Persian Gulf & Middle East Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Kurdish Independence 'Is Coming' - Regional Government Head

Iraqi KRG President Masoud Barzani said that independence for the Kurdish Regional Government is expected soon, but will depend on an improved security situation and defeating ISIL.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Independence for the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) is expected soon, but will depend on an improved security situation and defeating the Islamic State (ISIL), Iraqi KRG President Masoud Barzani said in a Thursday speech in Washington, DC.

“I cannot confirm whether it will be next year or when, but certainly the independent Kurdistan is coming,” Barzani told an audience at the .

The path towards Kurdish independence is “a continuing process,” Barzani stated. “It will not stop, it will not step back.”

The KRG was expected to hold a referendum on independence in 2014, but the measure was delayed when ISIL militants began an assault on territories in Iraq, Syria and Kurdistan.

“The referendum will take place when the security situation is better, when the fight against ISIS [ISIL] is over,” Barzani announced.

In Washington, Barzani met with US and Vice President Joe Biden. He described the meetings as “very successful,” adding that Obama and Biden want the Kurdish armed forces, or Peshmerga, “to receive the right weapons and the right ammunition” to continue the fight against the ISIL.

At present, legislation in the US Congress would authorize the President to directly arm the Peshmerga, circumventing the Iraqi government in Baghdad.

Kurdish regional independence has been an ongoing issue in Iraqi politics for decades. The recent successes of Kurdish fighters against the IS have prompted renewed attention to the issue.

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Back to bottling my Grenache

Israel M-346 named there Lavi replace A-4N, TA-4H/J in a training/OCU Sqn.

FORBIN said:

Israel M-346 named there Lavi replace A-4N, TA-4H/J in a training/OCU Sqn.
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Good find Forbin!

First M-346 Lavie trainer for the Israel Air Force rolls out in Italy


The first M-346 advanced trainer for the Israeli Air & Space Force was rolled out yesterday in a ceremony held at Alenia Aermacchi’s plant in Venegono Superiore, Italy. The first ‘Master’ to the Israeli Air Force is scheduled for the summer of this year. When it enters service the new trainer will be called ‘’. The roll-out ceremony was attended by officials from the Israeli Ministry of Defence, Israeli Air & Space Force, Italian institutional key representatives, as well as representatives from Alenia Aermacchi and other industrial partners.


The roll out comes less than two years after Alenia has signed the contract with the Israel MOD. The program is conducted under an industrial collaboration package agreed between Italy and Israel, which also includes Alenia Aermacchi’s industrial counterparts, TOR and.

The M-346 ‘Master’ has also been recently ordered by Poland that becomes the fourth customer of the aircraft after Italy, Singapore and Israel. A total of 56 M-346 have been ordered so far. The aircraft is already in service with the Italian and the Republic of Singapore Air Forces



Back to bottling my Grenache

first M-346

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Euuh ! yet 9 delivered since some months...
My picture posted show some to Hatzerim South of Israel in the Negev desert

Iran has equipped its sensitive areas with anti-EMP filters

Saeed Rahimi the Manager of Kosar IT and Communication Group said: Iran is now building its own EMP filters locally and already applied them to many of Iranian sensitive sites.

Rahimi mentioned that there are many systems and products necessary to achieve an acceptable level of resistance to EMPs and EMP filters are one of them.

He said In past Iran had no choice but to import these filters and other needed products but since a while Iranian high tech company Kosar suceeded with designing and producing these filters as it is considered a sanctioned product.

He said; Iran learned from recent Western invasions that it is no escape from getting Iran an EMP resistant nation and therefore, a while ago there was orders to make all Iranian sensitive sites ready for this possible scenario.

Iran Blasts UAE’s Repeated Territorial Claims Over Three Islands

The Iranian foreign ministry criticized the UAE for repeating its territorial claims over the three islands in the Persian Gulf.

The Iranian foreign ministry criticized the UAE for repeating its territorial claims through the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) over the three islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb in the Persian Gulf.

"Repetition of baseless claims doesn’t affect the historical realities and it is rejected," Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said on Saturday, Iranian media reports.

"Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb islands are indispensable parts of the Iranian territory," she said.

International documents clearly show that the three islands, which were historically owned by Iran, temporarily fell under British control in 1903. But they were returned to Iran based on an agreement in 1971 before the UAE was formed.

Yet, the UAE continues to make territorial claims against Iran despite historical evidence and international regulations.

ShahryarHedayat said:

"Repetition of baseless claims doesn’t affect the historical realities and it is rejected," Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said on Saturday, Iranian media reports.

"Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb islands are indispensable parts of the Iranian territory," she said.

International documents clearly show that the three islands, which were historically owned by Iran, temporarily fell under British control in 1903. But they were returned to Iran based on an agreement in 1971 before the UAE was formed.

Yet, the UAE continues to make territorial claims against Iran despite historical evidence and international regulations.

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Substitute UAE in these quotes with Iran, and Iran (or Iranian) with UAW, and you will have almost verbatim what the UAEs claims are.

It's pretty much always this way in these types of disputes.

Monday, February 16, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, accompanied, among others, by Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, officially signed in Cairo an agreement with Egypt on the sale of 24 Rafale, which will be intended for the Egyptian Air Force.

Egyptian Rafale, the first to be delivered should have been at the French Air Force, will be divided into two parts, with one hand, sixteen-seater Rafale, which will be used for pilot training Egyptian hunting and why not, for operational missions, as in France, while the other eight will be cars Rafale.

These twenty-four Rafale will be equipped with air-to-air missiles MICA air-to-ground cruise missile SCALP (called Black Shaheen for export version) and air-ground bombs AASM, developed by Sagem, whose effectiveness was demonstrated in Libya, Mali, and even today in Iraq.

The first three Rafale, which should be two-seater, will be charged at their factory, the F3 standard, why not with, improvements and updates in the coming years. Few changes will be made to the Rafale that are being built, except the removal of data and software for the implementation of the ASMP-A nuclear weapon, and software used for communications, since the Egypt is not part of NATO.

While the first Egyptian fighter pilots and mechanics have already started their training in France, on the air base 118 of Mont-de-Marsan and in parallel all Dassault Aviation employees are working hard to deliver on time the first Rafale and perform test flights, we also append the designation that will be given to Egyptian Rafale was adopted.

According to my information, Dassault Aviation has designated two-seater Rafale Rafale under the name DM. The D refers to Double or Dual, since the first three to be delivered are two seaters and that Egypt has ordered sixteen.

In addition, the M would refer, for Egyptian Mirage 2000 BM and EM, the word "Masr", which means in Arabic "Egypt".

Regarding Rafale, these should logically bear the name EM, like the Mirage 2000EM. But for now, no information has emerged about it.

Finally, concerning the Rafale as such, the first three seaters (B352 / 353/354) are currently in Istres, to conduct test flights and, among others, to clear the French roundel to paint the Egyptian roundel.

Furthermore, the fourth Egyptian Rafale, the B355, made his first two flights last week and this Monday, June 1, 2015 from Merignac, where plants are installed and Dassault Aviation Rafale assembly chain.

Well Rafale use MICA AAM with active radar guidance as AIM-120 but the more interesting i have see actually no Egyptian fighters don't be armed with this type of missiles.

Ofc logic for old daddies Mirage V, Mig-21/J-7 about 200 but mainly all F-16, 228* use only AIM-7 the reason, very simple, Israel...

List of weapons


* Remains 16 block 52 to delivered.