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| Iraq |
| Kurds buying 16 US-built helicopters from Saudis |
| 2006-07-20 |
| The deputy Prime Minister of the Northern Iraqi Kurdistan Regional authority, Omer Fetah, has signed an agreement with the Saudi Arabian firm AZIB-INTEGRAPH to buy 16 US-built "Schweizer 33" helicopters. The Iraqi Kurdish authority will reportedly pay more than 35 million dollars for the 16 helicopters. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #6 Azad, all you had to say was MHP, the racist Nazi bastards. The same ones that wanted to nuke Armenia to complete the Tukish genocide there. Now mostly Azerbiajani ops from what I recall. As for the article and its truthfulness, they didnt get the model correct (they gave the model number for a glider, as I pointed out), so there is plenty of room for doubt in terms of competence, much less bias. So far it sounds like a Turkish right-extreme version of the DEBKA rumor factory. Still a probable source for what a certain segment of Turks wants people to beleive as true. Another datum for the analysts. Right now though, I'd bet there are more pressing needs for Kurds to spend thier money on than funds for medium/light patrol helicopters. |
| Posted by: Oldspook 2006-07-20 23:26 |
| #5 You remember Mehmet Ali Ağca, don't you, TW? He was a Gray Wolf. Wikipedia has a general entry on Gray Wolves. They are extreme Turkish nationalists. Fascists, really, in the classic sense of the term. There's nothing they hate more than Kurds. Turkish commandos ("Special Teams"--Özel Timler/Özel Hareket Timler) are always Gray Wolves. And there's nothing a Kurd hates more than them. |
| Posted by: Azad 2006-07-20 17:08 |
| #4 Gray Wolf publication? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-07-20 16:12 |
| #3 This is bullshit. Journal of Turkish Weekly is the biggest Gray Wolf publication online in English. If this information had a shred of credibility, it would have been ALL OVER every other Turkish media. The fact is, it hasn't been mentioned at all. |
| Posted by: Azad 2006-07-20 13:46 |
| #2 This is not going to make for a happy Turkey. They seem to have a problem with Kurds coming across their border and killing people. They even react militarily from time to time. |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-07-20 05:04 |
| #1 I think they have the model number wrong - Scwiezer 33's are gliders (I've flown one of those). I think what they are looking for are probably the 2+ place multi-role helicopter, the 333. Very capable bird. Those are mainly utility and patrol aircraft, but with imagination and ingenuity they could be rigged with some lash-up ATGMs, or a machinegun. The ones I know of fly as police helicopters, so that measn they have cruise speed in excess of 100 knots, bust above 110 kts and at least 3 hours endurance at cruise speed. Think OH-6 or LittleBird in terms of shape and size and manuverability, except no room for a back seat in the main cabin. The high body carriage and long length of the undercarriage means there is plenty of room for lash-up weapons like a pair of ATGM launchers, or rocket pods, or even medium machine guns. Once they get these flying any tank the Turks or Iranians send over stands a good chance of being thumped hard. |
| Posted by: Oldspook 2006-07-20 00:39 |