that Israel could be poised to buy more AH-64 attack helicopters from Boeing. Much has been made of the efforts of a handful of Israeli Air Force AH-64s to intervene on October 7, 2023, and it seems increasingly attack helicopters, rather than drones, are being seen as critical to counter any such incursions in the future. The Apaches have meanwhile become an important tool to deal with hostile drone incursions into Israeli airspace, too.

Long before October 7, the Israeli Air Force had been pushing to acquire another 40 of the latest AH-64E versions and earlier this year, it was reported that the sale of 12 AH-64Es was being discussed between the Israeli Ministry of Defense and officials from the Pentagon and U.S. State Department.

When asked recently about a potential Israeli AH-64E order, a Boeing spokesperson told TWZ that they “suspect that we will see additional requests coming in from Israel for these capabilities.”

For the time being, the F-15IA is headed to Israel, with the announcement of a formal order. With the Israeli Air Force facing current and future challenges in the Middle East, it’s no surprise that the tried and tested Eagle has been selected to help the country maintain its tactical superiority in the region.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

[sudaca-swag]

https://www.tumblr.com/sudaca-swag/767116058622590976/seeing-small-countries-that-have-never-done-damage?source=share

i don't necessarily disagree but...north korea are helping funding russia's invasion and war on ukraine, where they are killing civilians and taking their land? And how do these europeans countrys you mention main income come from weapon...i'm swedish and i did not realize that was our main income nor that we are colonizing any country.

If you think for one second that north Korea is at the scale of economical and political power to be able to single handedly supply Russia like say the US does with Israel you're wrong, in any case at most they would be an outsourced factory to jump around international regulations for the Russian government, and if you think that Europe and the US arent benefitting immensely from the weapon economy regarding the Ukraine-Russia conflict you're very wrong, they're in no hurry to close that gold mine. So let's better talk about what actually moves the wheel which are the billions and billions of US dollars and European riches going into funding wars and genocides across the world directly from the hand of western politicians.

And as for the Sweden comment, here's an article from last may from Le Monde, Sweden is the 13th largest arm export country and is unfortunately looking to climb up the ladder faster no matter how green they pretend to go amongst their citizens for votes, I suggest you read it because it says some very interesting things about those in power in your country and their ties to said war industries, and how war around the globe is the joint group effort of rich countries coming together for even more profit. I'll put some of the article down here since it's locked past the first paragraphs, but if you Google "Sweden arm industry" you will be surprised at the huge amount of articles like this written about this, you should check them out they're quite short: "Certain Nordic nations have emerged as significant suppliers of security technologies and weapon systems internationally. Simultaneously, these countries are widely perceived and labelled as the ��do-gooders’ in global affairs. This perception is supported by many characterisations of the Nordics as ‘agents of a world common good’ and ‘moral superpowers’ ".

And here's some more data from 2022: In 2014, it was the third largest weapons exporter per capita at $53.1 per capita, behind only Israel at $97.7 and Russia at $57.7. From 2009 to 2019, it was the world’s ninth largest arms exporter in U.S. dollars with a cumulative value of $14.3 billion. In the same time period, it ranked eighth in arms as a percentage of total exports. Swedish factories produce not just small arms, but advanced systems like fighter aircraft, missiles, tanks, submarines, corvettes, and air-defense platforms.

"While Western countries nominally define themselves by individualism and meritocracy, Sweden highlights the viability of dynastic, family-oriented elites in creating and maintaining powerful industrial societies. Sweden is in fact an exemplar of a unique European model of governance and political economy, but one that cleverly and counterintuitively wraps elite-led industrial strength intended to support military capacity in an egalitarian and pacifist packaging"

"Saab's share price has soared, more than tripling since February 2022. Orders have exploded. The Swedish manufacturer invested €150 million in its production capacity. Nothing like this had happened since the group began manufacturing Carl Gustafs in 1948, according to Michael Höglund, head of the Land Combat division. Several factories will be built in Sweden and abroad, notably in India. The aim is to quadruple deliveries of anti-tank weapons and ammunition by 2025, from 100,000 to 400,000 units a year.

Johansson said the war in Ukraine was a formidable "showcase" for Saab. In 2023, the group's orders, already up in 2022, climbed by 23%, as did its sales, which reached 51.6 billion Swedish krona (€4.5 billion), while its profit grew by 51%, ending at 3.4 billion krona.

Over the past year, the manufacturer, which employs over 21,000 people worldwide, including 16,000 in Sweden, has increased its workforce by almost 2,500 and is continuing to recruit. And it's not the only one. The entire Swedish arms industry is abuzz – a sector that brings together around 200 companies, some 60 of which are foreign-owned. In 2022, these companies, with sales of 48.5 billion krona, employed over 28,000 people. "We don't yet have the result for 2023, but it should be much higher," said Robert Limmergard, director of the Swedish Security and Defense Industry Association.

Demand is largely fuelled by Sweden, whose military spending is set to reach 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2024. Finally integrated into NATO on March 7, the kingdom is pulling out all the stops to replenish its armaments stocks, after decades of disengagement. "We have placed orders for equipment, both in Sweden and abroad, for 19 billion krona in 2021, 36 billion in 2022 and 52 billion in 2023," said Göran Martensson, director of the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV). Exports have also risen by 18% in 2023, placing Sweden 13th in the world.

Saab was founded in 1937. "The company was formed on a handshake between the chairman of our board of directors at the time, Marcus Wallenberg [grandfather of the current president, whose family is still the group's majority shareholder], and the prime minister," said CEO Johansson.

SOFF director Limmergard: "Companies don't like me to say it, but in the late 1980s we had an Ikea-style arms industry. We had to produce high volumes, easy-to-understand and easy-to-use weapons that had to be functional and cheap. It was this tradition that enabled us to gain international market share and maintain a large industry, with companies that have since succeeded in specializing in niche markets, sometimes with the help of foreign investment."

The main bottleneck is the production line. It's impossible to increase deliveries of weapons and ammunition if suppliers don't keep up. For the Carl Gustafs, there are around 200 suppliers, some of whom have several customers, all of whom have increased their orders. This is the case, for example, with Norway's Nammo, one of Europe's largest ammunition manufacturers, with whom Saab has just signed an agreement. "We have jointly decided to develop our own warhead molding capacity. Meanwhile, they will be refocusing on artillery ammunition, which will give us greater production capacity together," said Höglund."

[eretzyisrael]

Mike Doran’s assessment of why Israel attacked the Houthis (July 21, 2024 on X)

====================

The Biden Doctrine shaped today’s strike by Israel on the Houthis. What is the Biden Doctrine? The principle that Iran is free, either directly or indirectly through its proxies, to attack Israel, but Israel must not attack Iran. “Take the win,” Biden told Netanyahu after Iran, on April 12-13, attacked Israel with the largest ballistic missile barrage in history.

In deference to Biden and his team of Obama staffers, the Israelis restrained themselves in response to Iran. The IDF made due with a demonstration of capabilities rather than launching a counterattack that would have taken from the Iranians something they hold dear.

Supreme Leader Khamenei thanked Team Obama-Biden in its characteristic fashion, namely, by green lighting escalations against Israel by Hezbollah and the Houthis.

The last two weeks on Israel’s northern border have been tough ones for Israel, and then came the Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv yesterday. The attack killed only one man, but it had a massive psychological impact. It showed the world that Tel Aviv was in range, and that the drones that Iran supplies to the Houthis and Hezbollah can pass through Israeli defenses undetected.

Judging by the size of the massive crowd in Sana’a yesterday, braying for Jewish and American blood, the psychological impact was as big there as it was in Jerusalem. Prime Minister Netanyahu and his military advisors therefore decided today to launch a significant counterattack.

They chose their target not just to deter the Houthis but also to send messages to Nasrallah, Khamenei, and Obama — pardon me, Biden. The Israeli targeteers selected the Houthis' oil facilities. Why?

First, psychology. The flames are huge. Everyone in the world will see that the Israelis mean business. This isn’t a quiet signal to decision makers: it’s a message to the world.

Second, it causes the Houthis real pain. They are poor. They have few exports besides terrorism and a relatively limited oil production. The Americans and British, until now, have limited their counterattacks to pinprick strikes against missile launchers, etc. That is to say that the American-British counterattacks have been just big enough to allow officials in Washjngton and London to answer critics by saying that they aren’t taking the Houthi attacks on shipping sitting down, but not actually big enough to deter the Houthis, let alone Iran.

Third, this attack tells Nasrallah and all his Lebanese enablers: “Those Iranian missile Hezbollah stores next to the duty free cognac at the Beirut airport, the Lebanon’s electric grid, its oil storage depots — they and all other elements of critical national infrastructure are all fair game.

Fourth, the operation tells the Iranians not to get too comfortable under the shelter of the Biden Doctrine. “Yes, Mr. Khamanei, Biden did restrain us in April, but we do not intend to let the Americans turn us into your punching bag. Today the Houthis’ oil; tomorrow, yours.” The distance the planes flew between Israel and Yemen is similar to the distance to Iran.

Fifth, the attack tells Team Obama-Biden this is not, at root, an Israeli-Palestinian war. Properly understood it is an asymmetric war against the U.S. launched by Iran. This message sets the stage nicely for Netanyahu’s speech before both houses of Congress on Wednesday.

[adropofhumanity]

The US military says it has spent about $1 billion in an unsustainable campaign to fight the Ansarallah-led Yemeni Armed Forces in the Red Sea, the Wall Street Journal reported on 15 June.

Since November, Yemeni forces have targeted Israeli-linked commercial ships traveling through the Red Sea, the world's most important commercial sea route, in response to Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza.

After US and UK naval warships began carrying out attacks on the Yemeni navy and sites in the capital, Sanaa, Yemeni forces began targeting warships as well.

The US Navy has conducted more than 450 strikes and intercepted 200 drones and missiles, in an attempt to contain Yemen's operations, that US officials worry is not sustainable.

"Their supply of weapons from Iran is cheap and highly sustainable, but ours is expensive, our supply chains are crunched, and our logistics tails are long," said Emily Harding of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "We are playing whack-a-mole, and they are playing a long game."

The Wall Street Journal provided details of a Yemeni operation targeting a US naval destroyer on 9 January, one of 80 operations overall, which illustrated the difficulties US personnel face.

"It was just after 9 p.m. when radar operators aboard this U.S. Navy destroyer in the Red Sea spotted a tiny arrow on their screens: a missile hurtling toward them at five times the speed of sound," The Journal reported.

"The crew of the warship with 300 sailors aboard had just seconds to shoot it down. As the projectile closed in, the Laboon launched an interceptor from silos beneath its deck, destroying the incoming missile in flight."

Yemeni forces launched 18 drones and cruise missiles, along with the ballistic missile, at four American destroyers, a US aircraft carrier, and a UK warship throughout the 12-hour battle that day.

[dzthenerd490]

News Post

Palestine

The people of Gaza belong in Palestine – not Canada or DRC | Israel-Palestine conflict | Al Jazeera

UK protest groups change Palestine march date to avoid overlap with Yom Kippur | Middle East Eye

https://thewire.in/world/palestine-diary-meeting-people-whose-only-hope-is-our-anger

U.S. urges Israel to swiftly investigate killing of American woman in West Bank : NPR

Ukraine

Moscow: Ukraine strikes Russian capital in biggest drone attack to date | CNN

UK halts all Iran flights as allies step up sanctions (yahoo.com)

Russia-Ukraine war updates: US says Iran sent ballistic missiles to Russia | Russia-Ukraine war News | Al Jazeera

Sudan

How Sudan’s devastating civil war became a global battleground (ft.com)

Sudan rejects UN call for peace force to protect civilians (bbc.com)

Sudan: Several killed as RSF hits busy market – DW – 09/09/2024

Who will protect civilians in war-torn Sudan? | Conflict News | Al Jazeera

Other

IDF shows tunnels in Gaza where hostages killed by Hamas - The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)

Gerd: Ethiopia hits out at Egypt as Nile dam row escalates (bbc.com)

Painting from prison: Egypt’s iconic activist, Inji Efflatoun | Women's Rights | Al Jazeera

WHO delivers 14 tons of emergency supplies for mpox response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo | WHO | Regional Office for Africa

Service members killed in Afghanistan honored in Congressional Gold Medal ceremony - CBS News

Taliban ban Afghanistan women from raising voices (bbc.com)

UN investigators warn of widespread abuses in Myanmar conflict | UN News

Revolution and solidarity in Myanmar - New Mandala

[girlactionfigure]

🟠 Thu morning - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

( 1 / 2 )

💩US WILL NOT SUPPLY.. Biden: If Israel launches a large-scale operation in Rafah, we will not supply it with bombs and artillery shells.

.. A senior Israeli official after Biden's announcement: We have enough means to enter Rafah and occupy it without American assistance. Rafah will be occupied in any case. The main problem is the message it sends to Hezbollah and Iran, that Israel will apparently come without weapons to the conflict in the north.

.. Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell sent a letter to President Biden in which they expressed great concern over the decision to suspend arms shipments to Israel.  (( Sadly this is becoming a Republican vs. Democrat issue in the U.S. ))

♦️IDF forces in the Gaza Zeytun area; about 25 terrorist targets were destroyed from the air, our forces are working on the ground to (re)purify the area.

♦️Footage from Gaza channels shows a missile being launched from an Israeli combat helicopter at a target in the Tel Al-Sultan area in West Rafah.

♦️”Sources claim”: Israel dropped a unique bomb in an attack on a Kafrkela in southern Lebanon that has not yet been used previously - to penetrate deep and hit underground bunkers.  Israel used a GBU 10 bomb or a Spice 2000 bomb.

⭕ Islamic Jihad terrorist published videos in which they show launching rockets at IDF forces and armored vehicles in East Rafah.  They took responsibility for 5 terrorist operations against IDF forces in the East Rafah area in the last 30 hours, including the firing of grenades, RPG missiles and machine gun fire.

⭕ HAMAS ATTACKS U.S. AID PIER.. Hamas fired twice in the last day at the temporary dock by the Americans.  

⭕ HAMAS ATTACKS AID PORT KEREM SHALOM.. again (3rd time).  (( Almost like they don’t want aid arriving. I suggest we agree. ))

⭕ DRONE ATTACK SOUTHERN GOLAN VIA SYRIA.. Yonatan, Keshet, areas not previously attacked, suicide drone from SYRIA.

⚠️NEXT STEP - DEMONIZE.. The US State Department is finalizing a report that will discuss whether Israel violates international law (in Gaza - and/or maybe Judea-Samaria).

“YOU DON’T WANT TO SELL US SMART BOMBS”.. MK Tali Gottlieb in a Knesset speech: “the US doesn’t want to sell us smart bombs, we’ll use dumb bombs - and blow up 10 buildings to hit the one we want.”

The US State Department: These are obscene statements, and Israeli government officials should refrain from saying them. (( Umm, no, they are reality.  Israel is not going to roll over and die, we’ll use what we must. ))

🟠 Thu morning - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

( 2 / 2 )

▪️A HERO SOLDIER HAS FALLEN.. Haim Sabach, 20, from Holon, in defense of the north.  May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem, and may G-d avenge his blood!

▪️FINANCE MINISTER - RESTART CONSTRUCTION IN JUDEA-SAMARIA.. The Minister of Finance Smotrich sent a letter to the Prime Minister: "The reality in which a de facto construction freeze is carried out in Judea-Samaria is intolerable, unacceptable and is a reward for terrorism. I can no longer put up with it"  The Minister threatened that if he did not receive an answer in writing from Netanyahu to continue with the construction freeze, construction will resume in Judea-Samaria.

▪️AID PROTESTS.. The supply trucks to Gaza are stuck in Mitzpe Ramon after access was offered via the Eilat - Jordan crossing. Residents of Eilat blocked them all night, and residents of Mitzpe Ramon are blocking them during the day.

▪️HOLY TOMB VISIT INTERRUPTED BY ARSON.. Last night the IDF enabled safe passage into Kifal Harath, Samaria to the holy tomb of Yehoshua bin Nun (biblical leader Joshua).  During the visit, local Arabs attempted an arson attack by dumping a burning tire onto the tomb - while the Jews were inside!  Forces were able to extinguish the fire, allowing the pilgrims to continue their visit.

▪️HOUTHIS.. claim to have attacked 3 ships, including one in the Indian ocean.

🔸DEAL ACTIVITY..  It was the head of the CIA, Burns, who authorized Hamas to make the changes in the wording of the deal.

▪️ECONOMY - TAXES..  In the Treasury they are formulating approaches to deal with the war costs: raising the income tax, raising the VAT (sales-value tax) this year, canceling credit points for parents, imposing a sugar tax, closing government offices, cutting coalition funds.