Gaze at rocks,
Stern and permanent.
Look at highways,
seemingly infinite.
Talk to people,
Beautiful and gay.
Stroll in Van Nuys,
Uncouth, bland...
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Defense of Chad - a chivalric episode
October 14, 1986
The French bombing of Wadi Doum airfield has enraged Libya's leader Muammar Qaddafi. Qaddafi has ordered his air force to wreak havoc on Chadian capital Djamena. To destabilize Hissein Habre, Qaddafi has ordered his army to invade Northern Chad after weakening French allies with his air force. French President Francois Mitterand has counseled with former President Valery Giscard de Estaing has asked an elite force from the EC5 (Escadre de Chasse) in anticipation of Libyan air raid on Chad. Captain Claude Schramm and Lieutenant Jean Pierre Montpelier, detached as Luftflucht Kondor are deployed to Bangui with one E-2C Hawkeye and one Boeing 707 tanker under a secret ad hoc command.
Yevgeni Shevchenko, a Soviet air force Polknovnik turned mercenary for the Libyan Air Force is tasked by Libyan commanders to strike Djamena. France's foreign intelligence arm, DGSE gives accurate flight profile of jets flying out of military airfields at Tripoli and Benghazi.
Agent Bernice posing as a laborer Abdel passes secret coded SATCOM sigals to his controllers aboard a French patrol vessel off Corsica. As Shevchenko takes off, Bangui command alerts Cicogne controllers, and Schramm and Montpelier scramble at Bangui. The Boeing tanker is already on station while the E-2C patrols northern Central African Republic airspace. Each Mirage F1C is armed with two Super 530s and two R550 Magics, two tanks and one supersonic jammer.
Der Fall:- Captain Scramm and wingman Montpelier maintain altitude at 40,000 ft and establish BARCAP north of Djamena. As Shevchenko's Tu-22 approaches, the E-2C cues Luftflucht Kondor on interception position toward bearing 045, exactly six o'clock of the quarry. Schramm orders Montpelier to break formation and attack the enemy maintaining strict radar silence. 'Errinern die Pobacken Kanone,' (Remember the tail guns) keys Schramm in the highly secure and encrypted data modem. Montpelier, excited for his first kill quickly positions himself behind the Blinder. Still undetected, Montpelier unleashes IR guided R550 magic at a range of six clicks, way beyond the Tupolev's 23mm guns.
The attack is detected. Shevchenko launches his newly developed high intensity IR flares and performs evasive maeneuver. Unfortunately for Montpelier, his both missiles fail as they chase the flares. Shevchenko quickly programs his attack radar on Chadian power station and quickly launches an As-4 Kitchen cruise missile. The E-2C detects the attack and quickly alerts Schramm. 'Scheiss,' he screams breaking radio silence. He quickly moves to intercept the missile and turns on his Cyrano IV set. "Montpelier, zerstoeren das Feind," (Montpelier, destroy the enemy) he orders Montpelier.
Schramm orders a quick lock on and fires two Super 530s for a passive passive radar guided attack. Montpelier without the fire and forget Magics achieves a lock on on the enemy bomber and launches both of his remaining Super 530s. Meanwhile, Shevchenko orders his assistant Virkin to turn on ECM and jam enemy radar. Shevchenko nervous but calm with long experience climbs to 50,000 ft on Mach 1.8.
Schramm bags the AS-4 with a single hit and the missile reportedly falls on an uninhabited jungle area. A moment of tension on his face disappears as he is notified by the Hawkeye that he has succeeded in his mission. He has thus saved the life of 300 Chadian civilian workers and countless other civilians. If the missile had hit populated area of Djamena, the casualty count could have been terrible.
Schramm then orders Montpelier to quickly withdraw engaging the Tu-22. 'Montpelier, the whole Libyan air force will try to shove a spear up your ass if they get you,' he says. 'Retire, repeat, retire,' he roders hotblooded Montpelier who is furious at his failure. Both pilots have almost exhausted their fuel tanks and due to extreme supersonic maneuvers, they refuel once on air with the Boeing 707 tanker and then land at a KARI system defended base at Gemena. Chadian President Makosso, successor to previous leader Jean Bedell Bokassa, is a firm French ally. Anxious of the Libyan threat but eager for French assistance to continue his rule, Makosso wants French forces out of his capital Bangui, well within striking range of Libyan Blinders, even though only two were servicable. President Makosso feared Libyan reprisals and had invited French forces.
Once they landed, Schramm lambasts Montpelier for failing to destroy the Blinder in a sneak attack. "Hundreds could have died," he screamed at Montpelier. "I have to report to Paris." Before he relieves Montpelier, he gives a stern look to the young man and smiles. "Enjoy at Le Courbet's (with your girl). What is her name?"
"Marie, Monsieur."
"Ok go."
Schrammm returns to his quarters and writes to Elizabeth, his wife in Metz. He thinks of his son's Abitur and wants to be there in his school to watch the annual football game.
THE END
The French bombing of Wadi Doum airfield has enraged Libya's leader Muammar Qaddafi. Qaddafi has ordered his air force to wreak havoc on Chadian capital Djamena. To destabilize Hissein Habre, Qaddafi has ordered his army to invade Northern Chad after weakening French allies with his air force. French President Francois Mitterand has counseled with former President Valery Giscard de Estaing has asked an elite force from the EC5 (Escadre de Chasse) in anticipation of Libyan air raid on Chad. Captain Claude Schramm and Lieutenant Jean Pierre Montpelier, detached as Luftflucht Kondor are deployed to Bangui with one E-2C Hawkeye and one Boeing 707 tanker under a secret ad hoc command.
Yevgeni Shevchenko, a Soviet air force Polknovnik turned mercenary for the Libyan Air Force is tasked by Libyan commanders to strike Djamena. France's foreign intelligence arm, DGSE gives accurate flight profile of jets flying out of military airfields at Tripoli and Benghazi.
Agent Bernice posing as a laborer Abdel passes secret coded SATCOM sigals to his controllers aboard a French patrol vessel off Corsica. As Shevchenko takes off, Bangui command alerts Cicogne controllers, and Schramm and Montpelier scramble at Bangui. The Boeing tanker is already on station while the E-2C patrols northern Central African Republic airspace. Each Mirage F1C is armed with two Super 530s and two R550 Magics, two tanks and one supersonic jammer.
Der Fall:- Captain Scramm and wingman Montpelier maintain altitude at 40,000 ft and establish BARCAP north of Djamena. As Shevchenko's Tu-22 approaches, the E-2C cues Luftflucht Kondor on interception position toward bearing 045, exactly six o'clock of the quarry. Schramm orders Montpelier to break formation and attack the enemy maintaining strict radar silence. 'Errinern die Pobacken Kanone,' (Remember the tail guns) keys Schramm in the highly secure and encrypted data modem. Montpelier, excited for his first kill quickly positions himself behind the Blinder. Still undetected, Montpelier unleashes IR guided R550 magic at a range of six clicks, way beyond the Tupolev's 23mm guns.
The attack is detected. Shevchenko launches his newly developed high intensity IR flares and performs evasive maeneuver. Unfortunately for Montpelier, his both missiles fail as they chase the flares. Shevchenko quickly programs his attack radar on Chadian power station and quickly launches an As-4 Kitchen cruise missile. The E-2C detects the attack and quickly alerts Schramm. 'Scheiss,' he screams breaking radio silence. He quickly moves to intercept the missile and turns on his Cyrano IV set. "Montpelier, zerstoeren das Feind," (Montpelier, destroy the enemy) he orders Montpelier.
Schramm orders a quick lock on and fires two Super 530s for a passive passive radar guided attack. Montpelier without the fire and forget Magics achieves a lock on on the enemy bomber and launches both of his remaining Super 530s. Meanwhile, Shevchenko orders his assistant Virkin to turn on ECM and jam enemy radar. Shevchenko nervous but calm with long experience climbs to 50,000 ft on Mach 1.8.
Schramm bags the AS-4 with a single hit and the missile reportedly falls on an uninhabited jungle area. A moment of tension on his face disappears as he is notified by the Hawkeye that he has succeeded in his mission. He has thus saved the life of 300 Chadian civilian workers and countless other civilians. If the missile had hit populated area of Djamena, the casualty count could have been terrible.
Schramm then orders Montpelier to quickly withdraw engaging the Tu-22. 'Montpelier, the whole Libyan air force will try to shove a spear up your ass if they get you,' he says. 'Retire, repeat, retire,' he roders hotblooded Montpelier who is furious at his failure. Both pilots have almost exhausted their fuel tanks and due to extreme supersonic maneuvers, they refuel once on air with the Boeing 707 tanker and then land at a KARI system defended base at Gemena. Chadian President Makosso, successor to previous leader Jean Bedell Bokassa, is a firm French ally. Anxious of the Libyan threat but eager for French assistance to continue his rule, Makosso wants French forces out of his capital Bangui, well within striking range of Libyan Blinders, even though only two were servicable. President Makosso feared Libyan reprisals and had invited French forces.
Once they landed, Schramm lambasts Montpelier for failing to destroy the Blinder in a sneak attack. "Hundreds could have died," he screamed at Montpelier. "I have to report to Paris." Before he relieves Montpelier, he gives a stern look to the young man and smiles. "Enjoy at Le Courbet's (with your girl). What is her name?"
"Marie, Monsieur."
"Ok go."
Schrammm returns to his quarters and writes to Elizabeth, his wife in Metz. He thinks of his son's Abitur and wants to be there in his school to watch the annual football game.
THE END
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Amelia's rescue
Amelia was a Distinguished Service Cross Winner aviatrix par excellence. She could cross the Atlantic and break other aviation records at at time many women hardly had full freedom. Till yet, no woman has won presidential elections in this magnificent wonderland. Accept it; women do not control power here.
But when Amelia dispappeared in Howling Island, the US goverment mobilized several naval platforms and scores of aircraft to search for AMerica's most revered treasure. My granddad, Flying Officer BK Singh was seventeen when she dispappeared or was probably shot down or intercepted.
BKS, my granddad, was indeed a revindicarer extraordinaire. He was too young to do anything then. But he enlisted in the RAFVR and became the 2904th pilot of the British Empire. Thhe ongoing struggle between Europe and Asia over possession of vital markets and resources e.g spice, raw materials and trade was ravaging the world after the Great Depression. As an idealist Punjabi youth educated by the British, he could not afford to sit back and watch.
But if Priam would have been alive then. he would have migrated to US on a special training. he would have jumped to rescue Amelia as she represented the epitome of Ameican woman's achievement. A B-17 rigged for rescue would have been piloted by Captain Doolitle. Doolitle would have taken his elite rescue squad on a rescue run. And then, voila they spot an emaciated Amelia on a dinghy. It had happened that her plane was spotted by Imperial Japanese Army Hayabusas and intercepted. After threatening to shoot her down, the Jap pilot had damaged her rudder with 13mm machine gun fire. After loosing control Amelia lost control and ditched her abode at sea. As a Japanese destroyer approached her dinghy, the ghost ship appeared out of the blue and firebolted the destroyer Nishi. Nishi's captain gave in as he feared American reprisal. Then Captain Priam jumped from the B-17 in a special line designed by Noonan. With a tube in his shoulder, Priam reached the emaciated thinning body of a woman he admired. Carrying her in his shoulder. he gently lifted her and shot called WO Noonan aboard the Green Gull. With a gusto, the line lifted the rescuer with his prize. Aboard, a blanket was thrown open and Amelia's husband Putnam comforted his wife. With a cup of hot coffee and caramel, Amelia whipsered,"Where am I..".
But when Amelia dispappeared in Howling Island, the US goverment mobilized several naval platforms and scores of aircraft to search for AMerica's most revered treasure. My granddad, Flying Officer BK Singh was seventeen when she dispappeared or was probably shot down or intercepted.
BKS, my granddad, was indeed a revindicarer extraordinaire. He was too young to do anything then. But he enlisted in the RAFVR and became the 2904th pilot of the British Empire. Thhe ongoing struggle between Europe and Asia over possession of vital markets and resources e.g spice, raw materials and trade was ravaging the world after the Great Depression. As an idealist Punjabi youth educated by the British, he could not afford to sit back and watch.
But if Priam would have been alive then. he would have migrated to US on a special training. he would have jumped to rescue Amelia as she represented the epitome of Ameican woman's achievement. A B-17 rigged for rescue would have been piloted by Captain Doolitle. Doolitle would have taken his elite rescue squad on a rescue run. And then, voila they spot an emaciated Amelia on a dinghy. It had happened that her plane was spotted by Imperial Japanese Army Hayabusas and intercepted. After threatening to shoot her down, the Jap pilot had damaged her rudder with 13mm machine gun fire. After loosing control Amelia lost control and ditched her abode at sea. As a Japanese destroyer approached her dinghy, the ghost ship appeared out of the blue and firebolted the destroyer Nishi. Nishi's captain gave in as he feared American reprisal. Then Captain Priam jumped from the B-17 in a special line designed by Noonan. With a tube in his shoulder, Priam reached the emaciated thinning body of a woman he admired. Carrying her in his shoulder. he gently lifted her and shot called WO Noonan aboard the Green Gull. With a gusto, the line lifted the rescuer with his prize. Aboard, a blanket was thrown open and Amelia's husband Putnam comforted his wife. With a cup of hot coffee and caramel, Amelia whipsered,"Where am I..".
Monday, May 04, 2009
Israel-LA ties strong
US-Israel ties strong
By P Rana
Van Nuys, San Fernando Valley, May 3, 2009
LASD Chief Lee Baca Sunday stressed on cordial US-Israeli ties. On the 61st anniversary of the founding of the Jewish state, the LASD chief also spoke of lasting bond between the 490,000 strong Jewish community in LA and Israel.
The Woodley Park event in San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County was attended by Wendy Greuel (D), LA City Councilwoman, Gil Artzyeli, assistant consul general of Israel and Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai. Stalls selling food, T-shirts, water filters as well as insurance, education and Judaica were present. Tel Aviv's famous Dizenghoff street was featured in the pavilion. The Ben Gurion pavilion displayed a stall featuring Israel's famous El Al airline. Councilman Jack Weiss (D) stall featured free combs to supporters. NCJW, thrift store chain, displayed its famous Judaica art. British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli's biography was also displayed. The GOP also had a stall.
The most striking feature was the parajump. Five skydivers carried flags of Israel and the United States. A chute painted with French tricolor was also among the others. DJ music, rock climbing and children's games were also part of the program. Israel's famous export, orange juice was also featured while a film festival display included art films to shore up Israeli culture.
Sixty-one years ago Israeli Jewish residents and migrants who escaped World War II, many of them victims of genocide, declared a Jewish state of Israel in Palestine, a backwater in the Ottoman Empire although culturally significant to Europe. Arab residents opposed its creation and the newly independent Arab states of Syria, Egypt and Jordan declared war. Israeli volunteers defeated the Arab invading armies and the new state was born. Israel today is the leading democracy among mostly authoritarian and sometimes hostile neighboring states. Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are cultural and learning centers in the Middle East.
*Data credit goes to Wikipedia.org while the writer was present there at the program.
By P Rana
Van Nuys, San Fernando Valley, May 3, 2009
LASD Chief Lee Baca Sunday stressed on cordial US-Israeli ties. On the 61st anniversary of the founding of the Jewish state, the LASD chief also spoke of lasting bond between the 490,000 strong Jewish community in LA and Israel.
The Woodley Park event in San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County was attended by Wendy Greuel (D), LA City Councilwoman, Gil Artzyeli, assistant consul general of Israel and Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai. Stalls selling food, T-shirts, water filters as well as insurance, education and Judaica were present. Tel Aviv's famous Dizenghoff street was featured in the pavilion. The Ben Gurion pavilion displayed a stall featuring Israel's famous El Al airline. Councilman Jack Weiss (D) stall featured free combs to supporters. NCJW, thrift store chain, displayed its famous Judaica art. British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli's biography was also displayed. The GOP also had a stall.
The most striking feature was the parajump. Five skydivers carried flags of Israel and the United States. A chute painted with French tricolor was also among the others. DJ music, rock climbing and children's games were also part of the program. Israel's famous export, orange juice was also featured while a film festival display included art films to shore up Israeli culture.
Sixty-one years ago Israeli Jewish residents and migrants who escaped World War II, many of them victims of genocide, declared a Jewish state of Israel in Palestine, a backwater in the Ottoman Empire although culturally significant to Europe. Arab residents opposed its creation and the newly independent Arab states of Syria, Egypt and Jordan declared war. Israeli volunteers defeated the Arab invading armies and the new state was born. Israel today is the leading democracy among mostly authoritarian and sometimes hostile neighboring states. Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are cultural and learning centers in the Middle East.
*Data credit goes to Wikipedia.org while the writer was present there at the program.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Lt. Meir's Angst
Iran-Syria axis against Israel- A typical scenario
Time March 24, 2012
The US has undertaken limited military operations against Iran. Iranian reactor at Busehr was hit by conventional Peacekeeper wing from North Dakota based 23rd ICBM Wing. Iran threatened immediate reprisal against US assets and military personnel based in the Middle East. Blaming the attack on Israeli lobby, Iranian parliament passes a bill to undertake limited military operations against Israel. As the Iranian government under Ahmedinejad faced immediate Israeli counterstrike, the Iranian IRBM tipped ballistic missile force was to be used only as a last resort. Iranian IRGC chief General Hajestani auhtorizes a transfer of four former Iraqi Mirage F1EQ strike aircraft to Syria. Painted in Syrian Air Force markings but flown by veteran Iranian pilot, Major Rashadeh, the elite strike unit is despatched to Damascus. The four planes are configured as follows:-
-BS353 Mirage F1EQ two tanks and two AS-30 Laser guided anti-surface missiles (Maj Rashadeh)
-BS354 Mirage F1EQ two ARMAT anti-radiation missiles and two tanks (Capt. Rashani)
-BS355 Mirage F1EQ two Matra Magic and two AA-10 'Alamo' IR guided AAMs (Capt Dagestani)
-BS356 Mirage F1EQ two Matra Magic and two AA-10 'Alamo' Semi-active radar AAMs (Capt Mojiar)
-MT135 Ilyushin 76 Candid tanker
-MS136 Ilyushin 76 'Mainstay' AWACS
The self styled 'Jurrat' force leaves Mehrabad airbase and heads straight to Damascus. Brig. Gen. Nuristani, a Russian air force acaedemy graduate IRGC officer takes command of this unit. The Glonass, the Russian GPS system, backs up this task force while another strategic Iranian airlift deploys SA-10 'Grumble' batteries in Damascus airport. Syrian armored units equipped with T-72s and T-80s accompanied by BMP-3s roll to Southern Lebanon, screened by SA-11 Gadfly batteries with advanced jammers and Kolchuga passive sensors.
On October 25, 2012, Maj. Rashadeh attempts to strike Israeli border post, a barrack of the Golani brigade reconnaissance unit beyond the blue line. Another unit of Su-33 Flankers, piloted by Ukrainian mercenaries, organize a Barrier Combat Air Patrol in case Israeli fighters try to intercept the strike package. Beirut based Lebanese MiG-29 unit is already on alert in case Israeli air force attempts to take em out. On dawn 3:00 AM, Rashadeh's flight attempts to lase the barrack and strike it. But, IsAF quickly foils the attempt by scrambling F-15Cs. As the AS-30 Strike is foiled, Capt. Rashani fires two ARMAT at a Hawk battery and manages to take it out despite attempts by the battery crew to switch off the system and use the new Elbit designed jammer. Four IDF soldeirs including a Sergeant is killed. Ten others were injured. The IsAF quickly attempts to manage a hasty fighter sweep but is foiled by SA-10 batteries to penetrate deep into Damascus sky. As the F-22 Raptors were grounded due to prodcution problems associated with the global economic crisis, the F-15s had to return back. At that moment, Nuristani decides to outflank IsAF defenders.
Intel sources obtained from Moscow both HUMINT and IMINT has detected a US relief convoy of two ships, one 10,000 ton SS Maria and a 6,000 ton SS Vadim, Ukrainian freighters, loaded with 100 M1A2 Abrams hastily purchased from US stocks and sent to IDF as immediate replacement for its Merkava fleet. The Jewish Lobby had persuaded Senators and the president to despatch this immediate relief in light of Iranian threat to send thousands of Sipah e Basij e Pasdaran volunteers on trucks through Iraq via Syria to the Golan to evict IDF 'occupation of Syrian territory'. Feindish Nuristani asks Rashadeh to quickly pounce on these. Rashadeh and his flight quickly move toward Northwestern Syria and land at Baniyas airbase. From a missile cache built up from French blackmarketeers, Syrian groundcrew load newly acquired AM39 Exocets, three each on Shehadeh and Rashanis multi-role jets while the other two Mirages escort the strike package. The Israeli air patrol in this area was limited and the two Iranian pilots score a major victory. The two ships receive two hits each causing both ships to capsize and sink with its cargo. Some crew escape but a precious cargo of Abrams tanks costing the US government nearly five hundred million dollars is lost. The Iranians achieve this victory with spending just around a hundred million dollars. There is immediate UN brokered ceasefire and as in 2006, Israel is left without a decisive victory for the second time.
Time March 24, 2012
The US has undertaken limited military operations against Iran. Iranian reactor at Busehr was hit by conventional Peacekeeper wing from North Dakota based 23rd ICBM Wing. Iran threatened immediate reprisal against US assets and military personnel based in the Middle East. Blaming the attack on Israeli lobby, Iranian parliament passes a bill to undertake limited military operations against Israel. As the Iranian government under Ahmedinejad faced immediate Israeli counterstrike, the Iranian IRBM tipped ballistic missile force was to be used only as a last resort. Iranian IRGC chief General Hajestani auhtorizes a transfer of four former Iraqi Mirage F1EQ strike aircraft to Syria. Painted in Syrian Air Force markings but flown by veteran Iranian pilot, Major Rashadeh, the elite strike unit is despatched to Damascus. The four planes are configured as follows:-
-BS353 Mirage F1EQ two tanks and two AS-30 Laser guided anti-surface missiles (Maj Rashadeh)
-BS354 Mirage F1EQ two ARMAT anti-radiation missiles and two tanks (Capt. Rashani)
-BS355 Mirage F1EQ two Matra Magic and two AA-10 'Alamo' IR guided AAMs (Capt Dagestani)
-BS356 Mirage F1EQ two Matra Magic and two AA-10 'Alamo' Semi-active radar AAMs (Capt Mojiar)
-MT135 Ilyushin 76 Candid tanker
-MS136 Ilyushin 76 'Mainstay' AWACS
The self styled 'Jurrat' force leaves Mehrabad airbase and heads straight to Damascus. Brig. Gen. Nuristani, a Russian air force acaedemy graduate IRGC officer takes command of this unit. The Glonass, the Russian GPS system, backs up this task force while another strategic Iranian airlift deploys SA-10 'Grumble' batteries in Damascus airport. Syrian armored units equipped with T-72s and T-80s accompanied by BMP-3s roll to Southern Lebanon, screened by SA-11 Gadfly batteries with advanced jammers and Kolchuga passive sensors.
On October 25, 2012, Maj. Rashadeh attempts to strike Israeli border post, a barrack of the Golani brigade reconnaissance unit beyond the blue line. Another unit of Su-33 Flankers, piloted by Ukrainian mercenaries, organize a Barrier Combat Air Patrol in case Israeli fighters try to intercept the strike package. Beirut based Lebanese MiG-29 unit is already on alert in case Israeli air force attempts to take em out. On dawn 3:00 AM, Rashadeh's flight attempts to lase the barrack and strike it. But, IsAF quickly foils the attempt by scrambling F-15Cs. As the AS-30 Strike is foiled, Capt. Rashani fires two ARMAT at a Hawk battery and manages to take it out despite attempts by the battery crew to switch off the system and use the new Elbit designed jammer. Four IDF soldeirs including a Sergeant is killed. Ten others were injured. The IsAF quickly attempts to manage a hasty fighter sweep but is foiled by SA-10 batteries to penetrate deep into Damascus sky. As the F-22 Raptors were grounded due to prodcution problems associated with the global economic crisis, the F-15s had to return back. At that moment, Nuristani decides to outflank IsAF defenders.
Intel sources obtained from Moscow both HUMINT and IMINT has detected a US relief convoy of two ships, one 10,000 ton SS Maria and a 6,000 ton SS Vadim, Ukrainian freighters, loaded with 100 M1A2 Abrams hastily purchased from US stocks and sent to IDF as immediate replacement for its Merkava fleet. The Jewish Lobby had persuaded Senators and the president to despatch this immediate relief in light of Iranian threat to send thousands of Sipah e Basij e Pasdaran volunteers on trucks through Iraq via Syria to the Golan to evict IDF 'occupation of Syrian territory'. Feindish Nuristani asks Rashadeh to quickly pounce on these. Rashadeh and his flight quickly move toward Northwestern Syria and land at Baniyas airbase. From a missile cache built up from French blackmarketeers, Syrian groundcrew load newly acquired AM39 Exocets, three each on Shehadeh and Rashanis multi-role jets while the other two Mirages escort the strike package. The Israeli air patrol in this area was limited and the two Iranian pilots score a major victory. The two ships receive two hits each causing both ships to capsize and sink with its cargo. Some crew escape but a precious cargo of Abrams tanks costing the US government nearly five hundred million dollars is lost. The Iranians achieve this victory with spending just around a hundred million dollars. There is immediate UN brokered ceasefire and as in 2006, Israel is left without a decisive victory for the second time.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Dragon Fury
A limited force takeover of Taiwan by Beijing
The Republic of China and its political community had to contend a strong movement - The Chinese Communist Party led by Mao Tse Tung backed by Russia, communist Americans and other Third World leaders. In 1911, Sun Yatsen's Nationalist Republican movement deposed the ancient Manchu rulers after the country became extremely poor and ineffective. The country's major ports and trade were controlled by Europeans and Americans. From early 1930s Imperial Japan also asserted control over vast Chinese market and occupied with its land forces. The Nationalists and the Communists both fielded propaganda cadres and field armies. The Russians also helped the nationalists with aviation units and pilots according to Russian military newspapers available in Nepal. It is sold in Bajeko Pasal in Biratnagar, Eastern Nepal. These pilots conducted bombing missions against the Imperial Japanese positions inside China in apparently a broader effort to follow Russia's policy of containing Japanese power in Siberia, Sakhalin, Mongolia and Northwest China. Communist Chinese propaganda also spoke of Hitler's help to Nationalist forces in form of possibly monetary aid or technicians or aircraft and tanks and probably military experts like General Liman von Sanders who went to Turkey to counter Russian advances against Turkey's eastern provinces.
The Nationalists were also backed by Americans who sent their able General Stillwell who was quartered in Kunming, South China according to Robert Leckie's Delivered from Evil. Initially the Chinese Kuomintang (Nationalists) and Chinese communists fought among each other but briefly were diverted to fight the foreign Japanese invaders. After regular defeats at the hands of Japanese, US pilots under General Stillwell's orders organized the American Volunteers Group or the Flying Tigers under Colonel Claire Chennault. These valiant men attacked Japan's aviation and military logistics. Interestingly, these men wore jackets marked with the Nationalist flag, the red rectangle with blue corner with the white sun. Accompanying the Chinese flag were Cantonese characters asking peasants to save these pilots and spare them from Japanese retribution. To my chagrin, my father had a Hino Maru riddled with bulletholes, a family memento acquired by some veterans.
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Deecmber 7, 1941, in a bid to isolate US trade with China and assert total control of the Pacific. After surprising US naval units and incapacitating US Pacific Fleet, the Imperial Japanese forces quickly landed troops in Pacific theater ranging from Singapore, Siam, South Pacific in addition to the already occupied China. The Japanese also had a broader aim of invading and controlling Australia from European control.
Japan's European Axis allies Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy also declared war against US which was in my opinion a disastrous move by the German government. Germany should have left England alone and focused on Halsford Mackinder's lectures and moved swiftly to isolate communist control of Russia and the vast resources in Central Asia. Hitler's lack of foresight led to Germany's defeat in Africa despite the brilliant leadership of General Erwin Eugen Johannes Rommel. Also his failure to convince Churchill as he persuaded Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain that Germany's only threat was in the East and Germany could compete favorably with France and the British Empire in a freer hostilities free free trade in Africa and Latin America. Such was Germany's fate then.
The US became hopelessly engaged in European crusade against Germany and failed to help Germany to rescue the backward Russian people from Eurocentrism and enlightenment. Germany could have better managed Russia's natural resources and helped Russian people from throwing away the yoke of forced collectivization and godless anti-individual communism. Besides, Stalin was building a strong army - millions of men with tanks and airplanes to threaten Eastern Europe. His eventual goal was to spread communism throughout Europe and the Third World. Lenin had already produced a thesis severely criticising Euopean presence and supposed exploitation and control of Africa and Latin America by Europeans. Therefore it was natural for Germany to send its forces eastward to contain this Marxist threat.
But the United States government under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt continued warfare against Axis forces. Sending war materials to England created the Battle of the Atlantic, a fearsome struggle of Allied ships (British, Canadian and US) against Germany's vaunted U-Boats. German Admirals Erich Raeder and Karl 'Papa' Doenitz attempted to check US resupply of England and Russia in the high Atlantic. But the British forces prevailed and defeated Germany's pocketbatleship force as well as the U-Boats after a long and costly struggle. Allied invasion of Normany on June 6, 1944 diverted German troops from the Eastern Front leading to the collapse of German resistance against Russian advance. As Germany surrendered and Japanese were contained in the Pacific, anti-democratic communist forces became stronger. After the agreement to divide Germany into Allied zones, the Russians stamped out German culture in Eastern Europe. Ethnic Germans were kicked out of traditional German cities like Koenigsberg and other Polish towns like Danzig (renamed Gdansk by the victorious Russians and Poles). Iron Curtain, a term popularized by Churchill, descended upon Europe.
The Truman administration (Roosevelt died while in office) was forced to take Hobson's choice of either invading Japanese home islands or to drop newly developed atomic weapons to force the reluctant Japanese for unconditional surrender. The Army under General Douglas McArthur had already produced plans for Operation Olympic - the invasion of Kyushu, the southernmost Japanese home island. A more audacious albeit highly risky plan was the Operation Coronet, the invasion of Honshu island near Tokyo, the capital city. According to a Newsweek report Operation Coronet was likely to produce a million casualties for US servicemen. Therefore to mitigate casualties and to quell calls by servicemen to return home after a long and bloody armed conflict, Truman decided to use the untried weapons - Little Boy and Fat Man - against Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulting in over 200,000 Japanese casualties plus the radiation and cancer for many generations of Japanese city residents. But what could have he done? Could he ask one million US soldiers to die in vain effort to control a Samurai state? Tibbets just did what he was ordered to.
After Japan's unconditional surrender, communist Chinese forces swiftly asserted control of mainland China and defeated the Nationalists in one after another battles. The Nationalists retreated to Formosa with a million supporters while Mao Tse Tung declared victory and established a People's Republic, a communist dictatorship, in 1949.
The Taiwanese had to fear China's eventual invasion of Taiwan (Formosa) and they valiantly held small islands of Quemoy and Matsu despite artillery raids and constant loudspeaker propaganda. China has acquired vast quantity of arms from Russia and produces many aircraft and tanks of mainly Russian design without license in its state arsenal factories. It has the world's largest standing army while its military potentail remains largest due to its vast population of one billion and huge industrial capacity. China has strategic steel industry theoretically giving it expertise to produce ships as large as wartime Japan's massive battleship sisters Shinano, Yamato and Musashi. The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has acquired a Varyag (Kuznetsov class) carrier from Russia to expand its blue water capability. In addition its Jianghu frigates, Luhu destroyers and other fleet escorts have been available to other interested buyers from Southeast Asia.
The author would like to describe a scenario in which the PLAN equipped with Russian designed Sovremenny class destroyers (two were delivered in December 1999 and November 2000, while the other two were delivered in December 2005 and September 2006 according to www.naval-technology.com) armed with supersonic cruise Surface to surface missiles (SSMs) can support an amphibious operation to forcibly take control of Taiwan. At a time when Taiwan's traditional security guarantor the United States is already overtaxed with farflung contingencies and a global economic crisis, the Chinese generals and admirals Admiral Liu Huajing and Chi Haotian can plan a quick takeover of Taiwan with a principle of economy of force as well as their indigenous Sun Tzu's Art of War. A sea incident in pirate infested Molucca Straits against China's trade ships by US Navy boarding for suspected arms material to Third World rogue states or a standoff between Taiwanese Navy and PLAN vessels in Spratlys and Paracels disputed islands can easily falre up an already existing tensions to volcanic proportions. The Chinese military leaders can plan a swift conventional ballistic attack (nuclear weapons not preferred as Taiwan's infrastructure and population is to be saved) against Taiwan's Ministry of Defense and other defense facilities as well as political and military leaders like Dr. Lian Chen, former defense minister and Admiral Hau Peitsun by heliborne special forces. The Chinese J-11 (Su-27 copies) can swiftly establish offensive sweeps and BARCAP against Taiwan's F/A-18, F-16 and Mirage 2000-5 units. After sweeping the Taiwan's air force with sheer numbers (the same human wave Maoist tactic used successfully against infantry opponents) but backed by Ilyushin Il-76 Mainstay AWACS platform and a squadron of converted Boeing tankers acuired from Israel. Replicating Nazi takeover of Crete, the force majeure can quickly turn the tide of world opinion for a 'unification' on Beijing's terms.
The Taiwanese air force and navy units attempt massive resistance. Its air force strikes and disables a single Sovremenny destroyer Admiral Chu Teh and quickly orders an orderly withdrawal to Japan. Naval platforms also withdraw to Japan and the US. The Taiwanese diaspora is permanently lodged in San Francisco and Los Angeles planning for a comeback which is a far cry. The Third World quickly accepts Beijing's unification campaign while the US is unable to do anything for fear of provoking a nuclear exchange with Beijing's newly built fleet of rail mobile ICBMs. Also the president and the Pentagon cannot discount threat posed by China's SSBNs or in a limited scenario an unrestricted submarine warfare conducted by China's Mao class of SSNs. The threat posed by Chinese ocean going diesel boats in choke points like the Straits of Molucca cannot be discounted. And, recent threats by North Korea's missile test over Japanese airspace and UN's inability to tame the ambition of Pyongyang's unpredictable leadership and its reclusive leaders Kim Jong Il and his son recounts the volatility of the international system.
THE END.
-Pritam S Rana
Note:-This article lacks logos appeals of up to date statistics and is basically enthymematic. I recommend to interested parties to insert more objective tools and graphics to enhance this article into a professional piece on par with those produced by writers of Jane's and IACSP Journal. Much of the original information and name credit goes to Jane's Defense Weekly, apublication registered in Surrey, United Kingdom. I became a defense analyst reading their materials and the JDW magazine in 1990-91 period. The publication gave me rights to use their material with proper accredition. I remember a letter by editor Michael Howard, if the name is still correct in my memory.
The Republic of China and its political community had to contend a strong movement - The Chinese Communist Party led by Mao Tse Tung backed by Russia, communist Americans and other Third World leaders. In 1911, Sun Yatsen's Nationalist Republican movement deposed the ancient Manchu rulers after the country became extremely poor and ineffective. The country's major ports and trade were controlled by Europeans and Americans. From early 1930s Imperial Japan also asserted control over vast Chinese market and occupied with its land forces. The Nationalists and the Communists both fielded propaganda cadres and field armies. The Russians also helped the nationalists with aviation units and pilots according to Russian military newspapers available in Nepal. It is sold in Bajeko Pasal in Biratnagar, Eastern Nepal. These pilots conducted bombing missions against the Imperial Japanese positions inside China in apparently a broader effort to follow Russia's policy of containing Japanese power in Siberia, Sakhalin, Mongolia and Northwest China. Communist Chinese propaganda also spoke of Hitler's help to Nationalist forces in form of possibly monetary aid or technicians or aircraft and tanks and probably military experts like General Liman von Sanders who went to Turkey to counter Russian advances against Turkey's eastern provinces.
The Nationalists were also backed by Americans who sent their able General Stillwell who was quartered in Kunming, South China according to Robert Leckie's Delivered from Evil. Initially the Chinese Kuomintang (Nationalists) and Chinese communists fought among each other but briefly were diverted to fight the foreign Japanese invaders. After regular defeats at the hands of Japanese, US pilots under General Stillwell's orders organized the American Volunteers Group or the Flying Tigers under Colonel Claire Chennault. These valiant men attacked Japan's aviation and military logistics. Interestingly, these men wore jackets marked with the Nationalist flag, the red rectangle with blue corner with the white sun. Accompanying the Chinese flag were Cantonese characters asking peasants to save these pilots and spare them from Japanese retribution. To my chagrin, my father had a Hino Maru riddled with bulletholes, a family memento acquired by some veterans.
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Deecmber 7, 1941, in a bid to isolate US trade with China and assert total control of the Pacific. After surprising US naval units and incapacitating US Pacific Fleet, the Imperial Japanese forces quickly landed troops in Pacific theater ranging from Singapore, Siam, South Pacific in addition to the already occupied China. The Japanese also had a broader aim of invading and controlling Australia from European control.
Japan's European Axis allies Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy also declared war against US which was in my opinion a disastrous move by the German government. Germany should have left England alone and focused on Halsford Mackinder's lectures and moved swiftly to isolate communist control of Russia and the vast resources in Central Asia. Hitler's lack of foresight led to Germany's defeat in Africa despite the brilliant leadership of General Erwin Eugen Johannes Rommel. Also his failure to convince Churchill as he persuaded Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain that Germany's only threat was in the East and Germany could compete favorably with France and the British Empire in a freer hostilities free free trade in Africa and Latin America. Such was Germany's fate then.
The US became hopelessly engaged in European crusade against Germany and failed to help Germany to rescue the backward Russian people from Eurocentrism and enlightenment. Germany could have better managed Russia's natural resources and helped Russian people from throwing away the yoke of forced collectivization and godless anti-individual communism. Besides, Stalin was building a strong army - millions of men with tanks and airplanes to threaten Eastern Europe. His eventual goal was to spread communism throughout Europe and the Third World. Lenin had already produced a thesis severely criticising Euopean presence and supposed exploitation and control of Africa and Latin America by Europeans. Therefore it was natural for Germany to send its forces eastward to contain this Marxist threat.
But the United States government under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt continued warfare against Axis forces. Sending war materials to England created the Battle of the Atlantic, a fearsome struggle of Allied ships (British, Canadian and US) against Germany's vaunted U-Boats. German Admirals Erich Raeder and Karl 'Papa' Doenitz attempted to check US resupply of England and Russia in the high Atlantic. But the British forces prevailed and defeated Germany's pocketbatleship force as well as the U-Boats after a long and costly struggle. Allied invasion of Normany on June 6, 1944 diverted German troops from the Eastern Front leading to the collapse of German resistance against Russian advance. As Germany surrendered and Japanese were contained in the Pacific, anti-democratic communist forces became stronger. After the agreement to divide Germany into Allied zones, the Russians stamped out German culture in Eastern Europe. Ethnic Germans were kicked out of traditional German cities like Koenigsberg and other Polish towns like Danzig (renamed Gdansk by the victorious Russians and Poles). Iron Curtain, a term popularized by Churchill, descended upon Europe.
The Truman administration (Roosevelt died while in office) was forced to take Hobson's choice of either invading Japanese home islands or to drop newly developed atomic weapons to force the reluctant Japanese for unconditional surrender. The Army under General Douglas McArthur had already produced plans for Operation Olympic - the invasion of Kyushu, the southernmost Japanese home island. A more audacious albeit highly risky plan was the Operation Coronet, the invasion of Honshu island near Tokyo, the capital city. According to a Newsweek report Operation Coronet was likely to produce a million casualties for US servicemen. Therefore to mitigate casualties and to quell calls by servicemen to return home after a long and bloody armed conflict, Truman decided to use the untried weapons - Little Boy and Fat Man - against Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulting in over 200,000 Japanese casualties plus the radiation and cancer for many generations of Japanese city residents. But what could have he done? Could he ask one million US soldiers to die in vain effort to control a Samurai state? Tibbets just did what he was ordered to.
After Japan's unconditional surrender, communist Chinese forces swiftly asserted control of mainland China and defeated the Nationalists in one after another battles. The Nationalists retreated to Formosa with a million supporters while Mao Tse Tung declared victory and established a People's Republic, a communist dictatorship, in 1949.
The Taiwanese had to fear China's eventual invasion of Taiwan (Formosa) and they valiantly held small islands of Quemoy and Matsu despite artillery raids and constant loudspeaker propaganda. China has acquired vast quantity of arms from Russia and produces many aircraft and tanks of mainly Russian design without license in its state arsenal factories. It has the world's largest standing army while its military potentail remains largest due to its vast population of one billion and huge industrial capacity. China has strategic steel industry theoretically giving it expertise to produce ships as large as wartime Japan's massive battleship sisters Shinano, Yamato and Musashi. The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has acquired a Varyag (Kuznetsov class) carrier from Russia to expand its blue water capability. In addition its Jianghu frigates, Luhu destroyers and other fleet escorts have been available to other interested buyers from Southeast Asia.
The author would like to describe a scenario in which the PLAN equipped with Russian designed Sovremenny class destroyers (two were delivered in December 1999 and November 2000, while the other two were delivered in December 2005 and September 2006 according to www.naval-technology.com) armed with supersonic cruise Surface to surface missiles (SSMs) can support an amphibious operation to forcibly take control of Taiwan. At a time when Taiwan's traditional security guarantor the United States is already overtaxed with farflung contingencies and a global economic crisis, the Chinese generals and admirals Admiral Liu Huajing and Chi Haotian can plan a quick takeover of Taiwan with a principle of economy of force as well as their indigenous Sun Tzu's Art of War. A sea incident in pirate infested Molucca Straits against China's trade ships by US Navy boarding for suspected arms material to Third World rogue states or a standoff between Taiwanese Navy and PLAN vessels in Spratlys and Paracels disputed islands can easily falre up an already existing tensions to volcanic proportions. The Chinese military leaders can plan a swift conventional ballistic attack (nuclear weapons not preferred as Taiwan's infrastructure and population is to be saved) against Taiwan's Ministry of Defense and other defense facilities as well as political and military leaders like Dr. Lian Chen, former defense minister and Admiral Hau Peitsun by heliborne special forces. The Chinese J-11 (Su-27 copies) can swiftly establish offensive sweeps and BARCAP against Taiwan's F/A-18, F-16 and Mirage 2000-5 units. After sweeping the Taiwan's air force with sheer numbers (the same human wave Maoist tactic used successfully against infantry opponents) but backed by Ilyushin Il-76 Mainstay AWACS platform and a squadron of converted Boeing tankers acuired from Israel. Replicating Nazi takeover of Crete, the force majeure can quickly turn the tide of world opinion for a 'unification' on Beijing's terms.
The Taiwanese air force and navy units attempt massive resistance. Its air force strikes and disables a single Sovremenny destroyer Admiral Chu Teh and quickly orders an orderly withdrawal to Japan. Naval platforms also withdraw to Japan and the US. The Taiwanese diaspora is permanently lodged in San Francisco and Los Angeles planning for a comeback which is a far cry. The Third World quickly accepts Beijing's unification campaign while the US is unable to do anything for fear of provoking a nuclear exchange with Beijing's newly built fleet of rail mobile ICBMs. Also the president and the Pentagon cannot discount threat posed by China's SSBNs or in a limited scenario an unrestricted submarine warfare conducted by China's Mao class of SSNs. The threat posed by Chinese ocean going diesel boats in choke points like the Straits of Molucca cannot be discounted. And, recent threats by North Korea's missile test over Japanese airspace and UN's inability to tame the ambition of Pyongyang's unpredictable leadership and its reclusive leaders Kim Jong Il and his son recounts the volatility of the international system.
THE END.
-Pritam S Rana
Note:-This article lacks logos appeals of up to date statistics and is basically enthymematic. I recommend to interested parties to insert more objective tools and graphics to enhance this article into a professional piece on par with those produced by writers of Jane's and IACSP Journal. Much of the original information and name credit goes to Jane's Defense Weekly, apublication registered in Surrey, United Kingdom. I became a defense analyst reading their materials and the JDW magazine in 1990-91 period. The publication gave me rights to use their material with proper accredition. I remember a letter by editor Michael Howard, if the name is still correct in my memory.
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