#BREAKING: Buk M2 SAM systems of 24th Air Defense Brigade of #Syrian Arab Air Defense Force which successfully repelled #Israel Air Strike against the #Damascus International Airport & protected the weapon shipment which had been unloaded from #Syria Air Il-76T YK-ATB today. pic.twitter.com/XypnEGqgXw— Air War (@TheAirWar) January 20, 2019
Eight UN peacekeepers have been killed in an attack on their base in northern Mali.Story here.
The assault was launched early Sunday at the Aguelhok base 125 miles north of Kidal, near the border with Algeria.
'According to a new toll, still provisional, at least eight peacekeepers have been killed,' a source from the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali said.
Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the UN's special representative for Mali, condemned the attack in a statement.
'Peacekeepers of the MINUSMA force at Aguelhok fought off a sophisticated attack by assailants who arrived on several armed vehicles,' he said.
The 'cowardly' attack, he added, 'illustrates the determination of the terrorists to sow chaos.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines has activated a new Army battalion that would be tasked to reinforce the ongoing operations to end insurgency problems in the northern part of Luzon.This is interesting. Somehow, someway the Philippines have gotten themselves into a full blown counter insurgency type conflict. If you've seen the geography then you know the sad truth.
Lt. Gen. Macairog Alberto, commanding general of the Philippine Army (PA), said the 6th Mechanized Infantry Battalion is part of the modernization program of the military, thus, its personnel would be equipped with modern armaments.
A mechanized battalion is equipped with tanks and other armored military vehicles.
“The battalion is an addition to the MID forces which forms part of the Army’s cutting edge in conducting prompt and sustained ground operations in support of AFP’s mission,” said Alberto.
“Its activation is an offshoot of the continuing Army capability upgrade as it undertakes transformation to give rise to a modular force structure aimed at creating standardized, flexible and versatile elements capable of accomplishing virtually any assigned task,” he added.
Alberto said the 6th MIB will be the mechanized component of the 1st Brigade Combat Team (1BCT) of the Philippine Army which was just recently activated in December 2018.
The 1BCT, it was recalled, was formed as a contingency force that is readily deployable and capable in addressing unconventional threats to national security.
Other maneuver components of the 1BCT are two infantry battalions and maneuver support consisting of specialized enablers such as field artillery and engineering combat battalions.
Alberto said the Brigade Combat Team also has a reconnaissance company and units from signal, intelligence, civil-military operations, military police, explosive ordnance, CBRN (chemical biological radiological and nuclear), and sustainment components composed of a forward service support unit and a forward medical platoon.
“True to your name ‘Salaknib,’ which means shield in Ilocano, your unit symbolizes protection, strength, and security as you serve as the rapid deployment force of the Mechanized Infantry Division responding to the requirements of the Philippine Army in the conduct of ground operations against emerging security threats,” said Macairog in his speech.
President Duterte has been pushing for additional police and military units, particularly those engaged in combating insurgency problems.
In the police, he had recently ordered the creation and recruitment of at least six new battalions of police elite Special Action Force.
Brazilian source say MoD will provide list of ships available to sell to Brazil by February including RFA Wave Ruler, some Type 23 frigates, MCMVs & OPVsStory here (requires translation).
U.S. Sailors and Marines conduct amphibious breach training at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Jan. 12, 2019. The exercise consisted of Marines and Sailors who participated in embarkation, overseas movement, breach assaults, and support of forces ashore.
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Soldier of 1st Amphibious Rapid Development Regiment, directs the assault amphibious vehicle (AAV) during urban operations clearing tactics using an AAV during Iron Fist Jan. 16, 2019 on U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA. Exercise Iron Fist is an annual, multilateral training exercise where U.S. and Japanese service members train together and share techniques, tactics and procedures to improve their combined operational capabilities.
About 5:45 a.m., [the crook] approached the woman, 25, in the 500 block of West 103rd Street, displayed a weapon and tried to rob her, according to Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.Story here.
The woman, who was a concealed carry holder, took out her own weapon and fired one shot at [him], striking him in the neck, authorities said.
[The thief] left the scene and was found a block away, officials said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died.
[He] lived about a block away from where he was shot, the medical examiner’s office said. An autopsy Wednesday found he died of a gunshot wound to his chest and his death was ruled a homicide.
He had been arrested this past June after he was found in possession of a controlled substance and attacked a police officer, police said.
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (Jan. 16, 2019) - Soldiers from 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, U.S. Army Alaska, train USARAK and 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) Soldiers on the Army Fast Rope Insertion/Extraction System at Bryant Army Airfield on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER). USARAK Soldiers conducted three FRIES descents from a UH60 Blackhawk helicopter in sub-freezing temperatures.Interesting. Maybe I haven't noticed it before but we're seeing fast roping at some really low levels lately. So low that it almost makes you wonder why do the training at all. Just taking a guess but I'd bet that isn't even 2nd story building tall. I wonder why? Is this another indication that the US military is becoming so risk averse that they're worried about the bumps, bruises and potential breaks from "training how you fight"?
Mali is a difficult place in which to have a first deployment. Geographically, the area is predominantly flat desert into some high, short, and sharp mountain regions, without much access to water and food or anything else for that matter. This place is what Mars would look and feel like.Story here.
Now according to the Irish press, the Rangers will send a 12-man team to conduct long-range patrols as part of a counter-terrorism strategy. The real questions are how effective this team is and how much of a difference this small team will make. I think on a large scale, the team will have little difference in the overall security situation. Regardless, the effort will undoubtedly be a positive one for the team to have this type of operational tempo to conduct counter-terrorism activity in what I would regard as the most dangerous conflict in the world.
No amount of training or pre-deployment packages could prepare you for what these men will face in Mali. There’s high risk of IEDs, indirect fire, and ambushes. They’ll be up against well-trained and organized groups that know no boundaries. These groups can operate across borders and at this time, seem to have an unlimited number of weapons at their disposal. The Irish Army Rangers are in for hard time..
PARS III 6X6 is the new generation wheeled armored combat vehicle (WACV) designed and developed by FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.Ş. PARS III 6X6 has been developed with a special emphasis on mobility, protection, payload and growth potential. The vehicles employ the latest designs and technologies with a focus on the performance and durability of modern military operational requirements. The vehicles are available in 4X4, 6X6 and 8X8 configurations. The “PARS” family of vehicles takes its name from the “Anatolian Leopard”.I am not a fan of the Turkish govt. But the people? Yeah I'm with it. The food? Yeah I'm with that too. It's defense sector and the strides they're making? Oh yeah. You want to see "walk, crawl and run" done the right way? Then look at the strides they're making here and especially with FNSS.
"However, the technical evaluation also concluded that the RSAF should first purchase a small number of F-35 JSFs for a full evaluation of their capabilities and suitability before deciding on a full fleet," added the statement.Story here.
