Assad’s future; Israel’s missile defense; U.S. overseas bases
At the end of September, Iran sent about 2,000 Revolutionary Guard soldiers to Syria as part of a coordinated joint Iranian-Russian operation to evict moderate rebel groups from Idlib Province in northern Syria – with Russia providing air cover to the ground forces. Iran suffered heavy casualties, including the loss of several senior officers.
Israeli intelligence sources say that there is a growing sensitivity on the part of Iran and Hezbollah to the cost of their continued support of the Assad regime. Hezbollah, a militia of some 30,000 fighters, has lost about 1,300 dead and more than 5,000 wounded, most of them from the better-trained ranks of the militia.
Russia has decided not to send ground troops to Syria.
Russia’s airpower is aimed almost exclusively at the anti-regime rebels, but there is just so much airpower can do. Hezbollah has limited its participation in the war to defending positions in the Qalamun mountain range on the Lebanon-Syria border. And Iran has decided to limit its involvement in Syria to logistical and intelligence support to the shrinking Syria army.
Missile defense: Israel announced successful test of its Arrow-3 defensive missile
Israel is surrounded by adversaries with large missile fleets. Iran has tested ballistic missiles than can carry large warheads to Israel—including nuclear warheads. Hezbollah, the Shi’a Lebanese militia, now has in its arsenal more than 100,000 rockets and missiles of different ranges, accuracy, and carrying capacity.
In response to the growing missile threats, Israel, with U.S. financial assistance, had developed a layered missile defense which aims to tackle short-, medium-, and long-range missiles.
The Arrow 3 is the fourth component of Israel’s layered missile and rocket defense system:
- Iron Dome system intercepts short-range rockets with a range of up to four kilometers
- David’s Sling’s system is designed to intercept long-range rockets, with a range of up to seventy kilometers
- Arrow 2 is designed to intercept mid-range missiles, those with range of up to 300 kilometers
- Arrow 3 is designed to intercept long-range ballistic missile, with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers
Israeli defense ministry officials said the Arrow 3 was designed to intercept missiles outside the atmosphere.
On Thursday, Israel has successfully tested the latest version of the Arrow 3 missile.
The Arrow system is a joint project between Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Boeing. Ha’aretz notes that each Arrow 3 missile costs about $2.2 million.
In Thursday’s test, the Arrow-3 hit and destroyed target in space, which were simulated nuclear or chemical warheads.
Not all the technical details about how the missile destroys its targets, but what is known is that once the missile reaches a certain altitude, it releases several small satellites, each aiming itelf toward a different warhead.
The Iron Dome, Israel’s protective system against short-range missile, proved effective during the summer 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. Next year Israel will unveil its David’s Sling system.
Overseas bases: Pentagon wants counterinsurgency bases in volatile regions
U.S. military and national security officials have been considering a Pentagon’s proposal for forward deployment of American forces so they better positioned to tackle terrorist groups. The troops will be based in several military bases in Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Middle East.
The New York Times reports that senior military officials envision a network of bases which would serve as hubs for Special Operations troops and intelligence operatives from which to launch counterterrorism missions.
The Pentagon’s proposed new architecture would include four “hubs,” including expanding existing bases in Djibouti and Afghanistan, and smaller “spokes,” that is, more basic installations, in countries like Niger and Cameroon, both of which are now at war with Boko Haram and other Islamist militias.
The number of troops in each hub would range from about 500 to 5,000 personnel. The creation of both the hubs and the spokes would also require the approval of the host nation.
