Middle East(Page 4)

Latest in Middle East

Dozens Of Israeli Patriot Missiles Sent To Ukraine
Israel

Dozens Of Israeli Patriot Missiles Sent To Ukraine

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 29, 2025

U.S. Air Force F-16 Vipers have been using 70mm laser-guided rockets to down Houthi drones during operations in and around the Red Sea in the past year.
Red Sea

F-16s Have Been Using Laser-Guided Rockets To Shoot Down Houthi Drones

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jan 29, 2025

DDG missile firing. (U.S. Navy)
Red Sea

What Red Sea Battles Have Taught The Navy About A Future China Fight

By Geoff Ziezulewicz

Posted on Jan 28, 2025

Satellite imagery shows clear indications that Russia's increasingly anticipated withdrawal of forces from its Tartus naval base in Syria has finally started.
Syria

Russian Withdrawal From Prized Syrian Naval Base Now Underway

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 27, 2025

The kit used by Air Force EOD techs was on displace in a recent photo staged during a controlled detonation.
Middle East

This Shot Of USAF Explosive Ordnance Disposal Techs In The Middle East Goes Hard

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jan 22, 2025

Houthi Pledge To Curtail Ship Attacks Sparks New Security Assessment
Israel

Houthi Pledge To Curtail Ship Attacks Sparks New Security Assessment

By Howard Altman

Updated on Jan 20, 2025

Littoral Combat Ship Can Now Rapidly Shoot Down Aerial Drones With Hellfire Missiles
Red Sea

Littoral Combat Ship Can Now Rapidly Shoot Down Aerial Drones With Hellfire Missiles

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 17, 2025

PACIFIC OCEAN (Jan. 23, 2024) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) fires an SM-2 missile during a live-fire exercise. Spruance, assigned to the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, is currently underway in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations conducting advanced tactical training that increases warfighting capability and tactical proficiency across all domains. (U.S. Navy photo by Ensign John Rosenberg)
Red Sea

Navy Warships Have To Leave Red Sea Fight For Weeks To Reload Their Missiles

By Geoff Ziezulewicz

Updated on Jan 17, 2025

Navy MH-60 drone kill in the Red Sea.
Red Sea

Navy MH-60 Seahawk Helicopter Has Shot Down Its First Drone

By Hope Hodge Seck

Updated on Jan 16, 2025

Iran has developed a reputation for launching some unconventional naval vessels, some of them downright bizarre — at least when compared with their equivalents elsewhere in the world. Its latest offering, the Zagros, is very much in keeping with this trend: a surveillance ship based on a corvette hull, an unorthodox approach for a type of vessel that’s normally converted from a commercial hull.
Iran

Iran Unveils New Spy Ship Based On Corvette Hull

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 16, 2025

Members of Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, arrive in a vehicle at a street in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on January 15, 2025, amid the ongoing war in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. Thousands of Gazans celebrated on January 15 as news spread that a ceasefire and hostage release deal had been reached between Israel and Hamas, aimed at ending more than 15 months of war in the Palestinian territory.
Israel

Gaza Ceasefire Agreed To, Final Israeli Approval Pending (Updated)

By Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Updated on Jan 15, 2025

How many weapons US Navy ships launched in the Red Sea.
Iran

Navy Just Revealed Tally Of Surface-To-Air Missiles Fired In Ongoing Red Sea Fight

By Geoff Ziezulewicz

Updated on Jan 14, 2025

231014-N-GF955-1031 EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Oct. 14, 2023) Sailors assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64), man their watch stations in the combat information center (CIC) during a general quarters drill, October 14, 2023. Carney is currently a part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group. The strike group is on a scheduled deployment conducting routine operations in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by the U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Lau)
Red Sea

Red Sea Attacks Are Testing Combat Information Centers Aboard U.S. Navy Warships Like Never Before

By Geoff Ziezulewicz

Posted on Jan 6, 2025

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has reportedly acquired a version of the 6.8x51mm M250 light machine gun that Sig Sauer developed for the U.S. Army, but chambered to fire the NATO-standard 7.62x51mm round.
Israel

Israel Buys 7.62x51mm Version Of U.S. Army’s New Sig Sauer M250 Light Machine Gun: Report

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jan 3, 2025

IDF raid on Iran underground missile base in Syria
Iran

Inside Israel’s Commando Raid On Iran’s Underground Missile Factory In Syria

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 3, 2025

The U.S. is reportedly building a new base in Kobani, northern Syria.
Syria

U.S. Reportedly Setting Up New Base In Northern Syria

By Howard Altman

Posted on Jan 2, 2025

Signs Russian Fighter Jets Still At Syrian Base, Top Rebel Leader Pushes Back On Total Exit For Moscow
Syria

Signs Russian Fighter Jets Still At Syrian Base, Top Rebel Leader Pushes Back On Total Exit For Moscow

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 30, 2024

THAAD deployment Israel
Israel

U.S. Army’s First Combat Use Of THAAD Missile Defense System Just Occurred In Israel (Updated)

By Howard Altman, Geoff Ziezulewicz

Posted on Dec 27, 2024

A Russian cargo ship claimed to be heading to Syria, to take part in the Kremlin’s military withdrawal from that country, has sunk in the Mediterranean. The Ursa Major went down overnight between Spain and Algeria, with 14 crew members rescued and another two still unaccounted for. The incident comes amid uncertainty over the fate of the Russian naval base at Tartous on the Syrian coast, which provides Moscow with a vital foothold on the Mediterranean.
Syria

What We Know About The Russian Cargo Ship That Sank In Mediterranean

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 24, 2024

F/A-18F Was Shot Down By Friendly Fire As Jets Were About To Land On The Carrier
Red Sea

F/A-18F Was Shot Down By Friendly Fire As Jets Were About To Land On The Carrier

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Dec 24, 2024

Gold Apollo pager
Israel

Ex-Mossad Agents Reveal Details Of How They Turned Hezbollah’s Communications Devices Into Bombs

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 24, 2024

A U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet was conducting a refueling mission over the Red Sea when it was downed in a friendly fire incident this past weekend.
Red Sea

F/A-18F Shot Down By Friendly Cruiser Was In The Middle Of A Refueling Mission

By Joseph Trevithick, Geoff Ziezulewicz, Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 23, 2024

In the face of post-Cold War drawdowns, the U.S. Air Force pushed ahead with buying the famously expensive F-22 Raptor stealth fighter in part because of a perhaps unexpected reason: concerns about Syrian air defenses.
Syria

Syria’s Air Defenses Helped Make The F-22A Raptor A Reality

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 20, 2024

As the world’s only operator of the legendary F-14 Tomcat swing-wing fighter, the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) has a unique airpower status. A recent airshow provided the chance for a very rare close-quarters look at the Cold War-era jet, which by now has very questionable capabilities and serviceability, while there are persistent reports that it could soon be replaced entirely by Russian-provided Su-35 Flanker multirole fighters.
Iran

Iranian F-14 Tomcat Encounter At An Airshow Unlike Any Other

By Thomas Newdick, Živojin Banković

Posted on Dec 19, 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted today that his country is still exploring its options for retaining a pair of bases in Syria that have uniquely strategic value following the fall of longtime ally Bashar Al Assad.
Syria

Putin Claims No Final Decision Yet On Russia’s Bases In Syria Despite Withdrawals

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 19, 2024

Israeli has launched airstrikes on multiple targets in Yemen, including the capital of Sana’a, in response to an overnight missile launch from Yemen toward Israel. The Israeli raids come after an uptick in attacks against Israel by the Yemen-based Houthi militant group, including two in the past week.
Israel

Israeli Air Force Strikes Yemen With Popeye And Rampage Standoff Missiles

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 19, 2024

New satellite imagery shows the continued withdrawal of Russian forces from its Khmeimim Air Base in Syria. Russia is also massing units at its Tartus naval base in the country, which also points to plans for their impending departure.
Syria

Satellite Imagery Shows Ramp-Up In Russian Forces Massing At Bases In Syria For Withdrawal

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 17, 2024

A new targeted strike involving the use of the secretive AGM-114R9X Hellfire missile, which features an array of pop-out sword-like blades rather than a traditional high-explosive warhead, looks to have occurred in northwestern Syria.
Syria

Secretive Bladed AGM-114R9X Hellfire Missile Looks To Have Reemerged In New Syria Strike

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 17, 2024

There is growing, but still circumstantial evidence that a Syrian Airlines Il-76 Candid cargo plane currently at Russia's Khmeimim Air Base in Syria is one that appeared to go missing in the final chaotic moments of Bashar Al Assad's regime.
Syria

The Mystery Of The Syrian IL-76 Cargo Jet That Went Missing As Assad Fled

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 17, 2024

The Russian Khmeimim Air Base in Jabla in Latakia, Syria on December 15, 2024. With the Baath regime's collapse, Russia continued to transfer its troops from Damascus, Homs and other cities across Syria to the base.
Syria

Future Of Russia’s Bases In Syria Remains In Flux, Libya Possible Alternative

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 16, 2024

Russian Forces Appear To Be Pulling Out Of Prized Syrian Air Base
Syria

Russian Forces Appear To Be Pulling Out Of Prized Syrian Air Base

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 13, 2024

Hysteria about drones over New Jersey obscures the fact that there is a real national security concern.
Iran

Coast Guard Ship Stalked By Unidentified Aircraft, Iran Drone Mothership Claim Shot Down By DoD

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 12, 2024

Mohamed Bashir, who heads HTS's so-called "Salvation Government", holds a press conference in the rebel-held northwestern Syrian city of Idlib on November 28, 2024. The Syrian rebels now in power in Damascus have appointed Mohammed al-Bashir as head of a transitional government that will be in place until March 1, state media said on December 10, 2024. (Photo by Omar HAJ KADOUR / AFP) (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images)
Israel

New Syrian Prime Minister Assumes Power Amid Airstrikes, Continued Fighting

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 11, 2024

Pictures and videos have now emerged of the aftermath of Israeli strikes on the Syrian port of Latakia overnight, which destroyed at least six Soviet-era Osa II class missile boats.
Israel

Israel Lays Waste To Syria’s Missile Boats (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 10, 2024

Israel strikes targets in Syria after Assad falls.
Iran

Syria’s Suddenly Permissive Airspace Prompts Flurry Of Foreign Airstrikes (Updated)

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Dec 10, 2024

What will happen to highly strategic Russian air and naval bases in Syria is now very much now an open question following the downfall of long-time strongman Bashar Al Assad and his flight to Moscow.
Syria

Fate Of Russia’s Prized Syria Bases: What We Know

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 10, 2024

A huge underground bunker complex, said to be beneath the mansion of Maj. Gen. Maher al-Assad, the disposed dictator’s brother. Maher al-Assad was best known as the leader of the Syrian Army’s elite Fourth Armored Division.
Syria

Descend Into The Depths Of The Assad Regime’s Massive Bunker

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 9, 2024

A portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is pictured with its frame broken, in a Syrian regime's Political Security Branch facility on the outskirts of the central city of Hama, following the capture of the area by anti-government forces, on December 7, 2024. Syria's embattled government said on December 7 it was setting up a ring of steel around Damascus, state media reported, as rebels on a lightning advance said they were bearing down on the city. The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group which has headed the assault, told fighters to prepare to take Damascus, just over a week into a renewed offensive in the long dormant conflict. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP) (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images)
Iran

The Assad Regime Has Fallen, Claims Swirl Around Possible Crash Of His Escape Jet (Updated)

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Dec 8, 2024

Homs, Syria.s third-largest city, is close to being captured by rebels opposed to Bashar Al-Assad.
Iran

Syrian Rebels Closing In On Homs, Cutting Off Damascus From Coast An Imminent Possibility (Updated)

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 6, 2024

5 inch Mark 45 deck gun firing.
Red Sea

USS Carney’s Red Sea Operations Highlight 5-inch Deck Gun’s Anti-Air Capability

By Geoff Ziezulewicz

Posted on Dec 6, 2024

An anti-government fighter remotely fires rockets against regime forces, in the northern outskirts of Syria's west-central city of Hama on December 4, 2024. Syrian government forces pressed a counterattack against Islamist-led rebels around the key city of Hama on December 4 after suffering a string of staggering losses further north, a war monitor said.
Iran

Anti-Assad Forces’ Capture Of Strategic Hama A Critical Stop On Road To Damascus

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Dec 5, 2024

A recent drill by the Russian Armed Forces in the Mediterranean has provided us with a more detailed view of the shadowy Zircon hypersonic missile, a weapon that has only been glimpsed in the past and shown up in the form of fragments after being combat tested in Ukraine. The maneuvers come as Russia’s position in Syria — home to its two major Mediterranean bases — increasingly looks to be under threat, as rebels continue their rapid advance south, threatening the rule of Bashar al-Assad, a key Kremlin ally.
Syria

Our Best Look At Russia’s Shadowy Zircon Hypersonic Missile

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 4, 2024

An advanced Russian air defense radar system is among the equipment captured by anti-regime forces in Syria as they continue their rapid push south, with the potential for serious repercussions in the wider region. The Podlet-K1 radar system, also known by the designation 48Ya6-K1, is one of the more modern pieces of equipment in its class and would be a significant intelligence windfall if it finds its way into Western hands.
Syria

Russia’s Advanced Podlet-1K Radar Captured By Anti-Assad Forces In Syria

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 4, 2024

Russian fighter base in Syria
Syria

Russia’s Prized Bases Along The Mediterranean In Syria Could Be At Risk

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Dec 3, 2024

A U.S. official said U.S. forces backed an SDF raid on ISIS troops in eastern Syria.
Syria

Claims Swirl Around U.S. Strikes In Eastern Syria (Updated)

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 3, 2024

The Qatari landing ship dock Al Fulk.
Middle East

Qatar’s Strange New Warship Combines Air Defense Frigate And Amphibious Assault Ship Roles

By Geoff Ziezulewicz

Posted on Dec 3, 2024

Russian and Syrian airstrikes are slowing the advance by anti-government rebels.
Syria

Airstrikes Slow Advance Of Anti-Assad Forces In Syria

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 2, 2024

Rebel forces have taken most of Aleppo.
Iran

Aleppo Has Fallen, Assad’s Forces Regrouping As Rebels Blitz South

By Howard Altman

Posted on Dec 1, 2024

Fighters fire towards Syrian Army troops in the Rashidin district on the outskirts of Aleppo on November 29, 2024, as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and allied factions continue their offensive in the Aleppo province against government forces. The jihadists along with Turkey-backed factions launched this week a shock offensive against Syrian regime troops and sparked the deadliest battle the country has seen in years, with the violence killing so far 242 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The war monitor said most of the victims were combatants on both sides but also including civilians.
Iran

Rebel Forces Enter Syria’s Second Largest City Of Aleppo

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 29, 2024

A Bayraktar TB3 uncrewed aircraft has successfully landed on and taken off from the Turkish Navy’s ‘drone carrier’ TCG Anadolu.
Turkey

TB3 Operates From Turkey’s ‘Drone Carrier’ Amphibious Assault Ship For The First Time

By Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Nov 19, 2024

A Turkish Air Force F-4E Phantom II, adorned with a striking Turkish flag livery, soars in a low-altitude maneuver over Eskisehir to commemorate 50 years of service in the Turkish Air Force in Eskisehir, Turkiye on November 16, 2024.
Turkey

F-4 Phantoms Tear Through Turkey To Mark 50 Years Of Service

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 18, 2024

F-15E Drone hunting Iranian attack
Iran

F-15E Pilot Recounts Having To Switch To Guns After Missiles Ran Dry During Iranian Drone Barrage

By Howard Altman

Posted on Nov 15, 2024

U.S. Marine Corps F-35C Joint Strike Fighters took part in recent strikes on Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, the Pentagon has disclosed.
Red Sea

F-35C Naval Joint Strike Fighters Fly Combat Missions Against Houthis In Yemen

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 13, 2024

Israel will buy 25 F-15IA fighters, marking the first new Eagles that the country has acquired since November 1995, when it ordered F-15I Ra’am jets. This summer, Israel had been given U.S. approval to by as many as 50 F-15IAs, as well as upgrade its F-15Is. Whether more F-15s or upgrades are added, the current wars in the Middle East mean that further acquisitions of combat aircraft are likely.
Israel

Israel Executes Long Awaited Buy Of F-15IA Advanced Eagle Fighters

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 7, 2024

Notoriously underarmed F125 frigate will have to avoid the Red Sea.
Red Sea

German Navy Confirms Its Supersized Frigate Will Avoid The Red Sea

By Thomas Newdick

Updated on Nov 4, 2024

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has released a rare picture of an F-16I fighter armed with four Rampage missiles, an adaptation of a ground-launched precision-guided artillery rocket.
Iran

Israeli F-16I Shown Loaded-Up With Four Rampage Stand-Off Missiles (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 30, 2024

A Russian-made, S-300 missile system drives in front of the officials' stand during a military parade marking the annual Iranian National Army Day in Tehran, on April 18, 2019. - Iran's President Hassan Rouhani called on Middle East states on April 18 to "drive back Zionism", in an Army Day tirade against the Islamic republic's archfoe Israel. Speaking flanked by top general as troops paraded in a show of might, Rouhani also sought to reassure the region that the weaponry on display was for defensive purposes and not a threat.
Iran

Israeli Strikes Knocked Out All Of Iran’s S-300 Air Defense Systems: Officials

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 28, 2024

IAF strikes Iran
Iran

Israel’s Reprisal Strike Carefully Calculated, Unclear If Jets Ever Flew Over Iran

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Oct 26, 2024

F-35 IDF
Iran

Israel’s Retaliation Strikes On Iran Have Begun (Updated)

By Howard Altman, Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Oct 26, 2024

Russians Helped Houthis Target International Shipping: Report
Iran

Russians Helped Houthis Target International Shipping: Report

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 25, 2024

U.S. pushed back against claim Israel will delay its retaliation strike over leaked documents.
Iran

U.S. Pushes Back On Claim Israel Delaying Iran Attack Over Document Leak

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 24, 2024

The existence of a top-secret Israeli drone, referred to as RA-01 and used for covert missions, has emerged from an unauthorized disclosure of U.S. intelligence documents which have now been posted all over social media.
Israel

The Existence Of Israel’s Secret Stealth Drone Should Come As No Surprise

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 22, 2024

Israel's air campaign against Iran's missiles and launch systems appears to be having an effect.
Iran

Israel Trades Increasingly Bellicose Threats With Iran As Retaliation Operation Looms

By Howard Altman

Posted on Oct 21, 2024

A B-2 Spirit from the 509th Bomb Wing, 13th Bomb Squadron Whiteman Air Force Base, Miss., prepares to be refueled by a KC-135R Stratotanker from the 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind. during a nighttime aerial refueling mission.
Yemen

Questions Linger Over Australia’s Role In B-2 Spirit Strikes On Yemen

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 18, 2024