GarryB wrote.

Several times commanders have claimed evidence of Iranian weapons being captured only for experts to examine the said evidence and it has proven to be not Iranian. I think that proves the Iranians have gone out of their way to avoid such a thing… I doubt the US and UK think of Iran any better for their not interfering directly in the conflicts on their borders.

Come on Garry. I suppose you also believe that the Iranian DIO website is a CIA production?

Is Kurt Nimmo one of your ‘experts’?

http://www.infowars.com/articles/ww3/iran_neocon_iranian_mortar_ruse_fizzles.htm

http://forums.hannity.com/showthread.php?t=237693

When the U.S. showed the Iranian mortar rounds the loud cry on the Internet was the the whole DIOMIL webpage was simply fake and a creation of the CIA

http://www.diomil.ir/

http://www.diomil.ir/images/product/Original/amig/mor81high.jpg

Even if the weapons are not directly supplied by the Iranian Government then certain groups within Iran are assisting. Iraqi border guards have intercepted shaped charges and components coming over the border. The most likely assistance is from unchecked elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

TJ

If they really want to do this then their best bet is to fire cruise missiles from their submarine fleet. Move a few into the Persian Gulf and let fly. Solves all sorts of problems and raises confusion as to who actually did it, making Iran’s retaliatory options a bit muddled. The question then becomes whether or not Israel has the willpower to do this without informing the US. It also solves the problem of having to deal with many geographically separated sites.

All the Dolphins are Med based. It isn’t like they could hide such a movement through the Suez in order to get them out via the Red Sea? They would have to piggy-back or convert merchant vessels to carry the subs out via the Gibraltar Straits and all the way to the Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf.

That is why all the stories about Israeli Dophin’s firing cruise missile in association with India, in the Indian Ocean/Bay of Bengal, are utter non-sense.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/germany-may-sell-2-more-dolphin-subs-to-israel-for-117b-01528/

TJ

Who would stop them? Well, the strongest air force in the world. Why would the U.S allow this? An Israeli attack on Iran, coming from US controlled airspace will -as swerve has pointed out several times by now- be interpeted (and rightly so) as an american attack on Iran by the mullas. The direct effect of the attack for the Israelis might not be that dangerous, but most likely so for the US. It is American soldiers that will take the heat when Jaish-e-Mahdi and other Shiite militias start going berserk in Iraq to avenge the bombings. Not to mention the catastrofic diplomatic consequences an Israeli attack would have for the US led WOT in the Mid East. The arabs could probbably accept a US attack on Iran (they never liked the Persians any way, so), but never an Israeli one.

So my bet flying over Iraq is a no-no option for IAF (unless they gamble that the americans will be willing to take the hits and not stop the bombers). An overflight of Syria/Turkey seems mouch more likely. (The Turk shouldnt be too happy about Iranian nukes either, so they may well be willing to turn a blind eye to the whole thing).

Anyone know what the IDF in-flight-refuling capacity is, btw?

Iran is going to view any airstrike as having U.S. assitance all over it. The Israelis will notify the U.S. of their intentions and that will be all. The U.S. isn’t going to take any military action against Israeli aircraft. In my opinion it will finally be the push that the U.S. needs to de-fang Iran’s military.

The last thing that Turkey wants is to be part of or simply being the conduit of a potential major conflict in the region. I can’t see them allowing a strike package through their airspace? Faced with that reality I can see Israel taking the path through the most direct route via Jordanian airspace. Issue Jordan with a simple ultimatum to stay on the ground and don’t interfere. An easier option than going through Syrian airspace and especially with tankers.

The U.S. isn’t going to take action against any Israeli strike package or even attempt to disrupt them. To Israel the priority is to set back the Iranian nuclear program. The consequences of a nuclear armed Iran in Israeli eyes is a nightmare above and beyond any backlash or disruption in Iraq. The U.S. isn’t going to stop Israel or sever any relations with Israel over any unilateral action against Iran. It gives the U.S. the perfect opportunity to de-fang Iran’s military once and for all.

TJ

Yes, but what’s the point of deploying tankers into Iraq? It then becomes politically indistinguishable from a US raid, & it would be easier, quicker, with more surprise, & less political fallout for the USA, if the USA did it itself, using long-range bombers, carrier-borne aircraft or SLCMs.

But we are discussing an Israeli independant airstrike. Israel probably doesn’t give a hoot if the U.S. and Coalition is dragged into conflict as a consequence of an Israeli surgical airstrike. If the Iranians are stupid enough to lash out at Coalition forces as a result of an Israeli strike then that will be the day that they will regret.

TJ

Martin Baker use two Meteors. WA638 and WL419.

Cheers

TJ

I saw a Red Arrows Hawk XX308 on a low loader travelling eastbound on the
M62 today at 12.30.

Any idea where it was going, it seemed strange to see something like that travelling by road!

Replica. Amazing the amount of people at airshows that think the replicas are real aircraft!

I don’t know where they are based, but probably coming back from the Blackpool Seafront, Sea and Air Military Display held 21st & 22nd.

The real one is in North America!

http://www.airplane-pictures.net/image17828.html

Some of the fleet here

http://doug2.fotopic.net/c1484657.html

Cheers

TJ

Great shot!

Cheers

TJ