Free Republic

Is Hezbollah waiting to strike until forces are in a Gaza quagmire? It seemed crystal clear on Thursday: the IDF counter-invasion of Gaza would start either Friday or Saturday. The IDF had given certain deadlines for Palestinians to evacuate northern Gaza, with the deadlines expiring by midday Friday. The drum beat toward an invasion had started as early as Sunday-Monday and was only getting louder, with the air force having already paved the way with several days of withering bombing. Yet, now we have arrived at late Monday, and if anything, the signs (which could also be psychological warfare) are...

The Sukhoi Su-35S supermaneuverable multirole fighter in service with the Russian Air Force is optimized for air-to-air combat but is quite useless as a ground attack aircraft as proven by its combat experience in Syria. Russian state-controlled media reports the air force as being "more or less satisfied with the Su-35S" and its performance in Syria. The "less" in this case is the result of the failure of the fighter's PESA (Passive Electronically Scanned Array) radar to accurately and consistently locate and guide bombs onto their targets. "Since the aircraft was employed for ground strike missions -- more with smart...