Iran

[Biggus]

Originally Posted by artee

Plan? What's a plan?

There is a saying that goes "no plan survives first contact with the enemy".

[AR1]

Originally Posted by nomorecatering

The SE Turboprop is an Air Tractor 802U.
With a sextet of those missile pods, wouldn't one make a good drone hunter for Dubai. Cheap to operate, they could maintain a CAP 50 nm off the coast and plink away at any low speed shaheads heading east.
ears.

Running around the perimeter at Wittering years back, I interrupted my fitness regime to marvel at an earlier version of these crop spraying - It was wonderful to behold. However, Drones are being made faster to counter the counter drones, I'm sure there will be an acronym along shortly to fulfil that description, in the interim, investment in the AT as anti drone is addressing a moving target, ( no pun intended) When does a drone become a missile...

[NutLoose]

Ukraine war facts on drones.

Unjammable Drones Leave Wires, Force Ukrainians to Move With Caution - Business Insider

Ukraine and Russia have expanded production of fiber-optic drones over the past year, and both sides are racing to develop variants that can fly farther across the front lines.

Russia, for instance, has begun to employ fiber-optic drones with a 50-kilometer (31-mile) range, which exceeds the distance that most known variants can travel. Cable length typically limits their range to between 10 and 25 kilometers (roughly 6 and 15 miles).

So yes, 50K fibre optic drones are already here

[ORAC]

Meanwhile, whilst Trump continues to insult the UK armed forces and PM and threaten to withdraw from NATO....

https://x.com/DefenceGeek/status/203...239734514?s=20

​​​​​​​Bomber Mission 48 - Fists Flinging? #FreeIran!

--- Operation EPIC FURY ---

Yesterday morning (31st March 2026) RAF Fairford (EGVA) launched a pair of B-1B "Lancer" bombers to Iran "FLUNG" flight as part of the ongoing #OperationEpicFury with support provided by tankers from RAF Mildenhall (EGUN) and Bucharest (LROP). The aircraft involved were:

Mission XLVIII
B-1B "FLUNG44" 86-0139 #AE6C0A "Drifter"
B-1B "FLUNG45" 86-0102 #AE5BEB "Bad Moon Rising"

KC-135R "FIST21" 60-0355 #AE0264 (From EGUN)
KC-135R "FIST22" 60-0353 #AE062B (From EGUN)
KC-135T "FIST24" 58-0095 #AE04FD (From EGUN)
KC-135R "FIST52" 58-0073 #AE047A (From LROP)
KC-135R "FIST55" 63-8035 #AE04ED (From LROP)
KC-135R "FIST53" 58-0106 #AE04BE (From LROP)

​​​​​​​https://x.com/DefenceGeek/status/203...026232089?s=20

​​​​​​​Bomber Mission 49 - BUFFs go to Play in the Sandpit #FreeIran!

--- Operation EPIC FURY ---

After launching B-1s yesteday morning (31st March 2026), RAF Fairford (EGVA) then also launched a pair of B-52H "Stratofortress" bombers for #OperationEpicFury - once again with these bombers, we've not identified aerial refuelling taking place over Europe or the Mediterranean, and a recent photo from @CENTCOM suggests that the B-52s may in fact be refuelling over Saudi Arabia or other parts of the CENTCOM area only now - we're working to confirm that!

So for now, here's the bombers that flew yesterday:

Mission XLIX
B-52H "PLAY54" 61-0035 #AE58AF "Witches Brew"
B-52H "PLAY55" 61-0020 #AE58A9 "The Big Stick"

[ORAC]

Video

https://x.com/NavyLookout/status/203...385660953?s=20

RoyalMarines Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD) unit deployed on Cyprus.

They are equipped with a triple Martlet Missile launcher, a standard aiming unit and the JIM COMPACT visual sight.

​​​​​​​https://x.com/TBrit90/status/2039077962629177754?s=20

​​​​​​​So based on this video it took me about 10 minutes to find this LML SAM position to the inch.

One of those things to be mindful of in todays age.

​​​​​​​

[Lonewolf_50]

U.S. President Donald Trump said the military could end its Iran offensive in two to three weeks and will shift responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz to countries that rely on it for oil and shipping as the White House announced a prime-time presidential address Wednesday evening on the war.

That looks like the "We broke it, you deal with it" concept, which is at odds with Secretary of State Colin Powell's "you break it you own it" concept.

The president is giving a Prime Time address on April Foll's night.
I wonder if anyone in his inner circle is aware of that juxtaposition.

The USS Bush heading across the pond and replacing the Ford may or may not be involved in any Persian Gulf ops. May be to have a CV in either Eastern Med or I.O. for the standard rotations...

[ORAC]

Video

https://x.com/Philipp27960841/status...006799098?s=20

​​​​​​​The Mobarakeh steelworks in Isfahan, Iran's largest steel mill, was destroyed.

​​​​​​​https://x.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/2...532916517?s=20

​​​​​​​That's a significant hit.

The U.S.-sanctioned Mobarekeh Steel Company is considered the largest steel maker in the Middle East and North Africa region and serves as a revenue stream for Iran's regime's IRGCterrorists Basij.

[Lonewolf_50]

Originally Posted by jolihokistix

Once in a language classroom in London an Iranian student pointed to the Gulf on a wall map, saying 'Persian Gulf', whereupon an Iraqi student leapt up to say it was the 'Arabian' Gulf, initiating an argument that very nearly developed into a fistfight.

But of course.

Originally Posted by artee

Plan? What's a plan?

If you read the book that the film Pappillon was based upon, you might get an answer that you didn't expect!

Still taking a look at "we targeted a group of 200 people" statement by Iran, not seeing any details on the CENTCOM site...

[ORAC]

Still taking a look at "we targeted a group of 200 people" statement by Iran, not seeing any details on the CENTCOM site...

CENTCOM rebuttal:

​​​​​​​https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2039085022074823000?s=20

​​​​​​​CLAIM: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it attacked the residence of American pilots and aircrew in Saudi Arabia with a drone and missile, impacting a gathering of 200 people.

​​​​​​​FACT: IRGC leaders said the same thing for Dubai on March 28. The Iranian regime’s claims were false then and are false now for Saudi Arabia. No U.S. personnel have been attacked. The IRGC’s continued efforts to spread lies are desperate attempts to distract from the truth. Iranian forces are losing vast amounts of military capability as U.S. forces continue delivering unrelenting firepower.

[ORAC]

[nonsense]

Originally Posted by jolihokistix

Once in a language classroom in London an Iranian student pointed to the Gulf on a wall map, saying 'Persian Gulf', whereupon an Iraqi student leapt up to say it was the 'Arabian' Gulf, initiating an argument that very nearly developed into a fistfight.

The mouth of the Strait is an international waterway overseen 50/50 between Iran and Oman, surely, or 50% by Iran to the east and 50% split between seven Arab countries to the west.

In 1991 I shared a student house and first year Engineering classes with an Iranian about my own age (late 20s) not long out of the Iran-Iraq war. One of the Applied Science students we shared maths classes with was an 18yo Iraqi-Australian lad. Far from hostility, they just seemed curious about each other and got along cordially.

[larssnowpharter]

Looks like EA37B Compass Call on its way into theatre:

https://theaviationist.com/2026/03/3...denhall/#allow

[nonsense]

Originally Posted by ORAC

https://www.gl-fibercable.com/newsde...solutions.html

Why Choose GL-FIBER’s Fiber Optic FPV Systems?

1. Ultra-Thin, High-Strength Fiber Cores

Diameter Options: 0.25mm / 0.27mm / 0.35mm
...

2. Fully Customizable Configurations

Lengths: 25.2km, 50.4km, 60.0km/spool (extendable to 100km)

Originally Posted by artee

Interesting info, but the list doesn't mention weight. That will be the critical thing. No point having a 60km spool if it's to heavy for the drone to fly.

0.27mm diameter gives 0.057 sqmm cross section.
0.057 mm^2 x 1km = 0.057 mm * mm * km = 0.057 mm * m * m = 0.057 litres (per km of fibre).
Glass has a relative density of about 2.2, giving 125 grams per kilometre.
8km per kg; 40km = 5kg, 60kg = 7.5kg.

[EDLB]

You need an outer coating of some kind for the fiber, because immersed in water you still need a steep dielectric constant change from the fiber to the outside to keep the optic signal intact.. Air will do but water is most likely too close to glass. However the fiber seem to come with a coating since it says IP67. The weight of the spool is given in the data sheet with 10kg/25km. So you wind up with 20kg+ weight, which is not much for a shaheed size drone and you loose that weight if you spool it from the drone.

[Navy_Adversary]

Is there a reason why the USA/Allies are not able to neutralise the Iran drone threats in the SoH area, or is that going to be the task for the Warthogs?

[EDLB]

It is very simple. The USA can't, same as everybody else can't On 1350nm shoreline any drone, 155mm tube, mine, naval drone, rocket, you name it, can sink a tanker or any other ship on short notice. It is military impossible to protect shipping with a decent reliability. If you hit 1 out of 10 tankers, nobody will set sail, nor insure those vessels. Absent from the ecological nightmare. LNG tankers add huge fireworks. Anyone with a shoreline there can deny the use of the SoH. 20% of the worldwide energy market and all GCC biz is at a standstill.

[fdr]

Not sure I would want to be on the maiden voyage of the CVN 47, USS Kaptin Kaos (ships motto, "We break it, you fix it...")when it does it's first visit outside of CONUS... Iran plays a long game, Kaos can't keep it together to the end of his sentence.

NATO's problems like the UN are enshrined in their charter, and what has passed as convention since inception. It is a similar issue that arises in the US with the constitution, that in all cases there was an assumption that rational adults would be involved in making decisions, and that is no longer the case, and arguably since the establishment of the UNSC, never was the case. NATO has a cancer in its midst before Kaos returned to the picture, but at least there is some clarity (Klarity?) on the issue of the future of North Atlantic defence alliances. We are watching a realignment of alliances in real time, one flurry of tweets at a time. It be interesting times.

This is a military aviation centric matter. The US makes extraordinary systems, the F-22 is cool, the B21A is a good extension of the B2... But the battle space has altered, and while the old guard threats exist, the emerging threats are far more problematic. Used to be the good old days that a strike package to go 300nm from Naked Phannie to downtown would take 60 aircraft, multiples of that number of crew, and deposit holes in the ground over a wide spread area.... today, the same capability is achieved with a measure of accuracy over 3 times the distance, by some bunch of guys sitting in caves and ditches... at a low low cost all up of less than the one aircraft out of the strike package that would usually be lost by accident, not by E.A., counter drone is now a serious need, drones being available on TEMU or ALIBABA.

WRT threats to the Lower 48, It was a couple of years back that the Ukranians displayed the problem of a drive by fruiting by dropping pineapples onto Vlad's world class airforce, on their home base. it takes little further ingenuity, and only some residual resentment to go and do the same number from some tramp steamer running in international waters, with a few dozen 40' containers on the upper deck. The Ukrainians showed that the delivery vehicle didn't even need to be part of the nefarious plot, pretty sure the driver of the Kerch bridge truck still has a look of surprise on his face... as do the guys who suddenly saw a flock of FPVs emerging from the top of their cargo. A bit of politeness with neighbours might be a sound strategy.

As to Iran being a mortal enemy of any specific country, that isn't quite what their instruction manual says, it is worth a read. It does get twisted, as does that for the rest of the religions around the world, seems we are all as bad as each other in that regard, call it observer bias. 1953 set off the Iranians towards 1979, and that gets us to where they are now. Seems we are not fast learners on either side.

Benny might consider that he still winning with his manipulation of a special needs subject, I suspect that is not the case, being a 1-man wrecking ball does not equate to long term security, it assures that there will be greater resentment than there was before, and threats increase.

Can't wait to hear the pearls of wisdom that usher forth at 9PM EST today from the WH...

[AR1]

Originally Posted by EDLB

It is very simple.... If you hit 1 out of 10 tankers, nobody will set sail, nor insure those vessels. Absent from the ecological nightmare. LNG tankers add huge fireworks. Anyone with a shoreline there can deny the use of the SoH. 20% of the worldwide energy market and all GCC biz is at a standstill.

Exactly - A minimum viable threat. Can you launch 5 a week, one a week?
Job done.

[Mr Mac]

Maybe the question would be push a destroyer through with protection and see what happens, much like the then German regime ran two Battle Cruisers and escorts in the Channel Dash, who transited the English Channel semi successfully.

Cheers
Mr Mac

[gums]

Salute!

EDLB is correct. It's why I said both sides of the strait must be friendly and in control of the ground that is within fairly short range for cheap drones or decent artillery.

But the many claimed IRAN was friendly, heh heh.

I would add that those controlling the ground have a vested interest in the free flow thru the Strait, and currently those on the north will become martyrs and starve
willingly.

Gums repeats...