southfront--2020-04-23--Militants Stole Valuable Artifacts From Historical Site In Greater Idlib – Report

Militants have stolen gold and stone artifacts from the ancient city of Ebla in the southeastern part of the so-called Greater Idlib region , the director of Hama ’ s department of culture , Hazer Aylu , told RIA Novosti on April 21 .
Ebla , the capital of an influential state that existed in the III-II millennia BC , fell under militnats ’ control in the early years of the Syrian conflict .
According to Aylu , militants may have occupied the ancient city upon orders from artifacts ’ traffickers interested in looting the ruins .
“ We think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to occupy the ancient city by themselves .
Someone sent them there .
Most likely , they were traders of ancient artifacts .
They arrived and began to purposefully search for the tomb of the rulers of Ebla , they wanted to find jewelry .
Dozens of golden and stone artifacts were stolen , ” Aylu said , adding “ The militants inflicted huge damage on the city.
” Starting as a small settlement in the Early Bronze Age , Ebla developed into a trading empire controlling much of northern and eastern Syria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Egypt and as far as Afghanistan were recovered from the city ’ s palaces .
The Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) liberated Ebla , located near Tell Mardikh , earlier this year .
There , the army found that the militants established a military camp right on the ruins of the ancient city .
“ There was a base , headquarters , a training ground and shelters for equipment .
A whole military camp for 1,500 people .
They also buried armored vehicles and pickups under the ground .
They chose this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sides by ramparts and here you can hide , ” an SAA officer told RIA Novosti .
Aylu hoped that Russian specialists could help restore the ancient city .
A unit of Russian sappers will soon set off to clear the city from war remnants .
The looting of archaeological sites and artifacts trafficking is a main source of income for militants in Syria .
Terrorist groups and Turkish-backed factions have been involved in such criminal activities for years now .
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Militants have stolen gold and stone artifacts from the ancient city of Ebla in the southeastern part of the so-called Greater Idlib region, the director of Hama’s department of culture, Hazer Aylu, told RIA Novosti on April 21.
Ebla, the capital of an influential state that existed in the III-II millennia BC, fell under militnats’ control in the early years of the Syrian conflict.
According to Aylu, militants may have occupied the ancient city upon orders from artifacts’ traffickers interested in looting the ruins.
“We think that the militants didn’t decide to occupy the ancient city by themselves. Someone sent them there. Most likely, they were traders of ancient artifacts. They arrived and began to purposefully search for the tomb of the rulers of Ebla, they wanted to find jewelry. Dozens of golden and stone artifacts were stolen,” Aylu said, adding “The militants inflicted huge damage on the city.”
Starting as a small settlement in the Early Bronze Age, Ebla developed into a trading empire controlling much of northern and eastern Syria. Artifacts from Sumer, Cyprus, Egypt and as far as Afghanistan were recovered from the city’s palaces.
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) liberated Ebla, located near Tell Mardikh, earlier this year. There, the army found that the militants established a military camp right on the ruins of the ancient city.
“There was a base, headquarters, a training ground and shelters for equipment. A whole military camp for 1,500 people. They also buried armored vehicles and pickups under the ground. They chose this place because it was closed on all sides by ramparts and here you can hide,” an SAA officer told RIA Novosti.
Aylu hoped that Russian specialists could help restore the ancient city. A unit of Russian sappers will soon set off to clear the city from war remnants.
The looting of archaeological sites and artifacts trafficking is a main source of income for militants in Syria. Terrorist groups and Turkish-backed factions have been involved in such criminal activities for years now.
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southfront--2020-04-23--Turkey Shells Syrian Army In Aleppo. U.S. Threatens To Sink Iranian Ships In Gulf

In the second half of the week the military situation in Syria ’ s western Aleppo escalated .
On April 22 , Turkish forces shelled positions of the Syrian Army in western Aleppo .
Pro-Turkish sources claimed that this shelling was a response to Syrian Army strikes on positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other al-Qaeda-linked groups near the villages of Kafr Amma , al-Qasr , Kafr Taal and Kafr Nouran .
Pro-government sources described these strikes however as a defensive measure to counter regular ceasefire violations by Turkish-backed militants .
On April 23 , the Syrian Army reinforced its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troops and equipment there .
If Turkish forces and Idlib militants continue attacks on Syrian Army positions in western Aleppo , open military hostilities could resume in the area .
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham executed a 19-yo Syrian refugee deported from Turkey to Greater Idlib .
Mohamad Aqib Hamam Tanu was killed on April 20 after militants found that SMS messages in his phone contained criticism of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Abu Mohamad al-Julani .
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham remains the most powerful group in Greater Idlib and controls most of the militant-held area in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the border with Turkey and key positions on the contact line with the Syrian Army .
The Turkish leadership in fact provides direct support to the terrorist group by turning a blind eye to its crimes and protecting it from the Syrian Army .
More details appeared about the recent Israeli strike on Syria .
According to fresh data , the Israeli strikes targeted a command center of Hezbollah near the town of al-Sukhnah , a training camp of the Iranian-backed Afghan Fatemiyoun Brigade in the al-Tulilah reserve near Palmyra , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corps within the Palmyra Air Base .
Despite this , the only confirmed casualties resulting from the strike were 3 Syrian service members .
Pro-government locals intercepted another US military convoy in the province of al-Hasakah .
On April 22 , locals stopped the US convoy near the town of Farfarah , stoned it and forced US troops to retreat .
The incident happened near a Syrian Army checkpoint .
The Asayish security unit of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces commented on the recent clashes with the pro-government National Defense Forces ( NDF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force accused pro-government fighters of destabilizing the situation and threatened them with military action .
In their turn , pro-NDF sources claim that the tensions in the city result from the violent behavior of Asayish personnel , who are putting pressure on and discriminating against Arab locals on ethnic grounds .
On April 22 , US President Donald Trump said that he has given orders to attack and destroy any fast attack craft of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ( IRGC ) Navy that “ harass ” US warships .
Encounters between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Persian Gulf on a regular basis .
All these confrontations have a similar pattern : the US leadership sends warships , including aircraft carriers , to the Persian Gulf describing this as a show of force and a ‘ strong message ’ to Iran .
IRGC fast attack craft deploy to track and monitor the US warships , as well as to prevent any attempts to enter Iranian waters .
In response , the US accuses Iran of aggressive actions and provocations .
The most recent incident of this kind happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fast boats tracked 6 US warships : the USS Lewis B. Puller , USS Paul Hamilton , USS Firebolt , USS Sirocco , USCGC Wrangell and USCGC Maui .
Any US Navy attempts to attack IRGC Navy fast attack craft operating in Iranian or international waters in the Persian Gulf would immediately lead to a new round of military escalation in the region .
Just recently , the Iranian military deployed additional coastal defense missile systems near the Straight of Hormuz .

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In the second half of the week the military situation in Syria’s western Aleppo escalated.
On April 22, Turkish forces shelled positions of the Syrian Army in western Aleppo. Pro-Turkish sources claimed that this shelling was a response to Syrian Army strikes on positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other al-Qaeda-linked groups near the villages of Kafr Amma, al-Qasr, Kafr Taal and Kafr Nouran. Pro-government sources described these strikes however as a defensive measure to counter regular ceasefire violations by Turkish-backed militants.
On April 23, the Syrian Army reinforced its positions east of Atraib by deploying additional troops and equipment there. If Turkish forces and Idlib militants continue attacks on Syrian Army positions in western Aleppo, open military hostilities could resume in the area.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham executed a 19-yo Syrian refugee deported from Turkey to Greater Idlib. Mohamad Aqib Hamam Tanu was killed on April 20 after militants found that SMS messages in his phone contained criticism of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Abu Mohamad al-Julani.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham remains the most powerful group in Greater Idlib and controls most of the militant-held area in the region, including Idlib city, the border with Turkey and key positions on the contact line with the Syrian Army. The Turkish leadership in fact provides direct support to the terrorist group by turning a blind eye to its crimes and protecting it from the Syrian Army.
More details appeared about the recent Israeli strike on Syria. According to fresh data, the Israeli strikes targeted a command center of Hezbollah near the town of al-Sukhnah, a training camp of the Iranian-backed Afghan Fatemiyoun Brigade in the al-Tulilah reserve near Palmyra, and a base of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps within the Palmyra Air Base. Despite this, the only confirmed casualties resulting from the strike were 3 Syrian service members.
Pro-government locals intercepted another US military convoy in the province of al-Hasakah. On April 22, locals stopped the US convoy near the town of Farfarah, stoned it and forced US troops to retreat. The incident happened near a Syrian Army checkpoint.
The Asayish security unit of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces commented on the recent clashes with the pro-government National Defense Forces (NDF) in al-Qamishly city. The Kurdish force accused pro-government fighters of destabilizing the situation and threatened them with military action. In their turn, pro-NDF sources claim that the tensions in the city result from the violent behavior of Asayish personnel, who are putting pressure on and discriminating against Arab locals on ethnic grounds.
On April 22, US President Donald Trump said that he has given orders to attack and destroy any fast attack craft of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy that “harass” US warships. Encounters between the IRGC Navy and US warships erupt in the Persian Gulf on a regular basis. All these confrontations have a similar pattern: the US leadership sends warships, including aircraft carriers, to the Persian Gulf describing this as a show of force and a ‘strong message’ to Iran. IRGC fast attack craft deploy to track and monitor the US warships, as well as to prevent any attempts to enter Iranian waters. In response, the US accuses Iran of aggressive actions and provocations.
The most recent incident of this kind happened on April 15 when 11 IRGC Navy fast boats tracked 6 US warships: the USS Lewis B. Puller, USS Paul Hamilton, USS Firebolt, USS Sirocco, USCGC Wrangell and USCGC Maui.
Any US Navy attempts to attack IRGC Navy fast attack craft operating in Iranian or international waters in the Persian Gulf would immediately lead to a new round of military escalation in the region. Just recently, the Iranian military deployed additional coastal defense missile systems near the Straight of Hormuz.
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southfront--2020-04-23--Locals Protest Against Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham Near Vital Western Aleppo Crossing (Videos)

A large protest against al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham ( HTS ) took place at the al-Ghazzawiyya crossing that links Greater Idlib with the Turkish-occupied area of Afrin .
Hundreds of civilians gathered near al-Ghazzawiyya in the morning of April 23 to condemn the group ’ s management of the vital crossing .
“ The al-Ghazawiya crossing in western Aleppo witnessed a protests by civilians from the villages of the western countryside of Aleppo and Idlib as a result of HTS ’ practices , which is blackmailing the people by taking taxes from the poor and displaced moving back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an activist , wrote on Twitter .
The activist also shared a video of the protest showing the locals chanting “ Syria is free , free … al-Julani [ HTS ’ general commander ] get out.
” Last month , HTS ’ government closed all crossings with the Turkish-occupied areas under the pretext of preventing the COVID-19 outbreak .
Within the next few weeks , all the crossings were reopened .
Nevertheless , the group implemented strict limitations that angered the locals .
HTS faced a similar backlash last week when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas near the city of Saraqib in south Idlib .
The terrorist group maintains a tight grip on Greater Idlib ’ s crossings as well as smuggling routes .
Transportation ’ s fees and trafficking form a large part of the group ’ s income .
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A large protest against al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took place at the al-Ghazzawiyya crossing that links Greater Idlib with the Turkish-occupied area of Afrin.
Hundreds of civilians gathered near al-Ghazzawiyya in the morning of April 23 to condemn the group’s management of the vital crossing.
“The al-Ghazawiya crossing in western Aleppo witnessed a protests by civilians from the villages of the western countryside of Aleppo and Idlib as a result of HTS’ practices, which is blackmailing the people by taking taxes from the poor and displaced moving back and forth,” Abu Mujahid al-Halabi, an activist, wrote on Twitter.
The activist also shared a video of the protest showing the locals chanting “Syria is free, free … al-Julani [HTS’ general commander] get out.”
احتجاجات من قبل المدنيين من قرى ريف حلب الغربي وادلب في معبر الغزاوية غربي حلب نتيجة ممارسات الهيئة وابتزاز الناس باخذ الضرائب من الفقراء والنازحين ذهابا وايابا https://t.co/L40CigHkdc pic.twitter.com/uKrvjGi080 — M . Talha |أبو مجاهد الحلبي (@mahmoodtalha22) April 23, 2020
Last month, HTS’ government closed all crossings with the Turkish-occupied areas under the pretext of preventing the COVID-19 outbreak. Within the next few weeks, all the crossings were reopened. Nevertheless, the group implemented strict limitations that angered the locals.
HTS faced a similar backlash last week when it decided to open a crossing with government-held areas near the city of Saraqib in south Idlib.
The terrorist group maintains a tight grip on Greater Idlib’s crossings as well as smuggling routes. Transportation’s fees and trafficking form a large part of the group’s income.
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southfront--2020-04-23--Turkey Deploys More Syrian Militants In Libya As Many Return In Coffins

Turkey has deployed dozens more Syrian militants in Libya , the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights ( SOHR ) revealed on April 23 .
“ Turkey continues to transfer mercenaries to Libya to fight alongside the National Accord Government ( GNA ) in its battles with the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) … The Syrian Observatory has monitored the arrival of a new batch of dozens of fighters from pro-Ankara factions to Libya , ” the monitoring group said in a report .
According to the UK-based monitoring group , the total number of Syrian militants deployed in Libya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others are currently receiving training in Turkey ahead of deployment .
Meanwhile , more and more Syrian militants return from Libya in coffins .
In the last few days only , at least nine were killed while they were fighting on the side of the Turkish-backed GNA .
The SOHR revealed that a total of 199 Turkish-backed Syrian militants have been killed in Libya , so far .
The number is expected to grow in the coming weeks as the Syrian militants are playing a growing role in GNA forces ’ operations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ began in late 2019 , allowed GNA forces to hold onto their positions around the Libyan capital , Tripoli .
Now , GNA forces are carrying offensive operations with support from the Syrian militants .
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Turkey has deployed dozens more Syrian militants in Libya, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) revealed on April 23.
“Turkey continues to transfer mercenaries to Libya to fight alongside the National Accord Government (GNA) in its battles with the Libyan National Army (LNA) … The Syrian Observatory has monitored the arrival of a new batch of dozens of fighters from pro-Ankara factions to Libya,” the monitoring group said in a report.
According to the UK-based monitoring group, the total number of Syrian militants deployed in Libya has risen to 5,300. Around 2,100 others are currently receiving training in Turkey ahead of deployment.
Meanwhile, more and more Syrian militants return from Libya in coffins. In the last few days only, at least nine were killed while they were fighting on the side of the Turkish-backed GNA.
The SOHR revealed that a total of 199 Turkish-backed Syrian militants have been killed in Libya, so far. The number is expected to grow in the coming weeks as the Syrian militants are playing a growing role in GNA forces’ operations.
The deployment of Syrian militants, which began in late 2019, allowed GNA forces to hold onto their positions around the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Now, GNA forces are carrying offensive operations with support from the Syrian militants.
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southfront--2020-04-23--Video: COVID-19: Closing Down the Economy Is Not the Solution

Millions of people have lost their jobs , and their lifelong savings .
In developing countries , poverty and despair prevail .
While the lockdown is presented to public opinion as the sole means to resolving a global public health crisis , its devastating economic and social impacts are casually ignored .
The unspoken truth is that the novel coronavirus provides a pretext to powerful financial interests and corrupt politicians to precipitate the entire World into a spiral of mass unemployment , bankruptcy and extreme poverty .
This is the true picture of what is happening .
How is it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key role .
The lockdown is presented to national governments as the sole solution .
The economy is the basis for the reproduction of real life .
It is also the basis for upholding public health endeavors .
This closing down operation affects production and supply lines of goods and services , investment activities , exports and imports , wholesale and retail trade , consumer spending , the closing down of schools , colleges and universities , research institutions , etc .
In turn it leads almost immediately to mass unemployment , bankruptcies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a collapse in purchasing power , widespread poverty and famine .

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Written by Prof Michel Chossudovsky; Originally appeared at Global Research
Millions of people have lost their jobs, and their lifelong savings. In developing countries, poverty and despair prevail.
While the lockdown is presented to public opinion as the sole means to resolving a global public health crisis, its devastating economic and social impacts are casually ignored.
The unspoken truth is that the novel coronavirus provides a pretext to powerful financial interests and corrupt politicians to precipitate the entire World into a spiral of mass unemployment, bankruptcy and extreme poverty.
This is the true picture of what is happening.
How is it implemented? The fear campaign plays a key role. The lockdown is presented to national governments as the sole solution.
The economy is the basis for the reproduction of real life.
It is also the basis for upholding public health endeavors.
This closing down operation affects production and supply lines of goods and services, investment activities, exports and imports, wholesale and retail trade, consumer spending, the closing down of schools, colleges and universities, research institutions, etc.
In turn it leads almost immediately to mass unemployment, bankruptcies of small and medium sized enterprises, a collapse in purchasing power, widespread poverty and famine.
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southfront--2020-04-23--Syrian Intelligence Officer Injured, Informant Killed In New Daraa Attack

Isis hey , LOL , I know what that really means , when pro Iranian Syrian intelligence officers start getting assassinated there ’ s always one party responsible , and it ’ s the same party responsible for all the assassinations against pro Iranian agents in Deir ez Zor and Aleppo too .
Good job Russia , thin out the ranks , Assad needs loyal soldiers , not 2 faced traitors .
And yes I did say that , I did say the Russians are responsible for all the latest assassinations in Daraa and Quneitra , at least all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , OMG what a troll I am for saying that , how dare I , LOL .
Iran ’ s taking Syria down a path the Russians don ’ t want Syria to go , and I don ’ t think Syria wants to go there either , but Iran ’ s doing it ’ s utmost to make that path the only path Syria can take , but Russia has much safer and more rewarding paths to follow , it just has to get rid of all the road blocks first so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really want ’ s too .
And for all the [ supposed ] pro Russian supporters out there tell me this , apart from Putin ’ s 2018 Address to the Nation speech , when has Russia ever called for confrontation against the US or it ’ s western friends , it doesn ’ t , Russia ’ s usually the voice of reason in this mad world of political brinkmanship .
And now it ’ s ended up allied to a country that does everything it can to create hostility with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s hardest to get along with .
Putin rang Trump a while ago and begged him , yes begged him , to help stop the falling oil prices and Trump did , he went straight to work trying to help Russia stop the collapse , so is that something 2 mortal enemies would normally do .
Trump and the Saudis [ with US help ] can outlast 12 months of low oil prices without too much damage to their economies but Russia couldn ’ t , it ’ d survive but be severely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why would Trump help Putin , that ’ s if they ’ re really the mortal enemies everyone seems to think they are .
Trump also helped Iran too when he helped Putin reverse the low prices , but once again Iran refused to give even an inch of compromise , and now the US has had enough , now we have a new escalation between Iran and the US .
And I ’ ll bet Putin and Trump discussed that as they were also working out how to prop up world oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understandings .
War is becoming inevitable , Putin can ’ t get the Iranians to come to the table no matter what he does or says , they don ’ t seem to want to listen to anyone , not even their friends .

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On April 22, a Syrian intelligence officer was injured and an informant working for him was killed in a new attack in the northern Daraa countryside.
A vehicle carrying both the officer and the informant was hit with an improvised explosive device (IED) while it was moving along the road between the towns of Ibtta and Dael. The informant, identified as Yusuf Ahmad al-Qutiyfan, was killed on the spot, while the officer sustained injures.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the officer, known by locals as “Lt. Col. Majd,” is responsible for three checkpoints in northern Daraa. Other sources claimed that the officer, who serves in the ranks of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate (AFID), has ties with Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iranian forces.
A day earlier, a Syrian intelligence service member was assassinated inside his own house in eastern Daraa.
ISIS cells carried out a series of attacks on Syrian service members in the northern and eastern Daraa countryside over the last week. However, the group didn’t claim responsibility for the last two attacks that targeted Syrian intelligence personnel.
The attacks on intelligence personnel in Daraa may have been orchestrated by another side, like the Israeli intelligence.
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southfront--2020-04-23--Military Situation In Libya On April 23, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Libya : • The Turkish-backed Government @ @ @ @ @ ) accused ‘ Russian mercenaries ’ of conducting chemical attacks in Libya ; • Libyan @ @ @ @ @ forces reportedly shot down a UAV operated by Turkish-backed forces over Khallet al-Furjan ; • @ @ @ @ @ Turksih-backed forces erupted near Qasr al-Qarabulli ; MORE ON THE TOPIC :

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Libya:
The Turkish-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) accused ‘Russian mercenaries’ of conducting chemical attacks in Libya;
Libyan National Army (LNA) forces reportedly shot down a UAV operated by Turkish-backed forces over Khallet al-Furjan;
Clashes between the LNA and Turksih-backed forces erupted near Qasr al-Qarabulli;
Aircraft of Turkish-backed forces bombed LNA positions near Tarhuna.
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southfront--2020-04-23--Military Situation In Afghanistan On April 23, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Afghanistan : • Government forces launched @ @ @ @ @ the Charkh district of Logar province from the Taliban ; • Authorities claim that the @ @ @ @ @ against the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group in the Momandara district of Nangarhar province .
Several miltiants @ @ @ @ @ cache was seized ; • According to pro-Taliban sources , over 20 government fighters defected @ @ @ @ @ Aliabad district of Kunduz province , the Arghanj Khwa district of Badakhshan province , and @ @ @ @ @ Paktika province ; • The Taliban claimed that 19 government fighters surrendered to its forces @ @ @ @ @ the Jwand district , Baghdis province .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in Afghanistan:
Government forces launched a military operation to recapture the Charkh district of Logar province from the Taliban;
Authorities claim that the army conducted a successful operation against the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group in the Momandara district of Nangarhar province. Several miltiants were arrested and their weapo cache was seized;
According to pro-Taliban sources, over 20 government fighters defected to the group in the Aliabad district of Kunduz province, the Arghanj Khwa district of Badakhshan province, and the Ahmad Khel district of Paktika province;
The Taliban claimed that 19 government fighters surrendered to its forces in the Parachi area of the Jwand district, Baghdis province.
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southfront--2020-04-23--Iraqi Hezbollah Fighters Killed, Injured In New ISIS Attack On Syria’s Al-Mayadin

Early on April 23 , ISIS cells carried out a “ surprise attack ” on a position of Iraqi Kata ’ ib Hezbollah ( KH ) in the vicinity of al-Mayadin city in the southern countryside of Syria ’ s Deir Ezzor , according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights ( SOHR ) .
“ Heavy clashes erupted between the two sides , as a result , two Iraqi KH [ fighters ] were killed while five other members were injured , they were transported to the Fatimah al-Zahra hospital in al-Mayadin , ” the London-based monitoring group said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Iranian-backed forces and the Syrian National Defense Forces ( NDF ) sent large reinforcements to the vicinity of al-Mayadin .
The “ surprise attack ” was apparently launched from the Homs desert .
Hundreds of ISIS terrorists are reportedly taking shelter in the region , which lays between eastern Homs and western Deir Ezzor .
The Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) and the NDF are now carrying out a large-scale combing operation in the eastern Homs countryside .
Government forces could soon launch a similar operation in western part of Deir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Homs desert .
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Early on April 23, ISIS cells carried out a “surprise attack” on a position of Iraqi Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH) in the vicinity of al-Mayadin city in the southern countryside of Syria’s Deir Ezzor, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
“Heavy clashes erupted between the two sides, as a result, two Iraqi KH [fighters] were killed while five other members were injured, they were transported to the Fatimah al-Zahra hospital in al-Mayadin,” the London-based monitoring group said in a report.
Following the attack, Iranian-backed forces and the Syrian National Defense Forces (NDF) sent large reinforcements to the vicinity of al-Mayadin.
The “surprise attack” was apparently launched from the Homs desert. Hundreds of ISIS terrorists are reportedly taking shelter in the region, which lays between eastern Homs and western Deir Ezzor.
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the NDF are now carrying out a large-scale combing operation in the eastern Homs countryside. Government forces could soon launch a similar operation in western part of Deir Ezzor, thus clearing all areas surrounding the Homs desert.
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southfront--2020-04-23--IRGC Declares That It’s Ready To ‘Target’ US Warships If They Threaten Iran In Persian Gulf

The chief commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolution Guards Corps ( IRGC ) has warned the US leadership that Iran will target US ships if they threaten the safety of the country ’ s vessels or warships .
“ We declare to them that we are absolutely determined and serious in defending our national security , water borders and maritime interests , and that any move [ against us ] will be effectively and swiftly met with a decisive , effective response , ” Major General Hossein Salami said on April 23 .
He emphasized that Iranian naval forces have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or military unit of the US Navy ’ s terrorist forces if they were to put at risk the safety of our vessels or warships.
” “ We resolutely , effectively and confidently stand up against the threats that jeopardize our national security and territorial integrity ; this is not a path that we will walk away from and will keep treading it by God ’ s grace.
” The statement of the IRGC chief came in response to a statement by US President Donald Trump that he had ordered the US Navy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranian gunboats that “ harass ” US ships .
Earlier in April , the US military said that 11 IRGC Navy fast attack craft came close to U.S. Navy and coast guard ships in the Persian Gulf , calling the moves “ dangerous and provocative ” .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Trump Ordered US Navy To Destroy Iranian Gunboats That Harras US Warships In Persian Gulf • How Precise Are Iranian Missiles ?
Analysis Of Missile Strikes On U.S. Military Base In Iraq

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The chief commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has warned the US leadership that Iran will target US ships if they threaten the safety of the country’s vessels or warships.
“We declare to them that we are absolutely determined and serious in defending our national security, water borders and maritime interests, and that any move [against us] will be effectively and swiftly met with a decisive, effective response,” Major General Hossein Salami said on April 23.
He emphasized that Iranian naval forces have been ordered “to target any flotilla or military unit of the US Navy’s terrorist forces if they were to put at risk the safety of our vessels or warships.”
“We resolutely, effectively and confidently stand up against the threats that jeopardize our national security and territorial integrity; this is not a path that we will walk away from and will keep treading it by God’s grace.”
Sleepy Joe thought this was OK. Not me! https://t.co/VgIlA4fJKF — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2020
The statement of the IRGC chief came in response to a statement by US President Donald Trump that he had ordered the US Navy to “shoot down and destroy” Iranian gunboats that “harass” US ships.
I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2020
Earlier in April, the US military said that 11 IRGC Navy fast attack craft came close to U.S. Navy and coast guard ships in the Persian Gulf, calling the moves “dangerous and provocative”.
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southfront--2020-04-24--Afrin Liberation Forces Announce New Attacks On Turkish-backed Militants

The Afrin Liberation Forces ( ALF ) announced on April 21 that its units had carried out three new attacks on Turkish-backed militants in the northern Aleppo countryside .
In an official statement , the Kurdish guerilla group claimed that six militants were killed and five others were injured in the attacks .
“ On April 15 : Our forces detonated an improvised explosive device ( IED ) in a gathering of Turkish occupation ’ s mercenaries in the outskirt of the town of Kafr Nabu in Shirawa district , killing two mercenaries and injuring two others .
On April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Turkish occupation in the vicinity of the town of Azaz , killing him immediately .
On April 18 : Our forces detonated an IED near a headquarters of Turkish occupation ’ s mercenaries next to the al-Wataniyah roundabout in Afrin ’ s city center , killing three mercenaries and injuring three others , ” the statement reads The ALF noted that the Turkish military is still targeting Kurdish areas south of occupied Afrin .
Combat drones are also flying over these areas on a regular basis .
Kurdish areas south of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) and the People ’ s Protection Units ( YPG ) .
Several units of the Russian Military Police are also deployed in these areas .
From there , the ALF launches most of its attacks on Turkish forces .
The Turkish military and its proxies have failed to contain the threat of the ALF , thus far .
The group is still operating with much freedom around Afrin and even inside of it .
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The Afrin Liberation Forces (ALF) announced on April 21 that its units had carried out three new attacks on Turkish-backed militants in the northern Aleppo countryside.
In an official statement, the Kurdish guerilla group claimed that six militants were killed and five others were injured in the attacks.
“On April 15:Our forces detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) in a gathering of Turkish occupation’s mercenaries in the outskirt of the town of Kafr Nabu in Shirawa district, killing two mercenaries and injuring two others. On April 17:Our forces sniped a mercenary of the Turkish occupation in the vicinity of the town of Azaz, killing him immediately. On April 18:Our forces detonated an IED near a headquarters of Turkish occupation’s mercenaries next to the al-Wataniyah roundabout in Afrin’s city center, killing three mercenaries and injuring three others,” the statement reads
The ALF noted that the Turkish military is still targeting Kurdish areas south of occupied Afrin. Combat drones are also flying over these areas on a regular basis.
The targeted areas are under the joint control of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). Several units of the Russian Military Police are also deployed in these areas. From there, the ALF launches most of its attacks on Turkish forces.
The Turkish military and its proxies have failed to contain the threat of the ALF, thus far. The group is still operating with much freedom around Afrin and even inside it.
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southfront--2020-04-24--Contract For Constrution Of Project 10510 “Leader” Nuclear Icebreaker Signed By Rosatomflot

On April 23rd , in Murmansk and Vladivostok , a remote signing of the contract for the construction of the project 10510 “ Leader ” nuclear icebreaker between FSUE Atomflot and SKK Zvezda LLC took place .
The state customer for the construction of the icebreaker is Rosatom State Corporation , the developer is Atomflot Federal State Unitary Enterprise , Zvezda SSK is the sole contractor for this contract .
The construction of the project 10510 nuclear icebreaker will be carried out by the Zvezda Far Eastern shipbuilding complex on the basis of an order of the Government of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to the terms of the contract , the commissioning of the vessel is planned in 2027 .
“ Today an important step has been taken in the history of the nuclear icebreaker fleet , ” commented Mustafa Kashka , director general of the Atomflot FSUE Atomflot .
“ The Leader will be equipped with two RITM-400 type nuclear reactors developed by Rosatom specialists .
The total capacity of the icebreaker will be 120 MW , which will allow the vessel to overcome ice more than 4 meters thick .
The commissioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to guarantee safe and regular operations in the eastern region of the Arctic , provide year-round navigation in the waters of the Northern Sea Route , and open up new opportunities for commercial high-latitude routes .
” The nuclear icebreaker “ Leader ” will be built according to the technical design of the Central Design Bureau “ Iceberg ” .
The ship will have a nuclear power plant RITM-400 installed .
It was developed by the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom enterprise – JSC Afrikantov OKBM .
The main characteristics of the Project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The composition of the equipment of the power plant : • steam turbine unit with four turbo-generators of 37 MW each ; • electric propulsion system with four propeller motors of 30 MW each .
The only nuclear icebreaker fleet in the world is operated by Rosatomflot Separately , The Ministry of Industry and Trade is going to oblige state customers to build ships only in Russia .
According to the draft order of the ministry , companies building ships on budgetary funds , even at the stage of competitive procedures , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are ready to fulfill the order in accordance with the 719th decision on localization .
At the same time , Kommersant sources in the industry note that they have already encountered a refusal by Russian shipyards to take orders because of the high load .
The Ministry of Industry and Trade did not respond to a request for comment .
The Federal Antimonopoly Service reported that they have not yet received a document for consideration .
In Rosmorrechflot and FSUE Rosmorport , which , as part of a comprehensive infrastructure plan must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ships , did not respond to requests for comment .
A Kommersant source familiar with the situation says that one of the reasons for developing new requirements was the Rosmorport competition for the construction of an icebreaker Nadezhda Malysheva from PortNews adds that the shipyards still have a problem with certificates of compliance with the 719th decree : MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Russia ’ s Project 22220 Nuclear-Powered Icebreaker Arktika To Be Delayed Again • World ’ s Most Powerful Diesel-Electric Icebreaker – the Viktor Chernomyrdin Delayed Again

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On April 23rd, in Murmansk and Vladivostok, a remote signing of the contract for the construction of the project 10510 “Leader” nuclear icebreaker between FSUE Atomflot and SKK Zvezda LLC took place.
The state customer for the construction of the icebreaker is Rosatom State Corporation, the developer is Atomflot Federal State Unitary Enterprise, Zvezda SSK is the sole contractor for this contract.
The construction of the project 10510 nuclear icebreaker will be carried out by the Zvezda Far Eastern shipbuilding complex on the basis of an order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated March 27th, 2019. According to the terms of the contract, the commissioning of the vessel is planned in 2027.
“Today an important step has been taken in the history of the nuclear icebreaker fleet,” commented Mustafa Kashka, director general of the Atomflot FSUE Atomflot. “The Leader will be equipped with two RITM-400 type nuclear reactors developed by Rosatom specialists. The total capacity of the icebreaker will be 120 MW, which will allow the vessel to overcome ice more than 4 meters thick. The commissioning of this nuclear icebreaker will allow Rosatomflot to guarantee safe and regular operations in the eastern region of the Arctic, provide year-round navigation in the waters of the Northern Sea Route, and open up new opportunities for commercial high-latitude routes. ”
The nuclear icebreaker “Leader” will be built according to the technical design of the Central Design Bureau “Iceberg”. The ship will have a nuclear power plant RITM-400 installed.
It was developed by the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom enterprise – JSC Afrikantov OKBM.
The main characteristics of the Project 10510 nuclear icebreakers are the following:
Power – 120 MW (on shafts);
– 120 MW (on shafts); Speed – 22 knots (in clear water);
– 22 knots (in clear water); Length – 209 meters;
– 209 meters; Width – 47.7 meters;
– 47.7 meters; Ice penetration (maximum) – 4 meters;
– 4 meters; Displacement: during draft on waterline – approx.. 69,700 tons.
The composition of the equipment of the power plant:
A nuclear power plant with two RITM-400 reactors;
steam turbine unit with four turbo-generators of 37 MW each;
electric propulsion system with four propeller motors of 30 MW each.
The only nuclear icebreaker fleet in the world is operated by Rosatomflot
Separately, The Ministry of Industry and Trade is going to oblige state customers to build ships only in Russia.
According to the draft order of the ministry, companies building ships on budgetary funds, even at the stage of competitive procedures, will be able to choose only those shipyards that are ready to fulfill the order in accordance with the 719th decision on localization.
At the same time, Kommersant sources in the industry note that they have already encountered a refusal by Russian shipyards to take orders because of the high load.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade did not respond to a request for comment.
The Federal Antimonopoly Service reported that they have not yet received a document for consideration.
In Rosmorrechflot and FSUE Rosmorport, which, as part of a comprehensive infrastructure plan must order and build a significant number of ships, did not respond to requests for comment.
A Kommersant source familiar with the situation says that one of the reasons for developing new requirements was the Rosmorport competition for the construction of an icebreaker
Nadezhda Malysheva from PortNews adds that the shipyards still have a problem with certificates of compliance with the 719th decree:
“Theoretically, the plants are ready to issue them, but it is practically unknown how this will work. In addition, certification can increase the deadline for delivery of the vessel by an average of two months, and it is not clear who will pay for it.”
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southfront--2020-04-24--Real Life Witch-Hunt: ISIS Cells Murder “Sorcerer” In Syria’s Deir Ezzor

Late on April 21 , ISIS members murdered a civilian accused of being a “ sorcerer ” in the eastern countryside of Syria ’ s Deir Ezzor .
Local sources said masked members of ISIS shot the man , Hassan Ghanem al-Osman , and his wife near their house in the town of al-Sabhah .
Al-Osman was immediately killed , while his wife sustained injures only .
In an official statement released by the Amaq agency , ISIS confirmed its responsibility for the murder of 50-year old al-Osman .
The victim reportedly worked in “ witchcraft ” prior to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control in 2014 , al-Osman “ repented.
” Once ISIS was expelled from the town by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) , al-Osman went back to practicing witchcraft .
According to local sources , al-Osman received a message from ISIS cells , saying that the decision to execute him has been taken , a few days before his murder .
ISIS cells have been carrying out a real-life witch-hunt in the SDF-held part of Deir Ezzor for more than year now .
In the last five months only , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were murdered by the terrorist group .
The murder of al-Osman shows that ISIS is still attempting to impose its laws in its former territory in northeast Syria .
The terrorist group ’ s influence in the region appear to be growing , once again .
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Late on April 21, ISIS members murdered a civilian accused of being a “sorcerer” in the eastern countryside of Syria’s Deir Ezzor.
Local sources said masked ISIS members shot the man, Hassan Ghanem al-Osman, and his wife near their house in the town of al-Sabhah. Al-Osman was immediately killed, while his wife sustained injures only.
In an official statement released by the Amaq agency, ISIS confirmed its responsibility for the murder of 50-year old al-Osman.
“A sorcerer was killed when Islamic State’s fighters shot him near the town of al-Sabhah in the district of al-Busayrah in the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside,” the statement reads.
The victim reportedly worked in “witchcraft” prior to the war. When al-Sabhah fell under ISIS control in 2014, al-Osman “repented.” Once ISIS was expelled from the town by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), al-Osman went back to practicing witchcraft.
According to local sources, al-Osman received a message from ISIS cells, saying that the decision to execute him has been taken, a few days before his murder.
ISIS cells have been carrying out a real-life witch-hunt in the SDF-held part of Deir Ezzor for more than year now. In the last five months only, at least two other civilians accused of witchcraft were murdered by the terrorist group.
The murder of al-Osman shows that ISIS is still attempting to impose its laws in its former territory in northeast Syria. The terrorist group’s influence in the region appear to be growing, once again.
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southfront--2020-04-24--RAND Corporation Brings Back Cold War Era Assessment Of Russian Correlation of Forces and Means

In late April 2020 , the infamous RAND Corporation released a report that used to be a stable of US and allies understanding of the Soviet Union during the Cold War Era .
It is named “ Russian Assessments and Applications of the Correlation of Forces and Means.
” [ pdf ] And as the world moves toward a new type of Cold War , new ways of carrying out due diligence are required .
Since there is a 30-year gap in knowledge after the Soviet Union dissolved , the authors have attempted to track the entire correlations of forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia .
The key findings of the report are 4 : • Modern Russian COFM assessments with respect to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) likely are based on combat potential values derived through a methodology that uses qualimetric methods and expert elicitation and was developed by the Russian General Staff ’ s think tank .
• From the Russian perspective , the critical force correlation is NATO ’ s capability to build up forces and execute conventional precision strikes against critical military and economic infrastructure from air and sea , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such an attack .
• Russia ’ s military force structure remains a product of deep reforms implemented in 2008 , which were predicated on the assumptions that large-scale war was unlikely and that modern wars between advanced militaries with nuclear weapons would be centered on the aerospace domain .
• In peacetime , superiority in long-range conventional precision munitions ( in addition to platforms and enabling infrastructure ) can have deterrent value given “ escalation dominance ” and the ability to hold Russia ’ s outer layer of defenses at risk and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• In wartime , according to some Russian analyses of a hypothetical NATO-Russia war , escalatory pressure can be created by expanding the conflict beyond the local theater of military operations as a result of disparity in long-range precision capability and capacity .
The study is by no means an independent one – it was funded by Russia Strategic Initiative , United States European Command , and conducted within the International Security and Defense Policy Center of the RAND National Defense Research Institute , a federally funded research and development center sponsored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defense , the Joint Staff , the Unified Combatant Commands , the Navy , the Marine Corps , the defense agencies , and the defense Intelligence Community .
Furthermore , it has limitations , it is specifically focused on how COFM in Russia works today , and only takes into account how it got here , but doesn ’ t look in-depth at why .
“ This report is generally limited to answering the question of how the Russian military assesses and applies COFM today .
Although we briefly digress into a discussion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military power , the emphasis is on the Russian military term , sootnoshenie sil i sredstv , or correlation of forces and means .
The report is organized into six primary chapters .
Chapter Two addresses the important question of the definition of COFM .
Given the range of usage of the term during the Cold War , we devote considerable attention to how the Soviet and Russian militaries have understood and defined COFM since World War II .
Because the evaluation of COFM evolved beyond a straightforward count of personnel , weapons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sophisticated calculation , the third and fourth chapters provide a technical overview of how the Soviets and Russians incorporated the concept of “ combat potential ” into COFM assessments .
The fifth chapter identifies the Method most likely used in command staffs within the Russian military today , despite the many problems that Russian military researchers have identified with it .
We also show that the General Staff is attempting to impose unification across the Russian Armed Forces in terms of how COFM is calculated.
” Russia , of course , faces similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if a war to arise , both sides would focus on targeting the production facilities for weapons and equipment of the enemy .
General Makhmut Gareev the president of the Russian Academy of Missile and Artillery Sciences , Russia faces a similar challenge , but with far fewer resources : “ The buildup of the mobilization production of modern weapons and equipment in the conditions of war , especially large-scale war , which is fraught with the destruction of industrial enterprises and communications , will be impossible .
A high-tech weapon is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industrial enterprises , and any disruption of the production chain could fatally affect the ability to create a weapon in accordance with the specified tactical and technical characteristics .
At the same time , the cycle of manufacturing high-tech weapons takes many weeks or months ( we are not talking about airplanes and ships—there , the production time is even longer ) .
” The changing character of warfare and the complexity of modern weapons against a backdrop of the increasing capability of long-range precision strikes has shifted the focus from capabilities that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past toward different ones .
During the Cold War , the tank was seen by the Soviets as “ .
.
.
our main trump card in a conventional war.
” Given modern range capabilities of conventional weapons and the proximity of a possible conflict to Russia , superiority in munitions , delivery platforms , and enablers is viewed by Russia as the main trump card in a conventional war today , given NATO ’ s potential to disrupt or destroy , at depth , a number of strategic assets or capabilities from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground troops and achieving high force ratios—particularly in tanks—at breakthrough sectors previously was assessed by the Soviet General Staff as a key to victory .
Currently , the correlation of NATO long-range strike assets to Russian strategic SAM systems and fighters has likely tilted the balance away from heavy armor and artillery in importance .
A key element of NATO strategy to deter Russia will be to ensure that it retains this quantitative and qualitative advantage—and the ability to deploy additional assets to the European theater—in the face of Russian symmetric and asymmetric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THE TOPIC : • US Counterintelligence : Protectionism And Censorship Need Ramping Up In Order To Counter China and Russia • Pentagon Seeks To Classify Future Year Defense Program Returning To Good Old Cold War Times

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In late April 2020, the infamous RAND Corporation released a report that used to be a stable of US and allies understanding of the Soviet Union during the Cold War Era.
It is named “Russian Assessments and Applications of the Correlation of Forces and Means.” [pdf]
Its authors are Clint Reach, Vikram Kilambi, Mark Cozad.
“The international environment and new security threats that emerged following the collapse of the Soviet Union shifted the United States’ focus away from the large-scale military problems prevalent during the Cold War to different concerns, such as terrorism, regional ethnic conflict, and nuclear proliferation. As U.S. security concerns evolved, in-depth analysis of COFM and other issues related to understanding military balance and competition between major powers received relatively little attention from military planners and analysts.”
And as the world moves toward a new type of Cold War, new ways of carrying out due diligence are required.
Since there is a 30-year gap in knowledge after the Soviet Union dissolved, the authors have attempted to track the entire correlations of forces and means (COFM) evolution of Russia.
The key findings of the report are 4:
Modern Russian COFM assessments with respect to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) likely are based on combat potential values derived through a methodology that uses qualimetric methods and expert elicitation and was developed by the Russian General Staff’s think tank.
From the Russian perspective, the critical force correlation is NATO’s capability to build up forces and execute conventional precision strikes against critical military and economic infrastructure from air and sea, and Russia’s capability to disrupt such an attack.
Russia’s military force structure remains a product of deep reforms implemented in 2008, which were predicated on the assumptions that large-scale war was unlikely and that modern wars between advanced militaries with nuclear weapons would be centered on the aerospace domain.
In peacetime, superiority in long-range conventional precision munitions (in addition to platforms and enabling infrastructure) can have deterrent value given “escalation dominance” and the ability to hold Russia’s outer layer of defenses at risk and protect its military-economic potential in the rear.
In wartime, according to some Russian analyses of a hypothetical NATO-Russia war, escalatory pressure can be created by expanding the conflict beyond the local theater of military operations as a result of disparity in long-range precision capability and capacity.
The study is by no means an independent one – it was funded by Russia Strategic Initiative, United States European Command, and conducted within the International Security and Defense Policy Center of the RAND National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the defense agencies, and the defense Intelligence Community.
Furthermore, it has limitations, it is specifically focused on how COFM in Russia works today, and only takes into account how it got here, but doesn’t look in-depth at why.
“This report is generally limited to answering the question of how the Russian military assesses and applies COFM today. Although we briefly digress into a discussion of other Russian measures of state and military power, the emphasis is on the Russian military term, sootnoshenie sil i sredstv, or correlation of forces and means. The report is organized into six primary chapters. Chapter Two addresses the important question of the definition of COFM. Given the range of usage of the term during the Cold War, we devote considerable attention to how the Soviet and Russian militaries have understood and defined COFM since World War II. Because the evaluation of COFM evolved beyond a straightforward count of personnel, weapons, and equipment into a seemingly more sophisticated calculation, the third and fourth chapters provide a technical overview of how the Soviets and Russians incorporated the concept of “combat potential” into COFM assessments. The fifth chapter identifies the Method most likely used in command staffs within the Russian military today, despite the many problems that Russian military researchers have identified with it. We also show that the General Staff is attempting to impose unification across the Russian Armed Forces in terms of how COFM is calculated.”
Russia, of course, faces similar challenges to NATO, with the fact that if a war to arise, both sides would focus on targeting the production facilities for weapons and equipment of the enemy.
General Makhmut Gareev the president of the Russian Academy of Missile and Artillery Sciences, Russia faces a similar challenge, but with far fewer resources:
“The buildup of the mobilization production of modern weapons and equipment in the conditions of war, especially large-scale war, which is fraught with the destruction of industrial enterprises and communications, will be impossible. A high-tech weapon is the product of extremely extensive cooperation of industrial enterprises, and any disruption of the production chain could fatally affect the ability to create a weapon in accordance with the specified tactical and technical characteristics. At the same time, the cycle of manufacturing high-tech weapons takes many weeks or months (we are not talking about airplanes and ships—there, the production time is even longer).”
The changing character of warfare and the complexity of modern weapons against a backdrop of the increasing capability of long-range precision strikes has shifted the focus from capabilities that were seen as most decisive in the past toward different ones. During the Cold War, the tank was seen by the Soviets as “ . . . our main trump card in a conventional war.”
Given modern range capabilities of conventional weapons and the proximity of a possible conflict to Russia, superiority in munitions, delivery platforms, and enablers is viewed by Russia as the main trump card in a conventional war today, given NATO’s potential to disrupt or destroy, at depth, a number of strategic assets or capabilities from the outset of a conflict. Massing ground troops and achieving high force ratios—particularly in tanks—at breakthrough sectors previously was assessed by the Soviet General Staff as a key to victory.
Currently, the correlation of NATO long-range strike assets to Russian strategic SAM systems and fighters has likely tilted the balance away from heavy armor and artillery in importance. A key element of NATO strategy to deter Russia will be to ensure that it retains this quantitative and qualitative advantage—and the ability to deploy additional assets to the European theater—in the face of Russian symmetric and asymmetric attempts to mitigate it.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-04-24--Trump’s Order To Sink Iranian Boats Is Just A Way To Keep Mind Off COVID-19?

On April 22nd , US President Donald Trump said that he had instructed the US Navy to shoot down any Iranian boats and ships that harass US warships .
In a clarification on what he meant , Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Gen. John Hyten said that , by now , the Navy commanders have learned the different in meaning Trump puts in his claims .
This was simply a threat to Iran , but not an actual order to carry out any attacks .
“ If you come across and you are at a safe distance and you are waving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you have a gun and you point it at me , that ’ s another thing , ” Hyten said .
“ We know what that line is and we will respond.
” “ The president ’ s message was crystal clear , ” he said .
David L. Norquist , the deputy defense secretary , said Trump ’ s statement on Twitter was more of a warning to the Iranians than a change to the current rules of engagement .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , speaking at the State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s tweet about sinking Iranian fast boats for harassing U.S. naval ships , noting that the president had previously given senior American officials authority to “ take whatever action is necessary to make sure you can defend and keep our people safe.
” An Iranian armed forces spokesman responded to the tweet by suggesting the U.S. government should focus on saving its service members from coronavirus .
Retired Vice Adm. John Miller , former commander of the U.S. 5th Fleet , said the president ’ s tweet was likely designed to send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change existing rules of engagement for Navy ships defending themselves in the Gulf .
Former Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said the tweet likely does not change the rules of engagement because the Pentagon requires formal orders rather than “ orders from Tweets.
” He said that the president is “ trying to distract from Covid-19.
” The justification of Trump ’ s words is then : he ’ s just distracting people from coronavirus , “ we know what to do , despite what he says ” and that “ it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an order , ” but what happens if a US Navy captain deems it an order and sinks an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ( IRGC ) boat ?
Does Tehran , then , just assume that it was all just an “ honest mistake ” , Trump wasn ’ t serious and that Navy captain should just be disowned and sent back home ?
This isn ’ t the first time he ’ s made such claims , during his presidential campaign he said that if Iran harassed US warships , they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” but nothing has come out of it .
This warning to Iranian conduct came just days after the IRGC successfully launched the first ever Iranian military satellite into orbit .
And according to the New York Times , both these things are evidence that the standoff between Washington and Iran is ramping up .
And according to the outlet , this isn ’ t so much owed to any specific action , but is used as a way to make people concentrate less on COVID-19 , even though it appears to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , than in the US .
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed the launch and noted that the government in Tehran had always claimed its satellite launches were only for commercial purposes and had no military use .
This was a warning , of sorts , because earlier Iran used fixed sites to launch its satellites and primarily failed , but now it used a mobile launcher and succeeded , “ similar to what the North Koreans have increasingly used .
The system reduces warning time , and thus makes it harder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THE TOPIC : • IRGC Declares That It ’ s Ready To ‘ Target ’ US Warships If They Threaten Iran In Persian Gulf • Trump Ordered US Navy To Destroy Iranian Gunboats That Harras US Warships In Persian Gulf

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On April 22nd, US President Donald Trump said that he had instructed the US Navy to shoot down any Iranian boats and ships that harass US warships.
I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2020
In a clarification on what he meant, Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Gen. John Hyten said that, by now, the Navy commanders have learned the different in meaning Trump puts in his claims.
This was simply a threat to Iran, but not an actual order to carry out any attacks.
“If you come across and you are at a safe distance and you are waving, that’s one thing. If you have a gun and you point it at me, that’s another thing,” Hyten said. “We know what that line is and we will respond.” “The president’s message was crystal clear,” he said.
David L. Norquist, the deputy defense secretary, said Trump’s statement on Twitter was more of a warning to the Iranians than a change to the current rules of engagement.
“The president issued an important warning to the Iranians. What he was emphasizing is that all of our ships retain the right of self-defense,” Norquist said. “The president is describing and responding to poor behavior of the Iranians.”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking at the State Department, dismissed the importance of Trump’s tweet about sinking Iranian fast boats for harassing U.S. naval ships, noting that the president had previously given senior American officials authority to “take whatever action is necessary to make sure you can defend and keep our people safe.”
An Iranian armed forces spokesman responded to the tweet by suggesting the U.S. government should focus on saving its service members from coronavirus.
“Today, instead of bullying others, the Americans should put all their efforts toward saving those members of their forces who are infected with coronavirus,” Abolfazl Shekarchi said.
Retired Vice Adm. John Miller, former commander of the U.S. 5th Fleet, said the president’s tweet was likely designed to send a message to Iran and should not change existing rules of engagement for Navy ships defending themselves in the Gulf.
“Navy commanders are more than capable of understanding when the president says something, that’s meant for an outside audience as opposed to direction to them,” Miller told POLITICO. “It’s the president’s way, which isn’t always as smooth as we’d like it to be, of telling Iran, ‘Hey, stay away from our ships.”
Former Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said the tweet likely does not change the rules of engagement because the Pentagon requires formal orders rather than “orders from Tweets.”
He said that the president is “trying to distract from Covid-19.”
The justification of Trump’s words is then: he’s just distracting people from coronavirus, “we know what to do, despite what he says” and that “it’s just a threat to Iran, not an order,” but what happens if a US Navy captain deems it an order and sinks an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) boat?
Does Tehran, then, just assume that it was all just an “honest mistake”, Trump wasn’t serious and that Navy captain should just be disowned and sent back home?
This isn’t the first time he’s made such claims, during his presidential campaign he said that if Iran harassed US warships, they would be “shot out of the water,” but nothing has come out of it.
This warning to Iranian conduct came just days after the IRGC successfully launched the first ever Iranian military satellite into orbit.
And according to the New York Times, both these things are evidence that the standoff between Washington and Iran is ramping up.
And according to the outlet, this isn’t so much owed to any specific action, but is used as a way to make people concentrate less on COVID-19, even though it appears to be much more under control in Iran, than in the US.
“At home, the Iranian government and Mr. Trump’s administration have been criticized for mismanaging the response to the virus, and leaders in both nations may calculate that there is an advantage to reigniting confrontations with old adversaries.”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed the launch and noted that the government in Tehran had always claimed its satellite launches were only for commercial purposes and had no military use.
“I think today’s launch proves what we’ve been saying all along here in the United States,” Pompeo told reporters. “I think Iran needs to be held accountable for what it’s done.”
This was a warning, of sorts, because earlier Iran used fixed sites to launch its satellites and primarily failed, but now it used a mobile launcher and succeeded, “similar to what the North Koreans have increasingly used. The system reduces warning time, and thus makes it harder to pre-empt a launch.”
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southfront--2020-04-24--Chinese Carrier Strike Groups And Perspectives Of Their Use

Written by Lieutenant Colonel D. Puretsky ; Originally appeared at Foreign Military Review # 3 2019 , translated by AlexD exclusively for SouthFront The military and political leadership of the People ’ s Republic of China has been consistently working to improve the combat capabilities of its national Navy , which is able to solve a wide range of tasks both independently and in cooperation with other branches of the Armed Forces .
Learning from the experience of the United States , China is actively developing the aircraft carrier component of the fleet .
The need to build modern naval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike groups ( CSG ) is based on the geopolitical challenges facing it at the present stage of development and the future .
The creation of China ’ s CSG began with the reconstruction of the Soviet heavy aircraft carrier ( HAC ) “ Varyag ” of Project 1143.5 , which was laid down in December 1985 and launched in November 1988 at the Black Sea shipbuilding plant in Nikolaev ( the Ukraine ) .
China bought the ship in 2000 and after 16 months of towing , the HAC was delivered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-furbishing .
In 2012 , the aircraft carrier was commissioned into the PLA Navy under the name “ Liaoning ” ( Type 001 ” ) .
The total cost of the Varyag acquisition was more than $ 30.5 million , including the lease of a tugboat and payment for sea transit .
In 2015 , in Dalian ( Liaoning province ) , China began construction of a second aircraft carrier , named “ Shandong ” ( “ Type 001A ” ) , a modified Soviet Project 1143.6 .
In April 2017 , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it passed the second stage of sea trials .
The transfer of the ship to the fleet should take place this year .
In 2017 , the third Chinese multi-purpose aircraft carrier “ Type 002 ” was laid down .
It is assumed that its tactical-technical characteristics ( TTC ) will not be inferior to the characteristics of the American nuclear multipurpose aircraft carrier “ Nimitz ” .
The ship is completely of Chinese design ; it will be equipped with a nuclear propulsion system and several electromagnetic catapults .
The transfer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2024 .
China is currently implementing a large-scale programme for the construction of aircraft carriers of domestic design and formation of CSGs .
So , by 2026 , it plans to have three carrier strike groups , and by 2030 , at least five , of which up to two CSGs are on combat duty .
Creating a national carrier fleet , the country ’ s leadership seeks to solve the following tasks : • the formation of high combat capabilities of the PLA in the event of resolving the Taiwan issue by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Navy in remote theater operations ; Formation of high combat capabilities of the PLA in the event of resolving the Taiwan issue by force .
By deploying carrier strike groups in the East China Sea , the PRC can compete with the US in the regions and minimise Washington ’ s ability to provide military support to Taipei in the event of a possible military conflict , ensuring a naval blockade of the island .
The Chinese Navy considers this scenario in the context of increasing combat capabilities of its Navy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became particularly relevant in September 2018 after the US decision to supply the island with spare parts for airplanes ( F-16 , C-130 and F-5 ) in the amount of about 330 million dollars .
Washington plans to expand as well military cooperation with Taipei and in the same year adopted the “ Taiwan Travel Act ” , allowing bilateral exchanges of high-level officials ’ delegations .
In addition , in October last year , Taipei held an exercise “ to repel the Chinese attack ” , which worked out issues on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time , American ships passed through the Taiwan Strait , so at the end of October 2018 , the Chinese side made a statement “ about the growing likelihood of resolving the Taiwan issue by force ” .
Taiwan is part of the so-called “ first chain ” of islands ( Japanese Ryukyu Islands , Taiwan and the Philippines , and conventionally “ second chain ” : Japan , Guam , Indonesia ) .
In the waters located between the Chinese coastline and the “ first chain ” of islands , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by preventing the placement of foreign military facilities on them , and the presence of warships and aircraft of foreign states within its borders .
Increasing the capabilities of the PLA Navy in remote theater operations .
According to the Chinese Defence Ministry , to turn it into a leading world power , it is necessary to have a modern fleet that can compete with any fleet in the world in various aspects , including aircraft carriers .
In this matter , the PRC relies on the experience of the United States , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power ” in order to strengthen its influence in regions of interest to them .
The formation of aircraft carrier strike groups is carried out in parallel with China ’ s establishment of its foreign military bases .
The first is the PLA logistics hub in Djibouti ( Obok ) , which is also part of the Chinese strategy “ Threads of Pearls ” , which involves the establishment of a military naval base network along the Indian Ocean coasts .
In addition , the presence of an aircraft carrier fleet significantly enhances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and defend China ’ s exclusive maritime economic zone .
The CSG will ensure stronger control over disputed areas in the East China Sea ( Senkaku archipelago , claimed by Japan , China and Taiwan ) , in the South China Sea ( Parasel Islands , China , Vietnam and Taiwan ) and Spratly Islands ( China , Vietnam , Malaysia , Philippines , Brunei and Taiwan ) .
Protection of the state ’ s maritime interests .
The country ’ s military and political leadership pays special attention to this issue .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese “ maritime economy ” ( or “ gross ocean product ” ) will reach 30 % of the country ’ GDP due to increased production of marine resources ( fishing ) , as well as hydrocarbons .
China ’ s main interests are concentrated in the Pacific Ocean and the East and South China Seas ( due to the availability of marine resources and hydrocarbon production on the sea shelves ) .
However , as the “ Sea Silk Road of the 21st Century ” develops and China ’ s interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , its “ maritime interests ” will expand to include new regions , including the Indian and Arctic Oceans .
Protecting the merchant fleet and ensuring energy security .
About 90 % of China ’ s trade turnover and raw material supplies are carried out by sea transport .
The country has the fourth largest merchant fleet in the world and the third largest shipbuilding capacity for 2018 .
In addition , of the ten largest ports in the world , five are owned by China .
In this regard , the security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a priority for Beijing .
The protection of merchant ships travelling from the Middle East ( due to the ongoing threat of piracy in the Gulf of Aden ) along the so-called 21st Century Silk Road , as well as from Latin America , remains relevant .
Demonstration of the military industry ’ s capabilities .
China has successfully carried out modernisation and re-furbishing of the HAC “ Varyag ” , equipped it with modern navigation equipment , weapons , “ Jian-15 ” aircraft of domestic production .
In the future , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of combined basing on aircraft carriers , both airplanes and helicopters .
Ideological and psychological impact .
In recent years , the country ’ s military and political leadership has actively promoted the idea of “ reviving the great nation of China ” .
A special role in this process is played by President Xi Jinping ’ s principle of “ realising the great Chinese dream ” .
The Chinese leadership is actively engaged in ideological work to disseminate among the population the idea of “ the coming of the historical moment ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading world power .
At the same time , the development of the aircraft carrier fleet is one of the most important factors increasing national pride and patriotism and positively influencing the image of the Communist Party of China .
Increasing international influence .
The PRC seeks to strengthen its position in the international community and compete with the United States in international affairs through a comprehensive resolution of economic , political and military tasks .
Building aircraft carriers is one of the effective means of increasing China ’ s influence at sea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military might .
Currently , the Pentagon can form ten CSG , which are capable of solving problems in different regions of the world .
However , China ’ s possession of even one aircraft carrier poses a threat to the United States in the Asia-Pacific region and gives Beijing grounds for consistent resolution of territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas , as well as for extending its influence to other regions of the world .
China ’ s military and political leadership is implementing a large-scale programme of aircraft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an important tool in addressing a wide range of military , political and geostrategic tasks .
These include the PCR ’ s efforts to establish parity with the US in the Pacific to resolve the Taiwanese issue by force , protect and defend its exclusive maritime zone and economic interests in the Pacific , if necessary .
In addition , Beijing seeks to ensure its energy security and commercial vessel protection in remote regions of the world , which is only possible with a modern navy and aircraft carrier fleet .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership is enhancing the country ’ s international prestige and influence .

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Written by Lieutenant Colonel D. Puretsky; Originally appeared at Foreign Military Review #3 2019, translated by AlexD exclusively for SouthFront
The military and political leadership of the People’s Republic of China has been consistently working to improve the combat capabilities of its national Navy, which is able to solve a wide range of tasks both independently and in cooperation with other branches of the Armed Forces. Learning from the experience of the United States, China is actively developing the aircraft carrier component of the fleet. The need to build modern naval forces and, in particular, carrier strike groups (CSG) is based on the geopolitical challenges facing it at the present stage of development and the future.
The creation of China’s CSG began with the reconstruction of the Soviet heavy aircraft carrier (HAC) “Varyag” of Project 1143.5, which was laid down in December 1985 and launched in November 1988 at the Black Sea shipbuilding plant in Nikolaev (the Ukraine). China bought the ship in 2000 and after 16 months of towing, the HAC was delivered to the port of Dalian for modernisation and re-furbishing. In 2012, the aircraft carrier was commissioned into the PLA Navy under the name “Liaoning” (Type 001”). The total cost of the Varyag acquisition was more than $30.5 million, including the lease of a tugboat and payment for sea transit.
In 2015, in Dalian (Liaoning province), China began construction of a second aircraft carrier, named “Shandong” (“Type 001A”), a modified Soviet Project 1143.6. In April 2017, it was launched, and in 2018, it passed the second stage of sea trials.
The transfer of the ship to the fleet should take place this year.
In 2017, the third Chinese multi-purpose aircraft carrier “Type 002” was laid down. It is assumed that its tactical-technical characteristics (TTC) will not be inferior to the characteristics of the American nuclear multipurpose aircraft carrier “Nimitz”. The ship is completely of Chinese design; it will be equipped with a nuclear propulsion system and several electromagnetic catapults. The transfer to the PLA Navy ship is scheduled for 2024.
China is currently implementing a large-scale programme for the construction of aircraft carriers of domestic design and formation of CSGs. So, by 2026, it plans to have three carrier strike groups, and by 2030, at least five, of which up to two CSGs are on combat duty.
Creating a national carrier fleet, the country’s leadership seeks to solve the following tasks:
the formation of high combat capabilities of the PLA in the event of resolving the Taiwan issue by force;
increasing the capabilities of the Navy in remote theater operations;
protection of the state’s maritime interests;
protecting the merchant fleet and ensuring energy security;
demonstration of the military industry’s capabilities;
ideological and psychological impact;
increasing international influence.
Formation of high combat capabilities of the PLA in the event of resolving the Taiwan issue by force. By deploying carrier strike groups in the East China Sea, the PRC can compete with the US in the regions and minimise Washington’s ability to provide military support to Taipei in the event of a possible military conflict, ensuring a naval blockade of the island. The Chinese Navy considers this scenario in the context of increasing combat capabilities of its Navy, including the CSG.
The Taiwan issue became particularly relevant in September 2018 after the US decision to supply the island with spare parts for airplanes (F-16, C-130 and F-5) in the amount of about 330 million dollars. Washington plans to expand as well military cooperation with Taipei and in the same year adopted the “Taiwan Travel Act”, allowing bilateral exchanges of high-level officials’ delegations. In addition, in October last year, Taipei held an exercise “to repel the Chinese attack”, which worked out issues on the destruction of the landing force. At the same time, American ships passed through the Taiwan Strait, so at the end of October 2018, the Chinese side made a statement “about the growing likelihood of resolving the Taiwan issue by force”.
Taiwan is part of the so-called “first chain” of islands (Japanese Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan and the Philippines, and conventionally “second chain”: Japan, Guam, Indonesia). In the waters located between the Chinese coastline and the “first chain” of islands, Beijing seeks to ensure its own security by preventing the placement of foreign military facilities on them, and the presence of warships and aircraft of foreign states within its borders.
Increasing the capabilities of the PLA Navy in remote theater operations. According to the Chinese Defence Ministry, to turn it into a leading world power, it is necessary to have a modern fleet that can compete with any fleet in the world in various aspects, including aircraft carriers.
In this matter, the PRC relies on the experience of the United States, which uses the Navy to “project power” in order to strengthen its influence in regions of interest to them.
The formation of aircraft carrier strike groups is carried out in parallel with China’s establishment of its foreign military bases. The first is the PLA logistics hub in Djibouti (Obok), which is also part of the Chinese strategy “Threads of Pearls”, which involves the establishment of a military naval base network along the Indian Ocean coasts.
In addition, the presence of an aircraft carrier fleet significantly enhances the PLA’s ability to protect and defend China’s exclusive maritime economic zone. The CSG will ensure stronger control over disputed areas in the East China Sea (Senkaku archipelago, claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan), in the South China Sea (Parasel Islands, China, Vietnam and Taiwan) and Spratly Islands (China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan).
Protection of the state’s maritime interests. The country’s military and political leadership pays special attention to this issue. It is assumed that by 2050, the Chinese “maritime economy” (or “gross ocean product”) will reach 30% of the country’ GDP due to increased production of marine resources (fishing), as well as hydrocarbons. China’s main interests are concentrated in the Pacific Ocean and the East and South China Seas (due to the availability of marine resources and hydrocarbon production on the sea shelves). However, as the “Sea Silk Road of the 21st Century” develops and China’s interest in the Russian Northern Sea Route grows, its “maritime interests” will expand to include new regions, including the Indian and Arctic Oceans.
Protecting the merchant fleet and ensuring energy security. About 90% of China’s trade turnover and raw material supplies are carried out by sea transport. The country has the fourth largest merchant fleet in the world and the third largest shipbuilding capacity for 2018. In addition, of the ten largest ports in the world, five are owned by China.
In this regard, the security of trade and hydrocarbon supply routes is a priority for Beijing. The protection of merchant ships travelling from the Middle East (due to the ongoing threat of piracy in the Gulf of Aden) along the so-called 21st Century Silk Road, as well as from Latin America, remains relevant.
Demonstration of the military industry’s capabilities. China has successfully carried out modernisation and re-furbishing of the HAC “Varyag”, equipped it with modern navigation equipment, weapons, “Jian-15” aircraft of domestic production. In the future, the Navy command plans to implement the experience of combined basing on aircraft carriers, both airplanes and helicopters.
Ideological and psychological impact. In recent years, the country’s military and political leadership has actively promoted the idea of “reviving the great nation of China”.
A special role in this process is played by President Xi Jinping’s principle of “realising the great Chinese dream”. The Chinese leadership is actively engaged in ideological work to disseminate among the population the idea of “the coming of the historical moment” of gaining world domination and becoming a leading world power.
At the same time, the development of the aircraft carrier fleet is one of the most important factors increasing national pride and patriotism and positively influencing the image of the Communist Party of China.
Increasing international influence. The PRC seeks to strengthen its position in the international community and compete with the United States in international affairs through a comprehensive resolution of economic, political and military tasks. Building aircraft carriers is one of the effective means of increasing China’s influence at sea, “projecting power” and demonstrating military might. Currently, the Pentagon can form ten CSG, which are capable of solving problems in different regions of the world. However, China’s possession of even one aircraft carrier poses a threat to the United States in the Asia-Pacific region and gives Beijing grounds for consistent resolution of territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas, as well as for extending its influence to other regions of the world.
China’s military and political leadership is implementing a large-scale programme of aircraft carrier strike groups, which it regards as an important tool in addressing a wide range of military, political and geostrategic tasks.
These include the PCR’s efforts to establish parity with the US in the Pacific to resolve the Taiwanese issue by force, protect and defend its exclusive maritime zone and economic interests in the Pacific, if necessary. In addition, Beijing seeks to ensure its energy security and commercial vessel protection in remote regions of the world, which is only possible with a modern navy and aircraft carrier fleet. At the same time, China’s leadership is enhancing the country’s international prestige and influence.
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southfront--2020-04-24--Russia To Test Zircon Hypersonic Missile A Dozen More Times In 2020-21

Russia will conduct approximately a dozen more launches of the latest Zircon hypersonic missile as part of state tests , TASS reported citing its own sources in the military-industrial complex .
According to him , the launch tests will take place in 2020-2021 .
NPO Mashinostroyeniya ( part of the Tactical Missiles Corporation ) which , according to media reports , developed the Zircon rocket , did not comment on the information provided by the source .
The development of the Zircon rocket has been underway since 2011 , and flight tests have been conducted since 2015 .
The missile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ships equipped with anti-aircraft and missile defense systems that can effectively intercept modern supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles .
The first tests of the Zircon rocket by firing at a target located on the shore took place in January 2020 .
During these tests , the missile was launched from the frigate Admiral Gorshkov and hit a coastal target at a distance of 500 kilometers .
The technical details about the hypersonic missile have not yet been disclosed .
Presumably , the Zircon is a two-stage rocket .
The first stage of the missile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engine , and the second – ramjet .
The ammunition range is up to 600 kilometers .
The rocket is capable of speeds up to Mach 9 .
The Zircon missile can be launched from standard launchers of the VLS ( Vertical Launching System ) 3C-14 , that is , the same as those used for the Kalibr and Onyx cruise missiles .
In the future , Zircon can be armed on all modern ships and submarines with the VLS .
As another TASS source in the military-industrial complex said earlier , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Zircon in 2021 , and to commission the missile into service in 2022 .
Just days earlier , the National Interest wrote that the Zircon is quite a threat to the US Navy ’ s fleet , regardless if its nuclear or not .
“ The Zircon hypersonic missile is alleged to be a variant of Russia ’ s P-880 Onyx .
At Mach 2.9 , the Onyx is fast , but nowhere near as fast as the Zircon , which is propelled to hypersonic speeds—in excess of Mach 5 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uses a solid-fuel propellant to bring it up to speed , then is powered by a scramjet combustion engine .
Launching submarine-based hypersonic missiles is a potent ability .
Submarines can stay underwater for weeks or months , undetected and protected .
Though the Zircon is thought to be armed with conventional explosives , it hardly matters .
Traveling in the Mach 5+ range generates so much kinetic energy that even a concrete-filled warhead would create a massive explosion if it hit the ground—or a massive hole in an aircraft carrier.
“ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that the combination of the new Yasen-class nuclear submarine and the Zircon hypersonic missile was an incredibly dangerous combination .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Russia ’ s Fifth-Generation Nuclear Submarine Cruiser To Be Armed With Zircon Hypersonic Missiles

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Russia will conduct approximately a dozen more launches of the latest Zircon hypersonic missile as part of state tests, TASS reported citing its own sources in the military-industrial complex.
“Until the completion of state tests of the Zircon complex, it is planned to carry out about a dozen more launches of hypersonic missiles from two carriers,” the source said.
According to him, the launch tests will take place in 2020-2021.
“About 7-8 launches are planned from the [Project 22350] Admiral Gorshkov frigate, they will hit land and sea targets, and 2-3 launches will be carried out from the [Project 885 Yasen-class] Severodvinsk nuclear submarine, at least one of them from underwater position,” the source said.
NPO Mashinostroyeniya (part of the Tactical Missiles Corporation) which, according to media reports, developed the Zircon rocket, did not comment on the information provided by the source.
The development of the Zircon rocket has been underway since 2011, and flight tests have been conducted since 2015.
The missile will be used to destroy enemy surface ships equipped with anti-aircraft and missile defense systems that can effectively intercept modern supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles. The first tests of the Zircon rocket by firing at a target located on the shore took place in January 2020.
During these tests, the missile was launched from the frigate Admiral Gorshkov and hit a coastal target at a distance of 500 kilometers.
The technical details about the hypersonic missile have not yet been disclosed. Presumably, the Zircon is a two-stage rocket.
The first stage of the missile is equipped with a solid propellant rocket engine, and the second – ramjet. The ammunition range is up to 600 kilometers. The rocket is capable of speeds up to Mach 9.
The Zircon missile can be launched from standard launchers of the VLS (Vertical Launching System) 3C-14, that is, the same as those used for the Kalibr and Onyx cruise missiles. In the future, Zircon can be armed on all modern ships and submarines with the VLS.
As another TASS source in the military-industrial complex said earlier, it is planned to complete the state tests of Zircon in 2021, and to commission the missile into service in 2022.
Just days earlier, the National Interest wrote that the Zircon is quite a threat to the US Navy’s fleet, regardless if its nuclear or not.
“The Zircon hypersonic missile is alleged to be a variant of Russia’s P-880 Onyx. At Mach 2.9, the Onyx is fast, but nowhere near as fast as the Zircon, which is propelled to hypersonic speeds—in excess of Mach 5. The Zircon has a two-stage propellant system that uses a solid-fuel propellant to bring it up to speed, then is powered by a scramjet combustion engine. Launching submarine-based hypersonic missiles is a potent ability. Submarines can stay underwater for weeks or months, undetected and protected. Though the Zircon is thought to be armed with conventional explosives, it hardly matters. Traveling in the Mach 5+ range generates so much kinetic energy that even a concrete-filled warhead would create a massive explosion if it hit the ground—or a massive hole in an aircraft carrier.“
In conclusion, the author of the article said that the combination of the new Yasen-class nuclear submarine and the Zircon hypersonic missile was an incredibly dangerous combination.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
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southfront--2020-04-24--“ISIS Has Nothing Over Saudi Arabia”: Kingdom Reaches 800 Beheadings Under Salman

Another grim milestone was reached this week , but not on the COVID-19 front .
Human rights monitors have recorded that Saudi Arabia has carried out its 800th execution since King Salman bin Abdulaziz ( and by extension MbS ) began his rule five years ago most being in the form of the kingdom ’ s ‘ favored ’ beheadings .
The British nonprofit said the kingdom ’ s rate of execution in Saudi Arabia has doubled since 2015 when King Salman took over following the death of his half-brother , King Abdullah .
Of course , as Salman ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start of his rule , it ’ s widely believed crown prince Mohammed bin Salman ( MbS ) has remained the true power and day-to-day decision maker .
MbS was widely hailed as a ‘ reformer ’ – among other things promising to greatly reduce the number of annual executions , which include the ghastly methods of beheading and crucifixion .
But this is nowhere near the reality .
So much for empty talk of ‘ reform ’ , ‘ modernization ’ and ‘ progress ’ – as Middle East Eye reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comparison , Saudi authorities executed 423 people between 2009 and 2014 .
Currently , there are at least 13 juvenile defendants on death row – including Ali al-Nimr , Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher – who are “ at imminent risk of execution ” , Reprieve and the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights said .
Saudi Arabia executed six young men last year who were children at the time of their alleged offences , in a mass execution of 37 people .
Riyadh ’ s concerns no doubt now lie far elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , given the kingdom is now scrambling to bring oil prices back up after the historic global price crash this week .
Reform vs .
Reality — public beheadings as a form of political suppression : Apparently ‘ Chop Chop Square ’ was busy as usual even amid the more pressing crisis of the accelerating oil glut .
As of only last week , Amnesty International recorded 789 executions under the king , which only days later grew to 800 .
As one Newsweek headline years ago aptly observed , “ when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over Saudi Arabia .
”

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Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
Another grim milestone was reached this week, but not on the COVID-19 front. Human rights monitors have recorded that Saudi Arabia has carried out its 800th execution since King Salman bin Abdulaziz (and by extension MbS) began his rule five years ago — most being in the form of the kingdom’s ‘favored’ beheadings.
The British nonprofit Reprieve said the kingdom’s rate of execution in Saudi Arabia has doubled since 2015 when King Salman took over following the death of his half-brother, King Abdullah. Of course, as Salman’s health was reportedly increasingly fragile from the start of his rule, it’s widely believed crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) has remained the true power and day-to-day decision maker.
King Salman attending a 2016 ‘sword dance’ ceremony, via Saudi Gazette.
MbS was widely hailed as a ‘reformer’ – among other things promising to greatly reduce the number of annual executions, which include the ghastly methods of beheading and crucifixion. But this is nowhere near the reality.
So much for empty talk of ‘reform’, ‘modernization’ and ‘progress’ – as Middle East Eye reports of Reprieve’s findings:
By comparison, Saudi authorities executed 423 people between 2009 and 2014. Currently, there are at least 13 juvenile defendants on death row – including Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher – who are “at imminent risk of execution”, Reprieve and the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights said. Saudi Arabia executed six young men last year who were children at the time of their alleged offences, in a mass execution of 37 people.
Riyadh’s concerns no doubt now lie far elsewhere regarding the prior MbS rhetoric of reform, given the kingdom is now scrambling to bring oil prices back up after the historic global price crash this week.
Reform vs. Reality — public beheadings as a form of political suppression:
#WATCH: Saudi Arabia carried out 800 executions under King Salmanhttps://t.co/TrhQFgVPvR pic.twitter.com/2w3eHxVoFz — Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) April 15, 2020
Apparently ‘Chop Chop Square’ was busy as usual even amid the more pressing crisis of the accelerating oil glut. As of only last week, Amnesty International recorded 789 executions under the king, which only days later grew to 800.
As one Newsweek headline years ago aptly observed, “when it comes to beheadings, ISIS has nothing over Saudi Arabia.”
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