by Oui
Mon Jan 15th, 2018 at 10:00:06 AM EST
Challenging Russia with the drone swarming attack in Syria, any state actor would pay a price. In Idlib province, the rebels are supported by Turkey, Gulf States and Israel. I do not think the U.S. or western allies of NATO would be involved in the logistic backing of such an attack. There are enough states with the capability of course, but there needs to be a political motivation.
Do we need a reminder the proxy wars involving jihadist rebels are funded and supporte by the above mentioned states? The same nations have strong military backing from the United States in aggression against Iran. See also the alliance to fight the civil war in Yemen with all the atrocities and war crimes. Next to Saudi Arabia with young Crown Prince Salman, a new darling of the West, an important state actor is the Emirates (UAE) with strong military support from the United States .... and home base of XE or Academia or Blackwater of Erik Prince. These US mercenaries have swarmed its presence out over the globe to any hotspot of warfare, Afghanistan and Ukraine included.
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Israel's Aeronautics [under criminal investigation] Orbiter 1K drone, also known as a 'suicide drone'
In Syria, Russia and Israel are in a political and military stand-off. Through its advanced technological drone warfare, Israel has an alliance with former Soviet bloc states like Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine.
More below the fold ...
Russian forces kill militants, destroy drone stockpile in Syria | Arab News |
Two Russian service personnel were killed in a mortar attack on Russia's Hmeimim base in western Syria on Dec. 31. The militants were found and killed by Russian Special Operations forces, according to the Ministry statement.
Last weekend, rebels launched a drone attack on Hemeimeem and a Russian naval base in Tartus, which Russian military forces repelled.
"During the final stage of the operation a Russian Special Operations unit located the base camp of the militant saboteur group near the western border of Idlib governate. As the terrorists arrived at the location, the entire group was eliminated with a high-precision `Krasnopol' weapon as they were about to board a minibus," the statement read.
Russian military intelligence also found a location in the province where the militants assembled and stored unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The facility was subsequently destroyed with a high-precision strike.
Russia launched its campaign in Syria in September 2015.
○ Drone sale to Azeris halted as maker accused of bombing Armenia in demo
○ Investigation launched into Israeli dronemaker suspected of bombing Armenia
○ US Army calls for units to discontinue use of Chinese DJI drones | sUAS News |
Erik Prince to Prince bin Zayed: The private military connection | Al Araby |
None of this should come as a surprise. In 2011, The New York Times broke the story that the crown prince of Abu Dhabi hired Erik Prince, co-founder of the Blackwater private security firm, to put together an 800-member battalion of foreign troops.
Reflex Reponses (R2), the private army that Prince put together, was to train the force to "conduct special operations missions inside and outside the country, defend oil pipelines and skyscrapers from terrorist attacks and put down internal revolt." But, as time has shown, its role has been far greater.
In April, The Washington Post reported that "the United Arab Emirates arranged a secret meeting in the Seychelles this January between Blackwater founder Erik Prince and a Russian close to President Vladimir Putin as part of an apparent effort to establish a back-channel line of communication between Moscow and President-elect Donald Trump."
When Prince appears in high level meetings, you can be sure an army of contractors and trainers aren't far off. Foreigners working for the UAE, as part of the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis in Yemen, have played a prominent role.
Prince Bandar was only removed from his task of war lord in Syria, after he threatened Russia's Putin with terror attacks during the Sochi Winter Olympic games.
Rogue elements within the Islamic State could have kloned an Israeli suicide drone that was downed near Mosul ... criminal gangs could have supplied necessary parts bought on the black market ...
Rogue drones will be no match for these high-tech weapons | Vice News |
Reports of rogue drones, sometimes flying over prohibited areas or endangering airplanes, have multiplied in the past few years, and software and systems developers have been racing to come up with counter-drone technology for both governments and corporate clients.
French company CS Communication & Systèmes unveiled its latest anti-drone weapon at Eurosatory 2016 -- the world's largest defense and security trade show, which runs until Friday in Paris.
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Meanwhile, US systems developer Battelle unveiled its own anti-drone system at the Navy League Sea-Air-Space Exposition, last month at the Gaylord National Convention Center, in Maryland.
Battelle's spectacular-looking DroneDefender is held like a rifle and uses a radio beam to ground drones within a distance of 400 meters.
Iraqi army downs ISIS drone in Mosul
1st Division of the Iraqi army shot down an ISIS drone in the city of al-Ratba west of Mosul, a senior military source has said. He added that the drone, downed by one of the Division's troopers, had a surveillance camera installed thereon used by the terrorists for reconnaissance and marking the defensive positions of the Iraqi forces.
US deploys Gray Eagle drone in Mosul for first time
The US Army deployed for the first time armored drones in Mosul to help in the fight against ISIS terrorists. The Pentagon announced on Friday that the US army used MQ-1C Grey Eagle drone in the 8th of April in Mosul operations.
The Gray Eagle drones can carry up to four Hellfire anti-tanks and infantry missiles. The cost for these drones costs 21 million US dollars each, though it is very expensive the US Army uses these drones to prevent human losses in its ranks.
These efforts come as part of an offensive launched by the US-backed Iraqi forces supported by Iranian-backed sectarian militias on the 19th of February to oust ISIS terrorists from Mosul their last major stronghold in Iraq.
○ Holland Heritage: Hoekstra - DeVos - Erik Prince
○ Geheimdienste Amyntor - Victor In Chains
