ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Illustrative image On March 10, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) warned the militants in al-Qadam district south of the Syrian capital, Damascus, that it will launch a military operation against them in coordination with Russia if they do not agree on a reconciliation or evacuation agreement within 48 hours, according to the Syrian pro-opposition news outlet Enab Baladi. Enab Baladi reported that a reconciliation agreement will force the militants to join the SAA and attack ISIS in the Yarmouk camp south of the al-Qadam district. A Syrian opposition source from al-Qadam told Enab Baladi that the militants will not agree on this, but will likely accept an evacuation agreement, which will allow them to withdraw to other opposition-held areas. Currently, there are more than 600 militants south of Damascus, according to Enab Baladi. The militants there had not launched any attacks against the SAA, even before the de-escalation agreement was reached. Syrian opposition sources reported...

Illustrative image. Source: MenaDefense Russia has given Egypt a license to assemble 400 T-90S\SK battle tanks locally, the Algerian MENA Defense blog that reported on March 9. MENA Defense’s report said that Egypt will begin assembling first T-90S battle tanks in the last quarter of 2019 after receiving the needed technology from the Russian Uralvagonzavod company, the manufacturer of the tank. The T-90S is an export version of the original T-90A battle tank, while the T-90SK is the command version of the T-90S. This model is equipped with a computerized day and night targeting system and is capable of launching the 9M119 Refleks anti-tank guided missiles via its 125mm 2A46M smoothbore gun. The battle tank is powered by a 1,000 hp (750 kW) engine made by the Russian Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant. Egypt will be able to assemble 50 T-90S\SK battle tanks each year from 2019 to 2026 on the assemble line, which will be built by Uralvagonzavod. The same assumable line will serve as ...

On March 10, Taliban fighters ambushed a unit of the Afghan Army Special Forces in the Tapa Sadat area of the Bala Blok district in the western province of Farah, according to the Taliban news agency Voice of Jihad. Taliban fighters allegedly killed and injured more than 53 soldiers and destroyed two armored vehicles belonging to the army. Several weapons were also captured by the Taliban. Click to see the full-size image Click to see the full-size image Head of Farah provincial council Farid Bakhtawar acknowledged that the Afghan Army Special Forces had been ambushed in the Bala Blok district and revealed that fifteen Afghan soldiers, including eight servicemembers of the Special Forces, had been killed, according to the Afghan TOLO TV. Three soldiers were captured by the Taliban, according to Bakhtawar. Voice of Jihad also reported that the Taliban had captured another checkpoint in the Birnghtut area around the city of Farah, the capital of Farah province on Mar...

The Russian state-run news agency TASS reports ( source ): A MiG-31 interceptor jet made a training launch of a Kinzhal aeroballistic hypersonic missile and the missile hit a target on the test range, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. “A MiG-31 fighter crew of the Russian Aerospace Forces made a training launch of a hypersonic missile of the Kinzhal high-precision air missile system in the predetermined area,” the ministry said. The MiG-31 departed from an airfield in the Southern Military District within the framework of a testing air alert. “The launch was normal; the hypersonic missile hit the preset target on the test site,” the ministry added. “Performance characteristics and time indicators of the Kinzhal high-precision airborne missile system were confirmed during the hypersonic missile launch,” the ministry said. Crews of the Kinzhal air system comprising a MiG-31 interceptor jet and an advanced hypersonic missile made 250 flights from the beginning of ...

Typhoon T2 of the RSAF 10th Squadron. The 10th Squadron is being equipped with T2 and T3As currently. On the final day of the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to the UK, BAE Systems officially announced that the UK Government has signed a Memorandum of Intent with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to aim to finalize discussions for the purchase of 48 Typhoon fighter jets. “We have taken a vital step toward finalizing another order for Typhoon jets that will increase security in the Middle East and boost British industry and jobs in our unrivalled aerospace sector,” UK’s Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said commenting on the new contract. BAE Systems had supplied the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) with 72 Typhoon fighter jets under a previous contract, which was singed in 2007. The new contract, which worthes more than £10bn according to the Telegraph, will boost the defense industry in the UK and allow BAE System to keep the production line of Typhoon fighter je...

Click to see the full-size image On March 10, the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and the Free Syrian Army captured the villages of Inab, Kafr Rum, Kurt Qulaq, Al-Tiflah and Huran from the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in the Syrian area of Afrin.  With advances made by the TAF and the FSA on March 9 , Turkish forces deployed within about 4km northeast of the YPG-held city of Afrin – the main YPG stronghold in the area. As the frontline between Turkey-led forces and the YPG shortens, the Kurdish group has less and less opportunities to maneuver conducting counter-attacks and avoiding Turkish artillery and air strikes. The YPG’s lack of heavy weapons become more and more crticial. It’s interesting to note that pro-YPG sources also understand this and use this fact in own propaganda. Pro-YPG media outlets and activists claim that the TAF and the FSA can nothing without support from the air. However, these reports cannot deny a progress by Turkey-led forces. ...

By TRT TV, click to see the full-size map On March 7, the Turkish Army and its proxies from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) captured the town of Mash’alah of the Shara district, only 8km north of the city of Afrin, according to FSA-linked sourcces. Additionally, the Turkish Army reportedly captured the Maydanki Dam and the village of Hallubi Sagher northeast of Mash’alah. Earlier, the Turkish Army and its proxies advanced in the southern part of the Shara district and  captured the villages and towns of Kafr Janneh, Tall Hamu, Shirkan, Metinli and Qatma and Tel Hamu . Kurdish and Turkish sources reported that the Turkish Air Force (TAF) had stepped up its aerial operations against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in the center of the Jandaris district, west of Afrin. At least two women were injured in the TAF’s bombardment. Meanwhile, the YPG press announced that YPG fighters had repelled several attacks by the Turkish Army and its proxies on their posit...

On March 7, a booby-trapped car exploded at a checkpoint of the Free Syrian Police in the southern entrance of the city of Jarabulus in the area in northern Aleppo occupied by Turkey during its Operation Euphrates Shield. According to the Syrian pro-opposition news outlet Zaman al-Wasl, 11 civilians were killed and two members of the Free Syrian Police were injured in the explosion. A day earlier, a similar booby-trapped car targeted a HQ of the Free Syrian Police in the city of al-Bab, located southwest of Jarabulus. According to Syrian opposition and Turkish sources, one civilian was killed and more than five others were injured in the attack. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. However, Syrian opposition activists have accused the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) of carrying out the both attacks in response to  its recent loses in Afrin. An unnamed security source in the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) told the Syrian pro-opposi...