Originally posted by Eddo211
View Post
I don't think so....he can take those Iskanders back to Russia and stick it. If he wants to show that Armenia is an ally and we are comrades then he should have brought with him attack aircraft instead of stupid mobile missiles when you as Russia has given Azerbaijani the air superiority over the conflict and then some.
Keep us dumb and happy....
Keep us dumb and happy....
Lebanon is a small country, with virtually no national identity. It is the sum of 17 religious communities (among them 3 Armenian, registered as 3 different entities).
The Lebanese army was always a parade force, with no fighting operational or tactical capacity.
At best, it was meant to serve as an internal police force, more often as 'peacekeeper' among the various militias, during the chronic civil fights.
In good days, it served during independence parade, once a year, in November 22, with brand new uniforms and shining swords for new, well paid officers, of middle class maronite and sunnite communities... in bad days, hiding behind sand bags, in the middle of two fighting forces, ordered to not use its small fire power...
Since the 2006 war, the armed milicia of the most numerous religious entity, is by far more capable, than the official army of the state.
The Lebanese National Army was always "pro-West", first in "French" hands after the independence, then US...
Accordingly the Army was always lightly armed, just in case it dared to counter its southern border....
Anyway, the need of an effective armed forces was never expressed by any Lebanese government, at any time...
During the years preceding the civil war of 75, the Lebanese Air Force was equipped with 'state of the art' french jets, if I'm not wrong a squadron of 12 Mirage F1 or FIII ?? Plus it did have UK made Hawker Hunters, which by the times were used as training jets by most owners, just as our nowdays Albatros..
It also had a bunch of choppers, French made Puma's, Alouette's, and some US made Vietnam era ones...
The only use of this force was in 72, when the President Frangiye used some Hawker Hunter sorties, to bomb Palestinian camps in the outskirts of Beirut... just to order a halt, when the Arab League (i.E. Saudi Arabia,& Koweit) went furious...
The Mirages never flew , as a matter of fact... most did rust in the Bunkers of the only Airbase of the state in Rayak (under Syrian control for 25 years..), and very occasionally did the Hawker Hunters take a tour for independence parade...
The only memorable incident concerning this air force, was the sensational killing of the Prime Minister Karame, by a bomb installed under his seat (supposedly prepared by the mos-ad, and installed by the Lebaneese Forces Militia ?), which was actioned during a transport mission of the French made military transport helicopter Puma, between the Sunni hometown of Tripoli and muslim held West Beirut, while fliying the costline of Eastern Beirut (or the Christian enclave), where the Lebaneese Forces milicia was based....
The Chopper did land "unharmed", everybody was safe and well (put aside a psychological shake and the fear of their life, something non uncommon in those days Lebanon), apart a hole in the place of the chair, where the chair of Mr Karame was.... The explosion was so well directed, that it ejected only the seat of the Prime minister, and all his body, into the Mediterranean...but the hole was not big enough, and the already corpse, or body (??) was beheaded, and the head remained in the arms of the Minister sitting just next to the Prime Minister...
In my knowledge, this was a unique case of selective targeting, concerning a military chopper in the air ...
(The second incident, is more from 007 series, when KGB agents, tried to pay a Lebanese pilot, before the civil war, in early 70's, to steal his Mirage from Rayak base, and fly to Baku, so they could examine it... this supposed plot never materialized, thanks to the "efficiency of the Lebanese counter intelligence", and the "patriotism of the pilot" who gave away the word to the latter..
PS: I'm not sure of the veracity of this story, which came out lately, in the lebanese press, a couple of years ago)
So, this to say, that the Lebanese Air Force is a virtual one, and in no ways does need state of the art, 4 rth generation jets, specially not russian made, since all the equipment is western, and they do not have the capacity to maintain them, if they did not manage, or needed to manage their cheaper, older, simpler Mirages....
Plus, if ever 10 Mig 29 were to land in Beirut, and provided they could be of any use (threat), they would be instantly be destroyed by the Israeli Air Force, hundred times stronger , patrolling all day Lebanese skies, regardless of international norms...
Nevertheless, Russia, did offer 10 Mig 29 free of charge to Lebanon....in 2008-2010 (the same lot that was produced for Algeria, but was returned by the latter for technical defects ??):
Lebanon Glad about Free Russian MiG-29 Fighters, but Wants Helicopters Instead
26.02.2010
Lebanon is grateful for Russia�s MiG-29 fighter jets, which Russia promised to give to the Mideastern country as a gift. However, Lebanese officials wonder whether the country really needs them. Lebanon tries to find out if Russia could replace the fighters with something else.
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, who is currently visiting Russia, said that Lebanon would have to evaluate its technical opportunities to understand where the jets could be deployed and decide if Lebanese pilots and specialists would be ready to service the Russian aircraft.
Moscow announced its intention to deliver ten fighter jets to Lebanon free of charge in December of 2008. It was said that the jets would arrive in the country in 2010. One Mig-29 costs approximately $30 million. The gift therefore totals $300 million.
The Lebanese president stated that the Russian initiative showed a very positive influence on the morale of the Lebanese army against the background of the informal embargo in the world to deliver military hardware to Lebanon.
�Special committees of the two countries are investigating the issues of the delivery of the planes and decide whether they are needed in Lebanon,� the Lebanese president said.
Russia and Lebanon also try to find out an opportunity to replace the MiG fighters with something else.
�Maybe, the Lebanese would master a different model of the Russian aircraft faster and easier,� Suleiman said.
He added that Lebanon considered other planes or helicopters as an alternative.
�We need combat helicopters indeed. Most likely, helicopters will be our choice,� Michel Suleiman said.
Speaking about the issues of the regulation of the conflict in the Middle East, Suleiman said that Lebanon was expecting Russia�s assistance at this point too.
The president of Lebanon also spoke about the disarmament of Hezbollah, a non-governmental armed organization.
�The members of Hezbollah are our citizens. The question of arms is quite solvable. They do not carry arms openly. Of course, the arms will be left in Lebanon, for the governmental army. However, it will happen only after there is no threat to the country,� he said.
Vremya Novostei
Leave a comment: