Sounds about as worthless as our former Pantsuit NO-1 defense system used in Benghazi, Libya...
Posted on 06/22/2020 5:44:51 AM PDT by C19fan
Last month has proven to be catastrophic for the credibility of one of Russia’s most touted air defense systems. The troubles for the Pantsir S1 air defense system in Libya began when Khalifa Haftar’s yearlong Tripoli offensive against the Ankara-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) began to collapse.
Believed to have been supplied to the Libyan strongman as early as last year by his backers in the Gulf, the Russian system was meant to be used as a trump card against Turkey’s combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) air interdiction operations. Yet, after a major GNA counteroffensive last month, and the retaking of the strategic Al-Watiya airbase and key suburbs in Tripoli, it became clear that the system had been trounced. Analysis of open source data has estimated that up to 9 Pantsir units were lost in quick succession to UAV strikes during May, with footage of the strikes going viral on social media. To add insult to injury, a tenth Pantsir system was dramatically captured by GNA forces, and to great fanfare paraded through Tripoli as a war trophy. It is speculated that the captured Pantsir’s final fate is to be picked apart for intelligence purposes.
(Excerpt) Read more at realcleardefense.com ...
Apparently they make great targets.................
I guess I’m out of touch — Is Turkey having a war with Libya?
This has been way under the radar. Another proxy war between the Gulf Sunni states and Turkey.
Libya is not really a state but just a geographic entity. Turkey is supporting one side trying to take control and the Arab states the other side.
Another B.O. success story.
May there be lots of casualties and expense.
Couldn’t be more deserving opponents. Can we get Iran involved too?
In the latter category, the operational capabilities of conscript armies in failed states such as Libya and Syria must not be compared to those of modern professional militaries.
Sounds about as worthless as our former Pantsuit NO-1 defense system used in Benghazi, Libya...
Actually troubles for the Pantsir were revealed during Turkey’s incursion into Syria. Turkish drones had a field day picking off Pantsir units. The Turks just transferred their knowledge/experience to Libya.
Way behind.
Now Turkey is at war with Egypt.
Saudi Arabia is tired of subsidizing and feeding Egypt. The Saudis now pay for 25% of France’s grain harvest to send to Egypt as well as subsidizing the cost of fuel and salaries for the military. Libya is the big prize. It has huge oil reserves and a small population. Egypt does not have much oil and a huge population. Soon the old “United Arab Republic”, at least the combination of Libya and Egypt, will be reconstituted.
“I guess I’m out of touch — Is Turkey having a war with Libya?”
It’s on the list to get to. Had to deal first with Wuhan virus, riots, locust, murder hornets.
This war is is one of many that is on the pending list.
Youtube’s South Front and R&U pages keep track of Middle East wars with a Russian taint. But with better than our media’s silence.
After Obama and Clinton turned assassinated Khaddafy (cackle, cackle) and unleashed all of North Africa on Europe, Libya has been in total chaos.
Libya has a strong man? I thought we got rid of Qaddafi. Arab Spring and all that Hillary rot.
To be fair, Russian is a hard language to learn, especially if you are already illiterate and drunk, and 30mm shells were extra...
I had to read the OP three times to discern what is going on. Lot’s of inside baseball and acronym’s.
Rainbow coalition?
The old U.A.R. of Syria and Egypt was led by the megalomaniac Nasser, whose intent was to create a unified Arab crescent across the Middle East. Of course, Israel stood in the way.
Libya was once ruled by King Idris, a western ally who gave us Wheelus AFB. He was overthrown by Gadaffi in 1969, who then expelled U.S. forces and was Egypt’s sworn enemy until his death in 2011.
Saudi subsidizes Egypt’s food? Wow. Guess the Nile delta isn’t productive enough. I thought the Aswan High Dam was supposed to fix all that. We have a pro-U.S. ruler in Cairo but he’s sitting on a population volcano.
The Middle East will never be at peace. Too many greedy men with modern weapons, and too many failed states.
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