Monday, February 21, 2011

Naval Chicanery

As Arab League and surrounding environs blaze, smolder or massacre their own - a delightful little drama ala Suez Canal is playing out.

News that Persia is sortee'ing two ships into the Med - the infamous Alvand (nee' Saam) class Missile Frigate consorted by her attendant supply consort Kharg - to allegedly dock and hang in Syria for the next year and to engage in joint training exercises.

While despotries always need external enemies to complement internal enemies - Alvand's mission does not contribute much to Persia military projection in the Med. Alvand wouldn't last very long in any naval engagement - so what up?

"It's not really about the ships. It's what are the ships carrying, what's their destination, what's the cargo on board, where is it going, to whom, for what benefit. We have ongoing concerns."

Supplying Hiz'B'Allah with missiles is hardly news - HbA has been re fully stocked since the 'tarded Rocket War of '06 - Iran has enjoyed direct flights to Beirut Internat'l (where HizB'Allah maintains a command and control presence) for years. Syria acts out as an off site strategic depth warehouse too.

Blockade runners come to mind - like the faux flotilla planning to crash the Strip during the Last Days of May, being escorted by Alvand is hardly comforting. 

Unless of course, Alvand is part of a pan Arabic/Persian Naval flotilla acting as escorts - Pyramidlander, Ottoman and Persian contingents would be a significant threat entering a legal blockade 


Pic - "Operation Praying Mantis II"

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