Doesn’t mean they are servicable though, taking a hammer to the insides of a cockpit can sort that out.

ISIS is not an orphan organisation, they have supporters at the right levels of Govts to make that happen. If bankrupt Taliban had an airforce why cant ISIS with a daily income of $3million from illegal oil business afford few planes?

Im sure there are plenty of defecting pilots and engineers willing to help ISIS out.

It doesn’t look very good does it though? IS running around with US hardware hacking off heads and slaughtering people. Unless decisive action is taken, people will tend to form the opinion that this is a conspiracy aimed at weakening the Shia allies of Iran on behalf of Israel and Saudi Arabia etc.

In 2003, the US was prepared to act without UN approval to remove Saddam. In 2011, they were prepared to act without UN approval to conduct airstrikes to remove Gaddafi (no fly zone –> CAS zone). And for Syria in 2013 the same can be said were it not for Congress/the public holding them back. Now they won’t even act with almost unanimous approval to conduct decisive airstrikes on IS, who everyone can universally agree are completely insane.

There has never been a decisive air strike against a guerrilla insurgency in recent history. Even Israel couldnt knock Hamas out by around the clock bombing of a strip of land the size of Manhattan. Even if US acts alone they are not going to commit ground troops, and you cannot win a ground war with only air power. The Sunnis and Kurds are not going to go much beyond their defensive positions in north and south of the country.

The Western Sunni area in Iraq and across the border in Syria is in ISIS hands. Who is going to take over that area from ISIS? US ground forces? And after every ISIS member has been bombed to death by air?

Far better C4ISTAR, SA and target acquisition. More assets, better comms. No harm in trying unless there’s an ulterior motive for not doing so.

C41STAR or not, I dont have any hope for a “well trained” army which fled en mass when rebels riding pick up trucks tuned up at their bases.

All that means is that these areas will be under Iraqi control as long as US bombers are flying overhead. If the soldiers on the gorund are not willing to fight what can the Americans acheive? And why would a Shia soldier die for a Sunni town somewhere in the northern desert? As long as ISIS keeps away from Shia areas they are happy.

Just have a look at how many Afghan provinces are under full Govt control.

I dont think US is legally allowed to arm the Kurds without Iraqi central govt authorisation. I would bet we will see the Ukranian rebel airforce the very next day if that was to happen.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28709530

No details on what was used though.

2 FA/18s dropped 500pound LGBs. Most likely from a carrier based in the Persian gulf.

I was thinking more of the UAE’s loss of the capability. Is it really willing to give it up?

No loss of capability as they have 300 SLAM-ERs on order along with 1200 JSOWs.

Existing inventory can be sold to Saudi Arabia if needed.

I’ve read that upto late 90s many Mirage-2000 in UAE were flown by Pakistani pilots/instructors anyways. They even wanted 200 Pakistani pilots for their Block 60s until US balked at the idea.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pakistani-pilot-deal-linked-to-us-block-on-uae-technology-49515/

Given that Iraqis would be pressing everything they have into action. How can they best use their 20 odd Super Mushak trainers (when delivered)? I think Sweden had their planes armed with gun pods and missiles, not sure of the current situation.

Given the latest news that the plane turned west, following the way points for flights travelling to europe and middle east. Could it be that due to a massive avionics/electrical failure the autopilot automatically started flying towards one of the last few destinations that had been entered into the computer?

In the days before the disappearence this plane flew to Dhaka and Mumbai.

If this was a highjacking or an accident, why would you fly from one waypoint to the other in the wrong direction? The pings to satellite indicate the following

“It supposedly headed towards a waypoint called “Vampi,” which is used by planes following route N571 to the Middle East, and then onto the “Gival” waypoint, south of the Thai island of Phuket, before heading northwest towards waypoint “Igrex,” which would take it over the Andaman Islands on route P628, used by airlines to fly towards Europe”