Other Sculptures
Nike, goddess of Victory. Erected in commemoration of a naval victory.
 |
Laocoon. A father and his son devoured by serpents.
Perseus with the head of Medusa. This was a Rennaissance work not one dating from classical antiquity.
Augustus Caesar, first emperor of Rome.
posted by starman at 5:26 AM
45 Comments:
Tim, those are great sculptures that you have. There is something that I'll mention about that victory goddess Nike. While I was in Turkey, I saw some depictions of her at archaeological sites and museums. Your collection of sculptures is exceptional!
Thank you Neal! So you saw depictions of Nike at archeological sites and museums. Can you provide more details? Were they sculptures, paintings or both and what did they commemorate?
May 17, 2018
They were relief sculptures. One was at the site of Ephesus and the other was at Aphrodisias.
I put a link to an article about Ephesus on my Facebook page. It has information on Nike and a photo of a sculpture of the goddess.
They all look great!
Thank you!
June 9, 2018
I AM ALIVE!!! I AM ALIIIVE!
Hey Starman I am so sorry but damn! Every damn time I post on your blog- life kicks me in my shekels and I end up disappearing for a while.
Anyways, I absolutely love Greek and Roman history. I find Ancient Egyptian history to be quite uneventful compared to those two civilizations.
In other news, I have found an article regarding the EAF (interviews and what not-in English) freshly after the war (73) and wanted to seek your opinion regarding it.
Also, regarding the stand off weaponry the IAF used, my friends (avid fans of anything that can defy gravity and Digital Combat Simulator (ever heard of it?) assumed it was the Delilah as well.
I dont really think the era of manned aircraft is going to end up soon as your associate claimed. I believe that under an Electronic attack- scrambling jets for a free hunt ride is the best route until your SAM networks are back online.
GREAT as always to see you back! :)
Good to hear you love Greek and Roman history. Have you heard of the Roman Oration by Aristides?
Where is the article about the EAF you mentioned? Of course I've already read the accounts of some EAF (etc) pilots, in PHOENIX OVER THE NILE and in Cooper's more recent ARAB MIGS Volumes 5 and 6. Some accounts appeared as far back as the the publication BOTH SIDES OF THE SUEZ (1975).
Sure, it's premature to write off manned aircraft, given the risk of cyber attacks immobilizing computer based systems.
June 11, 2018
Oh by the way, I ordered a new book by Tom Cooper--MIG-23 FLOGGER IN THE MIDDLE EAST, MIKOYAN I GUREVICH MIG-23 IN SERVICE IN ALGERIA, EGYPT, IRAQ, LIBYA AND SYRIA, 1973 UNTIL TODAY. But I preordered the book, which hasn't been released yet, and it probably won't be delivered until mid August. :(
https://testpilot.ru/review/war/egipet_e.htm
https://testpilot.ru/review/war/egipet_2.htm
Thanks for the articles. They are from AVIATION WEEK AND SPACE TECHNOLOGY, or the old publication BOTH SIDES OF THE SUEZ, which I read as a kid back around 1975.
Egypt may have had MIG-23s at the time but they were soon sent to the US in exchange for aid. I note the second article includes the claim that the air strikes of October 6 met no opposition from the Israeli Air Force. But the Israelis say their F-4s downed several MIGs at Ras Nasrani while Mirages wiped out a group of SU-7s heading toward central Sinai. Cooper is skeptical of the Israeli version for Ras Nasrani but others think it's true. There is photographic evidence for it.
June 13, 2018
By the way, did you see the post by the new Egyptian member in Historum, MahmoudHashem1, asking about the 1973 television interview with captured IDF armor commander Assaf Yagouri?
June 13, 2018
Actually, I didn't see it yet, gonna check for it. Yup, I remember the pic from Wikipedia for a downed MIG 21 tail somewhere near Ras Nasrani. I am trying to gauge the competency of EAF pilots compared to the IAF. Wanted to know if the IAF and EAF would duke it out with the same aircraft, weaponry and no intervention from any other branch whatsoever who would come out victorious.
Pollack said that arab pilots failed due to lack of personal initiative. He wrote that when Syrian airmen were deprived of GCI guidance (in 1982) they "went stupid" i.e. had no idea what to do. He quoted an Israeli as saying "It wasn't the planes that were at fault but the tactics. They could've been flying the best plane in the world and we would've shot it down in exactly the same way." Pollack also said that EAF exercises were scripted, and EAF pilots got upset when somebody, like an American, did something which wasn't in the script. In combat, EAF pilots were at a loss when the Israelis "made unexpected moves" or "busted up the Egyptians's textbook formations."
But the article in AW&ST (or BOTH SIDES OF THE SUEZ) said that the main problem of arab pilots was the inferiority of their Atoll missiles. Egyptian pilots, who flew better than in previous combat, simply could not get their missiles to lock onto a target. So while most of the fighting was at missile range, they just didn't have effective missiles.
Without doubt, inferior equipment was a major issue. The EAF MIG-21s lacked the good endurance or weapons of their adversary. That's why Cairo implored Moscow for MIG-23s before the '73 war and US jets afterwards.
I don't know if we'll ever see EAF and IAF pilots battle it out with the same weapons, by themselves. I suppose it might happen someday if the Saudis give Egypt F-15s. The EAF might use them with its F-16s to fight essentially the same aircraft in the IAF. That's unlikely. But what if Cairo gets a good Russian jet like the T-50? It may be comparable to the best Israeli jets, in which case the outcome will depend on pilot quality-with the reservation, of course, that computers now play more of a role. I wonder btw, if eventual computerization of jet combat may make Israel's 60 year edge in pilot quality irrelevant. :) Maybe by the 2030s or so....
June 16, 2018
Yup, I remember reading Pollack's statements in Arabs at War regarding EAF's pilots. Although, when I checked some of the combat records in pre-67 dogfights I felt that Egyptian pilots were doing better than in subsequent conflicts. If I am right, Israel couldn't achieve aerial dominance in '56 till the EAF was forced to abandon Sinai completely due to the Anglo-French offensive.
Strangely though, I couldnt find any confirmed Air to Air kills by the Mig-19 for the EAF...I believe even the Su-7 achieved some aerial kills.
I'm not sure what the balance of forces in the air looked like in 1956. I recall reading that Israel was reluctant to launch an offensive into Sinai unless the British and French first wiped out the EAF on the ground. That certainly suggests the EAF had the edge. At the time the Israelis couldn't beat it themselves and they were worried it could be dangerous since there are few places to hide from air attack in Sinai.
I don't know if EAF pilots did better prior to '67. Remember the two MIG-19s lost in November 1966? If I remember correctly they were the first victims of air to air missiles.
In ARAB MIG-19 AND MIG-21 UNITS IN COMBAT there is an account of a MIG-19 scoring a kill during the war of attrition. I should consult the book before writing about it, lol, but offhand I recall the EAF pilot was ferrying the MIG when he encountered Israeli jets. He is said to have gotten on the tail of one of them, "made a gentle corrective turn" then blew the IAF jet out of the sky. (If he had three 30mm guns that last part sounds believable, lol.) But I don't know if this claim is confirmed to the satisfaction of historians today.
Offhand I don't remember any SU-7 scoring a kill in aerial combat.
June 17, 2018
Found something that might be of interest:
http://aces.safarikovi.org/victories/egypt-middle.html
I read that during the 2 Mig19s incident; one plane was shot down with a missile while the other was taken out with cannon fire.
Interesting, thank you. It's odd that the top scoring EAF ace, with 6 reported kills, is not identified, nor are two others with 5 each. I'm not sure if I've heard of Ali Wajai (The ARAB MIGS book mentions a Wagedy) or Sameh Maraey (5 kills for both). On second thought I may have heard of Samy, a christian pilot(?). Cooper's work mentions al-Jindi and his experiences in a MIG-17 on loan to Syria (with the rest of his squadron) in 1973.
Any thoughts on the situation in Syria and Yemen?
June 19, 2018
Oh by the way, the name Qadri Hamid has long been familiar. :) And a few others.
June 19, 2018
https://books.google.com.kw/books?id=1K5qBgAAQBAJ&pg=PT206&lpg=PT206&dq=Qadri+Hamid+EAF+pilot&source=bl&ots=ccZ_L_4FaZ&sig=4FXTu0kjp-3E6kWRlxEdizZto98&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjPp_7LiOLbAhVC6RQKHUKjB-oQ6AEILDAB#v=onepage&q=Qadri%20Hamid%20EAF%20pilot&f=false
https://www.egyptdailynews.com/My%20Webs/edailypics/ea2[1].jpg
I know I am being optimistic but perhaps the Su-7 took down that Mirage? :P lol
Anyways, I am thinking of acquiring that book actually, what do you think?
Regarding Syria- It really gets under my skin when I see Westerns (in general) bashing Turkey and accusing it of supporting terrorist groups who are affiliated with Alqaeda (although AlQaeda was just till recently at war with JTS (HTS=AQ JTS= Anti AQ) and JTS is supported by Turkey.
I dont know what is the ideology of JTS - most likely Salafism unfortunately, but very possibly a watered down version of Salafism/Wahhabism .
Even if that was the case with Turkey and they are supporting AQ pro rebel groups - they are using basically as cannon fodder ( a big mistake during Al Bab battle was relying on them too heavily) and the captured territories are basically Turkish effectively..they will get into a lot of trouble if they started spewing their anti West global domination BS..they would get pacified by another group, kicked out to Idlib perhaps or even pacified by the Turks.
Plus regarding the Kurdish question as I call it. I understand their nationalism and patriotism. Unfortunately it comes at a high cost for us- 1. They can potentially become a strong ally for Israel and we have a lot of visible indications (using Spike ATGM, Kurdish demonstrations in Israel).
2. If the Kurds were to have their "promised land" (basically their regions in Iraq connected with Syria, including the region Turkey took over recently, in short time they will have the resources and manpower to flex their arms left and right (assuming their state doesnt end up as South Sudan 2) Plus the whole western sympathy, they would get a lot of fancy toys, hell, I wouldnt be surprised if their equipment and gear would be on par with Saudi Arabia (perhaps not in Quantity but definitely in Quality if not even better).
3. The Kurds could have chosen to stay neutral, not allowing any force to use their territory...they could have gained a lot but instead they chose to be used as an asset in the "big game" that was revived between USA VS Russia. They counted that USA would stop any Turkish intrusion....but apparently Uncle Sam had other ideas and was willing to sacrifice Kurdish territories and a bunch of Kurds for their "strategic goals".
4. Last but not least,Not sure if Al Daraa would be captured by the SAA, a final ceasefire might be implemented by then, but if the battle happens...a lot of people will die and I can already smell the smoke coming out of the 6892359259th T-55 blown up in this miserly conflict.
Yemen: Status Quo - Saudis are getting slaughtered while sleeping at outposts and bombing left and right. Houthis have their daily quota of skirmishes with the pro Saudi Yemenis, ISIS gets to kill everyone, Al Qaeda gets to kill everyone. Either KSA submit to Houthi's (Iran) demands or come to some sort of mutual agreement or somehow KSA manages to defeat the Houthis (laughs in SCUD and A2A turned to SAM missiles)
An SU-7 was certainly well enough armed to kill a Mirage. I already knew about Qadri Hamid's experiences, covered in PHOENIX OVER THE NILE and ARAB MIGS #6. After being sent to the US for training Qadri Hamid felt the US instructors had a low opinion of the EAF pilots because they believed the IAF had totally trounced them. But after he and others showed how good they were, the US attitude changed.
I agree it would be too dangerous for the arabs to allow the Kurds to become independent. I don't doubt they'd become well-armed allies of Israel and the west, as if Israel is not powerful and dangerous enough already...
The SAA is supposed to launch a big attack on Daraa with its Tiger forces and other units but I still haven't heard news of it happening. Are they seriously planning an attack or just trying to scare the rebels into reuniting with Syria, via negotiation?
The battle for Hodeida port appears to be in fully underway now. I wonder if it'll be victory for KSA backed forces or a Stalingrad for them. I also wonder: If the war goes badly for KSA, might that (coupled with failures in Syria etc) set in motion the collapse of its monarchy?
June 20, 2018
I just heard that the SAA operation in the Daraa area has finally begun. SAA forces are reported to have captured two villages and isolated a rebel position.
June 20, 2018
See, this is extremely perplexing and confuses my simple mind. How did Qadri manage to impress them, yet given our scripted training we shouldnt be anywhere near being able to impress the US instructors? I dont think one pilot was enough to impress them, so to have that change of attitude they must have been impressed with a couple more or so.
Yup indeed, but till now the SAA are suffering quite the number of casualties and no info regarding the isolated pocket. The rebel group down south will prove to be extremely troublesome, ass they weren't attrition-ed as bad as the groups in the north. If SAA manages to defeat them, it would be most likely a Pyrrhic victory and would need a while before Idlib operation (if it ever happens).
Perhaps this might be the final grand battle in the civil war, and Idlib will be left to the Turks...I can see the Turks moving in Idlib and wiping out the rebels that are "troublesome". Or Idlib might become "North Syria"....in my opinion, best case scenario is for Idlib to fall in the hands of the Turks and not see the region turn into a mini Arab Afghanistan under the leadership of Jihadist Salafis.
I find it funny how the KSA is tasting what we went through back in North Yemen. Shockingly the Egyptians were far more effective with all the drawbacks they suffered than the Saudis and their allies (Sudan, UAE, PMCs) with all the high tech weaponry. Remember that Tochka strike 2-3 years ago? 140+- Killed including the head of Saudi Special Forces. The internet is floating with videos of captured Saudi Outposts and burning Bradleys....
Not to mention ISIS and AQ harassment.
Honestly, I dont think it would end the monarchy, the Saudis (generally) arent well educated and the backward Wahhabi Salafism consumed a large portion of their intellect (= French Church prior to the Revolution...God and King etc etc).
The De Facto ruler of KSA played it right, opening up the doors to a facade of liberalism, bringing western entertainment that had been for sooo long banned in KSA, Women can finally drive and bringing famous entertainers from all over the world.
With time though, assuming to foreign intervention happens (which most likely will, many countries would benefit from a broken down Saudi Arabia- including USA)
You will have a group of thinkers..elitists that carry a spark of hope...they will be hunted, excommunicated, tortured, exiled or killed...but with time (most likely not in our lifetime) they will cast away the backward monarchy and their monks..bringing back the Enlightened Islam of progress which once upon a time, existed and flourished especially in Andalusia.
There's no doubt that Qadri had excellent flying skills, and so did other EAF pilots. Did you see in that old AW&ST article where an EAF commander "put on a spectacular demonstration of the low altitude maneuverability of the MIG-21M?" Some Egyptian pilots were very skilled, hence impressed the Americans (despite scripting which wasn't part of the US training).
Sure, there's a risk of a Pyrrhic victory in Daraa. But the SAA faced that risk before, in Aleppo and east Ghouta. The latter seemed daunting; it was an built up area, a potential Stalingrad. But the SAA prevailed. Air superiority helps a lot.
Idlib is now full of rebels who were bused there after failing to hold out in their original positions. If they couldn't hold out in east Ghouta after years of digging in, why would they be confident in Idlib? I'm probably too optimistic but I think this whole mess could be cleaned up this year.
June 21, 2018
https://www.thenational.ae/world/assad-regime-abetted-extremists-to-subvert-peaceful-uprising-says-former-intelligence-official-1.319620
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/assad-fanned-the-flames-of-extremism-the-syrian-dictator-is-already-responsible-for-more-deaths-than-a6762361.html
I remember a documentary regarding Ahrar Al Sham's founders who all got killed in a meeting back in 2015------ How they were actually released from the prisons...even the Founder of Jaish Al Islam which was rumored to have (back then) the full support of KSA was arrested for the crime of "propagating Salafism" but got released later on.
Given the experience Bashar's dad had back in the 80s....I highly doubt that they thought it would appease the angry protesters.
They released wild rabid dogs that would attack anyone or anything.
Bashar played it right.
Actually, with the battle of Aleppo, there was inter-fighting and distrust between the rebels, and of course the Russian airforce played an instrumental role. Without the Russian air strikes I doubt the SAA would have managed to achieve total victory. It was also extremely odd how the SAA just almost literally marched through Aleppo with limited resistance- and the pictures and videos of the captured armaments and heavy weaponry show that the rebels could have given them a hard time before it's eventual fall. Its worth mentioning that during the Spring Offensive in 2017
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hama_offensive_(March%E2%80%93April_2017)
if my memory doesnt fail me, the rebels managed to achieve major gains in Daraa while the SAA and the Rus were busy at the North ( The Russians deployed their Spetsnaz units as well)
Anyways, it was proven time and time again that SAA doesnt have the ability to focus on several fronts with equal effectiveness or efficiency. If they started an offensive against Daraa, this might give the rebels in the North an opportunity to carry out another offensive while the majority of the "crack/veteran" units of the SAA/Militias are busy in the south.
Remember the Ghouta offensive which was quite close to Bashar's throat? (Assuming he was in Damascus). It took around a year if not more before all the Rebels' gains was reversed.
In Eastern Ghouta, the Russians went medieval, they literally carpet bombed Ghouta in a way never witnessed before. Making SAA bombing look like a child throwing pebbles in a pond. They became Soviets again and went "CYKA BLYET wiz Collateral Damage, Abdul, hold my Vodka"
To be frank, it was effectively, it had a massive psychological impact, what was there to defend if everything you cared about was turned into smoldering ruins? Vengeance? Perhaps, but for many others who still had relatives and saw that the "Soviets" dont want to play nice anymore...it made them think twice.
Of course, the bombing had caused significant to the rebels' war effort...when you see a video of Rebels fending off a Syrian armored "slow krieg" with small arms fire and not a single anti tank weaponry in the vicinity, you know something is not right.
Honestly, the SAA are also lucky that 95% if not more of the rebels are not well trained and some lack even common sense. Did you ever watch the video of the "Volunteers/mercs" former Russian VDV working for HTS? These guys ate Syrian troops for breakfast. They are lucky that they are not that many and obviously the number of rebels they can train would be quite limited. Essentially they are the shocktroops of AQ....I will treat them as mercs and hope they switch sides and join Turkey before the God Caliph of Mankind passes his judgement on them lol (Warhammer 40K reference-if you are into that sort of thing).
There have been some reports of rebels taking advantage of the focus on Daraa to strike elsewhere. The US was accused of striking a pro-regime outpost on the border with Iraq but it denied it. Israel could've done it but don't know why they'd attack there.
Despite the concentration of SAA strength in the SW, there doesn't seem to be a big offensive coming out of Idlib. Of course the SAA has issues but the bottom line is that it can effectively focus on one area at a time. For a while, Assad prioritized other places while the rebels were right under his nose, in Yarmouk and Ghouta. But for some time it appears he's won. Even if the remaining rebel holdouts, in Idlib even in Daraa, can stop the SAA, what's the use? Do the fighters in these enclaves still think they can take all of Syria, or survive as mini states where they are? Would the latter be economically viable? They should just negotiate i.e. give up in exchange for amnesty and a few other concessions.
June 21, 2018
Krauthammer wasn't joking when he said he had only a short time left to live. I saw his obituary in today's paper. Frankly I don't think he's a great loss. For 30 years, I disagreed with nearly everything he wrote, including support for the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
June 22, 2018
I also disagreed with most of what Krauthammer wrote. That invasion of Iraq in 2003 was one of the biggest blunders ever made. It resulted in a lot of unnecessary killing and destabilized the Middle East. The invasion was based on a lot of lies. It had nothing to do with fighting terrorism. the whole thing had to do with grabbing Iraq's oil. As one retired Marine sergeant mentioned to me, the U.S. could have won in Afghanistan if Bush had not ordered the invasion of Iraq. The troops used in Iraq were needed in Afghanistan.
You know, Neal, if Krauthammer had had his way, the US would've attacked Iran too, years ago. The US would've found itself in a worse morass, while the economic consequences could've been severe.
I didn't disagree with EVERYTHING Krauthammer wrote. He was right to be concerned about the national debt and favored the space program, as I do. But so many of his views were so shortsighted and foolish. Krauthammer echoed the nonsense of Fukayama and was strongly biased toward Israel.
Now that he's gone, our attitude shouldn't be RIP but good riddance. All the ill-conceived policy of recent years has one less advocate. His passing marks an improvement.
June 22, 2018
I agree; Krauthammer was correct in being concerned about the national debt. I very much support the space program, so I can concur with him on that issue. But invading Iran would have caused an extreme disaster. The casualty rate would have been gargantuan and the economic cost would have been enormous. In addition, the U.S. would have lost a lot of support around the world. Krauthammer was very childish in his way of thinking about international affairs.
I think the crux of the problem is the inordinate power of Israel’s supporters. Like the Jewish neocons who got us into the Iraq mess, Krauthammer was evidence of the zionist grip on the US. To them, America is a mere mulch cow for their favorite foreign country. They’ll gladly sacrifice American interests, and lives, to benefit Israel. It’s appalling to see such people in such a strong position despite their attitude, which can reasonably be described as treasonable.
June 22, 2018
You're right; the U.S. has given Israel a huge amount of unconditional support. It has caused America many problems. Many Americans naively think that Middle East terrorist groups have been making attacks because of being "jealous of America's democracy". The real reason is because the U.S. has consistently supported Israel and never listened to anyone else in the Middle East.
I just heard the Russians are supporting the Daraa operation with air strikes, and the US has told the FSA rebels not to expect US military help. Sounds like more good news for Assad.
June 24, 2018
So the SAA is carrying an all out attack, with some rebels surrendering and others defecting (the FSA according to some reports accompanied with photos, managed to attack a number of the faction(s) that planned to defect and took over their ammo/vehicle depots.
I find it quite shocking and hilarious also how the SAA suffered a number of high ranking casualties in the initial stages of the battle.
https://syria.liveuamap.com/en/2018/26-june-syria-video-purportedly-showing-aftermath-of-israeli
So you have Tochkas, grads, field artillery and air strikes (reports of a MIG-23 (russian) got shot down but the pilot ejected and the rebels are searching for him).
This civil war should be a Mandatory history topic...how counting on on foreign support doesnt mean "permanent" support. The US will leave their southern rebel allies to be annihilated in time.
Regarding your previously asked question, they dont want to surrender and just end this whole mess for a number of reasons.
Russia got involved to protect their proxy AND to stop US agenda, US sent troops especially to the Kurds to make sure their plans are at least partially successful (creation of a Kurdish state- no matter how small it is).
Anyways, a question, how do you get very good pilots with excellent skills when your own training system doesnt produce that kind of pilots?
BTW, with the Rafale and MICA BVR missiles now in the Egyptian arsenal..dont you think it can take head on the F-35s? At least in theory.
It's really an outrage how Israel gets away with unprovoked attacks of this kind. Netanyahu has mercilessly exploited the Syrian civil war to strike repeatedly. He knows that as long as Syrians are fighting one another they have no hope of fighting Israel.
So I guess the FSA is slowly cracking under pressure.
The Trump administration must be embarrassed. Several weeks ago it warned of "firm and appropriate measures" if the SAA carried out its Daraa operation. As soon as it began, the US told the rebels not to expect military assistance.
Some years ago, in some forum, "Horas" said that Egyptian maneuvers used to have a scenario (preplanned course and outcome) but more recently they haven't. Pollack wrote that EAF exercises were scripted, so pilots couldn't show initiative. I don't know if EAF training has also become more realistic. But if the army has gotten smarter why not the EAF? :)
So the EAF DID get BVR capable missiles for its Rafales. Some time ago, there was uncertainty about whether France would supply them. Who might Egypt use its BVR capability against--Sinai revels (lol)? Even as it struggles against insurgents, Cairo hasn't forgotten Israel.
The F-35 is supposed to be very stealthy, so it would be difficult to get a radar lock on it. Also, the EAF doesn't have enough Rafales to make much difference. Maybe it can get the T-50 someday.
June 27, 2018
I'm not sure if we can rely on wiki but its EAF site says Egypt now has 15 MIG-35s and will get a total of 46.
June 28, 2018
Yup, we did receive our first batch of MIG-35s and its already active. We've ordered 24 Rafales and currently 14 are in service. Its quite strange buying Rafales and then switching to the MIG-29MS2 ...What advantages could it have over the cutting edge Rafale (except for probably being much cheaper).
Somewhat surprisingly, Some rebel parties either surrendered or defected to the SAA (some where overwhelmed by the other factions as they have found out their intentions of surrendering/defecting).
Anyways that played a major role in the relatively easy gains for the SAA in the south, although in Daraa itself they are still losing assets to the TOW menace. I am shocked that till now they couldnt come up with decent tricks to negate the TOW threat.
BTW, wasnt Qadri a 73 veteran? It still drives me nuts trying to understand how in that period prior "Westernization" (cough, cough) you had actually a number of good pilots. Given that what you said meant an overhaul to the training system AFTER '73.
WHICH brings up a similar question, the whole thing of IDF tank crews being better trained (obviously better equipped) than their Egyptian counterparts.
I find it quite interesting how all of this is becoming slowly but surely more and more related in this era.
Unfortunately, cost is an important consideration for Egypt. I think it needed Saudi money for pay for the Rafales, and it could only get a limited number.
Long ago there was an article in AVIATION WEEK AND SPACE TECHNOLOGY about the relative costs of US, Russian and European weapon systems. An Israeli was quoted as saying ",,,On the other hand, we are glad to see the Arabs paying those high European prices. The Russian prices, of course, are cheapest, about half US and one-third European prices." If that's still true today, no wonder Cairo is getting the MIG-29MS2 or MIG-35.
There's another key consideration. Reducing dependence on US arms could give Egypt more freedom of action. In theory, French arms could do that but even France is within the US orbit, whereas Russia is again a quasi rival.
So the SAA is losing tanks to rebel TOWs? I heard the T-90 can withstand it but the SAA may be using mostly older, more vulnerable tanks.
Cairo has about a thousand M1 tanks, (and plenty of M-60s etc) but I'm not sure how well they compare to the Merkava 4. Probably not quite as good since the export version of the M1 was downgraded. Maybe they can upgrade it(?).
Yes Qadri was a veteran of the 1973 war. In every country with a sizeable population there are bound to be some men with good flying ability. There were a number of Russian aces in WWII, including a woman, Lilly Litvak.
Yes the training system changed LONG after 1973. If I remember right, "Horas" said it changed in the 1990s so maneuvers no longer had a "script" or preplanned course and outcome. "Horas" participated in the Badr maneuvers of 1996, so he would know. Those maneuvers were intended to prepare the Egyptian army to recapture Sinai after an Israeli invasion. Since then, Sinai deployments were meant to fight rebels. I don't know how that fight has been going lately. But it'll take a while to get Egyptian forces focused on conventional operations again.
July 1, 2018
Well, I was talking about the competency of the tank crew themselves, regarding the M1 Abrams (export version) I would say, till now, its still capable of facing the Merkava 4 due to the fact MK 4s dont have DU armor. Videos of Iraqi M1 Abrams taking ATGMs (bad angles though) and surviving is common, That is why they would focus on getting a mobility kill on it and then destroying at close range. Actually, they have a propaganda video, if I remember it was an hour long and in ENGLISH boasting about their tank hunting skills especially against the Abrams which they compared it to the Persian War Elephants during the early wars of Islam.
Actually, I have seen several pics for destroyed T-90s , in fact, the rebels captured around two in operational status and there is a video for them back in 2017 using it against bunkered SAA troops that were flushed out and chased down. The video of the T-90 getting hit with the TOW missile (I wonder which TOW variant were they supplied) and abandoned by its Syrian crew has one funny CLAIMED ending to it. That it got sold by the rebels to an American (my eyes on you Starman) businessman for around 300-350,000 bucks....
if thats what happened then I am shocked they didnt ask for more, probably they did but the American haggled to get a price reduction because it was damaged in the first place. How did he even get it out of the country (if he ever managed) is beyond me...or if he is truly an independent guy with no "strings" attached to him (I am looking at you, Uncle Sam).
It's good to hear Egyptian M1s can take on the Merkava 4s. I don't know if the T-90 can do that.
You mentioned DU armor. I have heard of depleted uranium ammunition but not armor. I recall some time ago, the Israelis were concerned because Egyptian M1s were getting DU rounds.
In the 1991 war Iraqi tank hunting teams were active but, to my knowledge, got few if any US tanks. Maybe they've improved a lot.
Rebels sold a T-90 to a businessman? No doubt the US GOVERNMENT would pay to get its hands on one. Maybe it was smuggled out via Turkey (?).
Oh by the way, Qadri is credited with at least three Phantoms. :)
July 2, 2018
BTW, there are talks on going between Egypt and Russia for the purchase and assembly of T-90S tanks in Egypt. Wikipedia got updated regarding that :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equipment_of_the_Egyptian_Army#Tanks
Most likely it will replace the M60s -about time, but it will need a long while to completely do that and perhaps when it does it could be semi-obsolete. Plus of course, the financing. Gulf countries arent that much supportive as they used to be.
The insurgency in Sinai proved to be troublesome, our casualties now is in the range of 1-3K KIA and of course, most of them are conscripts. The casualties among the Sinai State (part of the so called Caliphate) is unknown and obviously Egyptian propaganda machine cannot be trusted but its probably higher. Their favorite method of attack is the classic IED (wired, so it cannot be jammed by the Jamming MRAPS the army sent) followed by sniping and assassination of collaborators and conscripts going back home in civilian clothes.
AFAIK they stopped carrying out raids on checkpoints and outposts (for now) due to the newly installed defenses and modernization (CCTV, HESCO barriers, MK19 grenade launcher- Anti Materiel sniper rifles (including the french Hecate 2) Small arms seen being used by the army include CZ BREN 1 and 2 (5.56 and 7.62), ARX-160 (probably will be replaced by the CZ), AK-103s, Sig 516, sig 52 (550 available), and the AK103!!! (Rumors going that they will replace the AKM)
A large number of the insurgents are actually Palestinians and former members of Hamas- its no secret that Wahhabism/Salafism ideology infiltrated the ranks of Hamas and is degrading the old traditionalist ideology.
In one of their relatively recent videos, they executed one of their members for facilitating weapon acquisition for Hamas who they see as an (apostate organisation).
I really love it when Wahhabists swallow one military defeat after the other and their whole air of superiority gets smashed on the hard rock stones of reality.
Jihadist Salafism should be defeated with fire and steel
Mainstream Salafism/ Wahhabism should be defeated by the microphone and pen. Which is happening and their strongholds are weakening year after year. About time that ideology gets buried for good.
from wiki : Syria: The Syrian Army's 4th Mechanized Division deployed several T-90 tanks (both early and late models have been observed in theater) given by Russia to the Southern Aleppo front on November 29, 2015.[109]
https://issuu.com/rafa51164/docs/44_arab_mig-19_and_mig-21_units_in_
I replied in the latest thread (Caesar and bloom) as I usually do. :)
July 3, 2018
Post a Comment
<< Home