What a motivation for their pilots!!

Why some one become pilot for armed chopper in first place. I am sure these pilots will get promotions and bonuses for there work just like Sochi olympic medalist got cars. In this case it’s more profitable as oil price has risen by 15% since this operation started and if it becomes a prolong stay Russia is going to win big time from arms sale, overseas bases, free operational training and testing to extraction contracts to direct transfer of money in banks. On top of that big credibility.
Now there are acceptable risk from islamists that can be managed but downside very minimal.

Sounds plausible. Plenty of Tomahawks ended up crashing or hitting wrong countries too. Though, 4 out of 26(?) sounds like a high failure rate, if true.

They probably mostly dropped to remote areas. Unlikely they were routed anywhere close to large Iranian population centers.
If any dropped even remotely intact, Iranians probably wouldn’t even tell…

It says they launched more on second day.
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSKCN0S20J920151008

Sky high popularity. They need much more fire from air.
http://m.gulfnews.com/news/europe/russia/popularity-of-putin-sky-high-in-iraq-1.1597366

Your ‘expansion of theme’ was nonsense due to two points.
#1 There is nothing on earth to prove Turkey provides support to ISIS. Turkey’s position is at best neutrality. Isolationists are not evil, they just don’t want to face the consequences of interfering. All in all, Turkey critisize Russia for NOT bombing ISIS, how does that translate to Turkey supporting ISIS?

They all came from the North using Turkey airports. If turkey was not so famous for ISIS route why would even kids go there.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/15/europe/turkey-isis-british-teens-detained/

#2 Even IF you said was true, that Turkey is a dedicated supporter of ISIS, then that means Turkey is even more hostile againist Russian presence, and that would need more, not less, diplomacy and show of goodwill from the Russians, to prevent things from escalating out of control.

Turkey cant be too much hostile or escalate things once you understand the nature of regime in Turkey and how they run Turkish military into the ground. some one has to use those horses.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2015/05/27/qatari-emir-sends-53-arabian-horses-for-turkeys-ceremonial-mounted-guards

Regarding plans for additional Il-76/Phalcon AEW birds, how does this mesh with production & service plans for both DRDO’s existing ERJ 145-based AEW platform and the recently tendered A330-based program? Do additional Phalcons mean backtracking on the plan to put the smaller ERJ 145 AEW into production/service? Alternatively, does it mean the A330 program will be kicked further down the road? Or is everything going ahead and IAF to end up with 20+ AEW birds?

A330 conversion into AWACS will be one long saga.

MSphere can sleep easy!

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/norway-reconfirms-plans-to-acquire-52-f-35s-417409/

they are releasing plan in 2016. i am skeptical about norway whether they can train and maintian F-35.

things are rapidly spinning overthere!!

Just few days ago many of us were thinking why four SU-30s and not more 34s or whatever. Myself included.

Now i’m thinking if Russia wants to make another tough stand, then send another 4-6 SU-30s or even 27SM2s. That would send a strong message they are serious there.

There will be temptation if Ruaf procurment continues at current pace to open larger airbase in Irak. Irak is central place between Turkey/KSA.
They will have to see how current operations continue interms of sortie rates. 20 to 25 sorties per day will give them 7500 sorties in a year.

In fact, in short term loans the yield is negative: see here.

Stock market may collapse any minute, euro might get deflative, even the gold has plenty of fluctuations. A stable state with strong economy is safe place to invest.

This free money has nothing to do with stable and strong state. but those who are investing or providing the markets (china/us/gulf) to german goods have interests that are destroying the industrial, social and military strength of EU. Germany has to run the EU the way it is run to be attractive to these countries . a benign power.