Latest news with #FoundationforDefenceofDemocracies
South China Morning Post
12-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
US weapons to Taiwan at risk from weak supply chains but Ukraine ‘not to blame'
US support for Ukraine has not slowed the provision of American weapons to Taiwan or Israel , but there are supply chain problems that need 'prudent reforms and substantial new investments', according to a Washington-based think tank. Advertisement 'Arsenal of Democracy: Arming Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel While Strengthening the US Industrial Base', published this month by the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, tracked the production capacity and delivery timelines of 25 items. All of the items studied were provided to Taiwan and Ukraine, while 12 were also ordered by Israel. Only seven had a strong defence industrial base in the United States, while supply chains for the remaining 18 were either weak or required attention. The report's authors, Ryan Brobst and Bradley Bowman, warned that US defence industrial bases had been damaged by insufficient spending and that Washington might not be able to sustain the supply of weapons to its partners without a major shift. They cited the National Defence Strategy Commission's finding that 'consolidation and underinvestment had led to too few companies, gaps in the workforce, insufficient production infrastructure, and fragile supply chains'. Advertisement The Donald Trump administration has pledged a record US$1 trillion in defence spending for next year.
The National
06-04-2025
- Politics
- The National
Can Turkey's 'Steel Dome' deter Israel in Syria?
Unconfirmed news reports this week claim Israel's strikes on Syria's Tiyas airbase are an attempt to stop Turkey deploying air-defence systems to the site, to protect Syrian airspace. These systems are part of what Turkey calls its "Steel Dome" project, a layered air-defence system currently under development. There has been widespread speculation that Ankara and Damascus, which have re-established ties since the fall of Bashar Al Assad in December, are expanding military co-operation. Tiyas, better known as T4, was the largest airbase in Syria under the Assad regime and was frequently bombed by the Israelis, who claimed Iran was using the site to house drone operations and advisers co-ordinating weapons smuggling for Iran-backed groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah. According to analysis by the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, a US think tank, Turkey could deploy its indigenous Hisar-O and Hisar-U medium-range air-defence systems, as well as the long-range Siper air-defence system, which can reportedly target enemy aircraft up to 200 kilometres away. Such a deployment could complicate continuing Israeli strikes against what it says are significant Assad-era arms stockpiles that could one day pose a strategic threat. Israel has hit suspected arms depots and bases in Syria hundreds of times since December. Like Israel, Nato member Turkey has an advanced home-grown defence industry and is a rising exporter of modern systems – a stark contrast to the ageing and mostly obsolete weapons of the former Syrian regime. Syria once boasted a dense air-defence network of Soviet (and later Russian) radar and missiles that western defence planners worried could disrupt a proposed 'no-fly zone' to halt Assad regime air attacks on civilian areas in the early years of the civil war that broke out in 2011. The no-fly zone never materialised, although there was a massive Nato strike on the Syrian regime in April 2018. Syria's air-defence network was instead rapidly degraded by the civil war and almost entirely destroyed in repeated Israeli raids, mostly aimed at intercepting Iranian arms supplies. Even augmented by powerful Russian-supplied S-300 systems, Syria's air-defence protection proved limited because the S-300s could not be used against the Israelis without Moscow's permission – something that is rumoured to have happened only once, in 2016. Israel proved its ability to seriously damage S-300s in Iran in air strikes in October, suggesting the system is highly vulnerable to Israeli weapons, which were never used against it in Syria. Russia pulled the S-300s out of Syria in 2022 to support its war in Ukraine. Turkey has far more modern systems, which could make the Israelis wary of conducting air operations, such as the Koral mobile electronic warfare system. According to Turkish analyst Ali Baker, the system proved effective in conflicts such as the Azerbaijan-Armenia war in 2020 and Turkey's deadly intervention against Syria the same year, by jamming enemy communications and radar, leaving ground forces at the mercy of a massed drone attack. Israel also possesses powerful electronic warfare capabilities and has pioneered tactics in battle, such as cyber-attacking Syria's air-defence network as long ago as 2007. With an eye on major air operations over Iran, Israel recently upgraded its fleet of F-16Is with a series of electronic warfare and early-warning additions and missile countermeasures. Israeli also possesses advanced pods that can be integrated on to numerous aircraft in its inventory, such as the F-15I and F-16I, including the Scorpius pod, which can rapidly detect and jam enemy radar signals using its Active Electronically Scanned Array (Aesa) radar. Aesa radar provide far more agility than conventional radar beams and can blast targeted pulses of energy to thwart enemy systems. They have become increasingly vital in modern warfare, being difficult to detect due to rapid frequency changing and possessing significant jamming power, and the ability to identify and track many targets at once. Despite rumoured Turkish deployments, there has been no mention of Ankara's lorry-mounted ALP-300G radar system, which entered production in 2024 and also comes with Aesa capability. Like the Koral, the ALP-300G is a mobile system that can be rapidly set up and moved, complicating Israeli targeting efforts. Paired with Turkey's Siper air-defence system, the ALP-300G could present the most serious threat to the Israeli air force for many decades. According to Turkish defence firms Aselsan and Roketsan, a Siper battery can fire 20 missiles in an engagement, simultaneously targeting 10 enemy aircraft. That could provide the system with the kind of missile saturation tactics used by Syria to shoot down an Israeli F-16I in 2018, but with more capable missiles. Together, these systems form part of Turkey's multi-layered Steel Dome, which is still in development, said to be inspired by Israel's own Iron Dome concept – although the Iron Dome covers only short-range threats. To counter such systems, Israel also has stealth aircraft, such as the F-35I that poses a major threat to Russian-designed systems, with many experts claiming it could perform well against the S-400, a capable system purchased by Turkey in 2017 and delivered in 2019. Some claim the system could be sent to Syria. Israel has also pioneered the use of air-launched ballistic missiles to defeat advanced systems like the S-300, taking advantage of the powerful thrust of the weapons combined with the speed and altitude of the launching aircraft, providing extremely high velocity and range. But while aeroballistic missiles have defeated S-300s in Iran, the tactic is untested against ground-based air-defence networks using Aesa radars. While the extent to which Turkey and Israel wish to avoid a major clash is unknown, both sides could harass and interfere with military operations through their advanced electronic warfare capabilities, and there is precedent for this in Syria. During US air operations in Syria against ISIS, US commanders said Russian forces frequently disrupted communications and air operations using an array of electronic warfare systems.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine's strategic new incursion into Russian territory
As dawn broke over the western Russian region of Belgorod, a growing thrum could be heard near its heavily fortified border with Ukraine. The sound came from a column of tanks and fighting vehicles storming across muddy fields, carving a path through minefields and lines of dragon's teeth barricades. It was the start of a new incursion into Russian territory. That was two weeks ago and, despite the Kremlin's claims that the attack was thwarted, Ukraine's forces are moving forward and steadily capturing ground. The battle plan has been closely guarded, and it is still unclear whether the Belgorod incursion was intended as a brief raid or a longer-term operation. There is currently fierce fighting in the villages of Demidovka, Prilesye and Popovka, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a US think-tank. Ukraine has also been carrying out a series of precision air strikes, targeting command posts, bridges, helicopters and depots. There are several reasons why Ukraine may have acted so decisively for more war at a time when it is also pleading for peace. Volodymyr Zelensky has said only that his military was taking 'strategic steps' to counter a potential Russian offensive from Sumy, where there has been a troop build-up. The sudden rush of soldiers across the border could help protect Ukraine against a Russian offensive in Sumy by diverting those forces. Belgorod borders Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv and Luhansk regions and is regularly used by Russian forces to launch attacks on Ukraine. Crucially, it is also next to Kursk, where the last Ukrainian troops are holding on to a sliver of high ground, trying to cling on to Kyiv's big military gamble that it hoped would provide a bargaining chip during ceasefire negotiations. However, unlike in Kursk, when Kyiv's forces caught Russia by surprise and rapidly seized hundreds of miles of territory, the Ukrainian gains have been slower and staggered. Credit: Telegram 'Russia seems to have been better prepared for this operation,' said John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia programme at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies. 'And this operation is considerably smaller in scale and its objectives,' he told The Telegraph. He described the force size as 'modest', likely totalling less than a battalion of 500 soldiers. But while the Kremlin has been defiant, there is dissent in Moscow. 'How did this happen? Russian forces completely f----d up... They just gave it up. They just left. After that, the enemy occupied it,' fumed well-known Russian war correspondent Vladimir Romano on Sunday as he reported the loss of Demidovka. Reports suggest that some of Ukraine's best units have been deployed to the operation as well as dozens of US-supplied Bradley fighting vehicles. Rybar, an influential pro-Kremlin military blogger, said fierce battles were ongoing in Demidovka on Wednesday as Russian troops fought back. 'The enemy has repeatedly tried to enter our strongholds across the border,' he wrote on Telegram. 'The situation remains tense,' he said, and cited Russian military reports that Ukraine was continuing to mass troops and vehicles on the border. Two Majors, another prominent Telegram channel, reported that Ukraine was 'stretching' Russian troops along the frontline by broadening attacks on the border. 'The gains have so far been modest, but Ukraine is advancing and taking high ground,' said Mr Hardie, who argued it was still 'too early' to say whether it was having meaningful effects elsewhere along the front. 'The fact that Ukraine is still attacking after nine days suggests Ukraine is more likely trying to have a long-term presence to establish a buffer zone,' said Mr Hardie. Kyiv may be hoping this incursion will bolster its position at ceasefire talks. 'Its a risky plan,' Mr Hardie said, citing Kyiv's broad manpower shortages and the uncertainties in future military aid deliveries from the US. 'If it drags on, can Ukraine sustain big losses in Belgorod? Will it be worth it?' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The National
25-02-2025
- Business
- The National
Yair Lapid unveils proposal for Egypt to run postwar Gaza
Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Tuesday unveiled a proposal for Egypt to take over management and security responsibility for the Gaza Strip for an initial period of eight years in return for massive debt relief. Mr Lapid said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi might be open to the proposal given his country's mounting debt and precarious finances, which have been hammered by a drop in tourism since the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Gaza. 'Egypt's external debt is more than $155 billion. Its ability to borrow money is fading away. If President El Sisi can't subsidise pitta bread for the poor in Egypt, if he can't pay the bills for the Egyptian military, his leadership is at risk,' Mr Lapid said. 'The solution is Egypt will take responsibility for the management of the Gaza Strip for eight years, with an option to extend to 15 years. At the same time, its foreign external debt will be paid off by the international community and regional allies.' The former Israeli prime minister said he was unveiling his idea for the first time and had not spoken to the Egyptians about it. He predicted Cairo would 'say no, and then yes'. Speaking at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies in Washington, Mr Lapid, 61, said his proposal envisioned Egypt running the Gaza Strip for eight years at first, with an option to extend this to 15 years. Under the proposal, control would ultimately be handed over to a reformed Palestinian Authority. 'Egypt will lead a peace force in partnership with the Gulf states and the international community for the management and rebuilding of Gaza,' he said. President Donald Trump this month said he wanted the US to take over Gaza, displace its citizens and rebuild the battered enclave. His comments angered Arab countries, which are now working on alternative solutions. Mr Lapid noted that there is historical precedent for the plan – Egypt controlled Gaza from 1948 to 1956, and for another decade from 1957. 'Nobody's asking them to annex Gaza. We are asking them to manage Gaza for 15 years. That's a huge difference, and this is something I think they can live with, and it doesn't contradict what they want to do in the region.' Egypt would lead a 'peace force' of the Gulf states and the international community 'for the management and rebuilding of Gaza', he said, adding that 'basically, Egypt needs to rule Gaza'. 'We will have to work together in preventing terror from happening, because Hamas is not going to willingly go away,' said Mr Lapid, who was caretaker prime minister of Israel for six months in 2022.
