Military & War News and Discussions

[wjfox]

US and UK navies repel largest Houthi attack on Red Sea shipping

1 hour ago

UK and US naval forces have repelled the largest attack yet by Yemen's Houthi rebels on shipping in the Red Sea, the UK defence secretary says.

The Iran-backed group launched 18 drones and three missiles on Tuesday night, according to the US military.

They were shot down by carrier-based jets and four warships, it added. No injuries or damage were reported.

The Houthis have not commented, but they have targeted merchant vessels in response to the war in the Gaza Strip.

They have claimed - often falsely - that the ships were linked to Israel.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67932725

[wjfox]

It might be time for a dedicated thread on this, if things escalate further.

[weatheriscool]

Turkey launches airstrikes against Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria after 9 soldiers were killed

Source: AP

By ANDREW WILKS
Updated 9:29 AM CST, January 13, 2024

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey carried out airstrikes targeting Kurdish militants in neighboring Iraq and Syria on Saturday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said, coming a day after an attack on a Turkish military base in Iraq killed nine Turkish soldiers.

Turkey often launches strikes against targets in Syria and Iraq it believes to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a banned Kurdish separatist group that has waged an insurgency against Turkey since the 1980s.

The defense ministry said that aircraft struck targets in Metina, Hakurk, Gara and Qandil in northern Iraq, but didn’t specify areas in Syria. It said fighter jets destroyed caves, bunkers, shelters and oil facilities “to eliminate terrorist attacks against our people and security forces ... and to ensure our border security.” The statement added “many” militants were “neutralized” in the strikes.

On Friday night, attackers attempted to infiltrate a military base in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, killing five soldiers. Four others died later of critical injuries. The Turkish government said that 36 militants were killed in Iraq, and nine others in Syria, in the 24 hours following the attack.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/iraq-syria-t ... 861a91603a

[funkervogt]

It might be time for a dedicated thread on this, if things escalate further.

They've been asking for it.

[weatheriscool]

[weatheriscool]

[weatheriscool]

[caltrek]

First Of Russia’s New Diesel-Electric Submarines Enters Service
by Thomas Newdick
January 31, 2024

Introduction:

(The Drive) The Russian Navy has received its first series-produced Project 677 Lada class submarine, named Kronstadt. Development of the new boat has been dogged by problems, leading to long delays, but its acceptance by the Northern Fleet confirms that, unlike the U.S. Navy, the Russian Navy remains committed to fielding new conventionally powered submarines, as well as their nuclear-powered brethren.

Zvezda, the Russian Ministry of Defense’s media network, today reported on the commissioning of the Kronstadt into the Northern Fleet’s 161st Submarine Division. At the ceremony, likely held at the naval base of Polyarny, in the Murmansk region, the St. Andrew’s flag of the Russian Navy was presented to the commander of the new submarine by the head of the Russian Navy, Nikolai Evmenov.

(See also Twitter feeds in linked article)

Built at the Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg, the Kronstadt is around 200 feet long and has a displacement of 2,700 tons when submerged. Its armament includes Kalibr land attack cruise missiles — a weapon used extensively in Russia’s war in Ukraine — launched from the six 21-inch torpedo tubes. These can also be loaded with torpedoes or mines.

The Russian Ministry of Defense claims a diving depth of more than 300 meters (984 feet) and the ability to operate submerged for relatively long periods without needing to surface to recharge its batteries.

Other notable features include extensive automation, resulting in a crew of just 35 people.

Read more here: https://www.twz.com/sea/first-of-russi ... -service

[Time_Traveller]

Ex-Afghan special forces to have UK relocation claims re-examined

8 hours ago

Former Afghan special forces who served alongside the British but were denied relocation to the UK will have their cases re-examined, the government says.

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said ineligible applications with credible claims of links to Afghan specialist units would be reassessed.

The so-called "Triples" were elite units set up, funded and run by the UK.

But hundreds had their relocation claims denied following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.

Campaigners have been fighting for them ever since the Taliban swept into Kabul in August 2021, with one describing the government announcement as "a momentous decision and a life-changing day."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68152923

[weatheriscool]