Article

2018-07-03 India-Pakistan

Mistake or not? Tomahawk cruise missiles sold to Pakistan and Saudi.

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Posted by 3dc 2018-07-03 00:00|| || Front Page|| [10 views ] Top

#1 ...It had BETTER be a mistake.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2018-07-03 05:51|| 2018-07-03 05:51|| Front Page Top

#2 Pakistan and Saudi Arabia received RGM/UGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles in 2017

Sold in 2015-16?

Posted by Skidmark 2018-07-03 06:20|| 2018-07-03 06:20|| Front Page Top

#3 And mortars to Lebanon.

Posted by Skidmark 2018-07-03 06:22|| 2018-07-03 06:22|| Front Page Top

#4 An obvious blinding flash, but selling to country "A" does not necessarily mean that country "A" is the end user. The soon 'brushed aside' events in Benghazi of 2012 were not about animal rights or the opioid epidemic.

Apologies to Viktor may be in order:

The film "Lord of War," in which Nicolas Cage portrays an arms dealer who strongly resembles Bout, caused a stir worldwide when it was released in 2005. In the film Cage's character, Yuri Orlov, says: "There are over 550 million firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every 12 people on the planet. The only question is: How do we arm the other 11?" When asked about the quote, Bout said: "It's cynical. Too bad for Cage, though. He deserved a better screenplay."

Posted by Besoeker 2018-07-03 07:29|| 2018-07-03 07:29|| Front Page Top

#5 If I remember rightly I read something about this last year. Sold by Obama administration and delivered last year.

Posted by Deacon Blues 2018-07-03 07:35|| 2018-07-03 07:35|| Front Page Top

#6 ...Well, the good news is that the Pakis don't have anything even remotely capable of carrying a Tomahawk, and even if it was the BGM-109 Gryphon GLCM variant, those things need a LOT of space for maintenance and storage, not to mention being fairly easy to track. (On top of that, the extremely complex mobile launchers were destroyed with unseemly haste as soon as our leadership believed they could decently do so.) In addition, the Indians - if they believed this to be true - would be raising holy Hell right about now. So I'm calling a no on that one.

The Saudis...now there's an interesting possibility. The USAF and USN carry-tested inert Tomahawks on a bunch of different aircraft, but AFAIK have only been actually air-launched from two - the B-52 (natch) and the A-6. It wouldn't be impossible for the RSAF's F-15Es or Tornados to carry a couple each, but that's something that would take a few years of development and testing. Larger Saudi ships are not currently capable of carrying Tomahawk, though there seems to be no engineering reason why they couldn't - however, that would be a LOT of modification needed and it would be obvious what the ships are being refitted for.

On the other hand, if the Iranians are now wondering if the RSAF or RSN can now throw Tomahawks at them....it's not such a bad thing.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2018-07-03 08:09|| 2018-07-03 08:09|| Front Page Top

#7 the Pakis don't have anything even remotely capable of carrying a Tomahawk, and even if it was the BGM-109 Gryphon GLCM variant, those things need a LOT of space for maintenance and storage, not to mention being fairly easy to track.

Could they be taken apart for useful parts by Pakistani technicians, Mike? Or was this an ego acquisition on their part, destined to be kept on well-polished display?

Posted by trailing wife 2018-07-03 09:54|| 2018-07-03 09:54|| Front Page Top

#8 I suggest reverse engineering by a number of hostile states rather than usage.

Posted by Skidmark 2018-07-03 15:03|| 2018-07-03 15:03|| Front Page Top

#9 Isuggest reverse engineering by a number of hostile states rather than usage.
Posted by Skidmark

There is another possibility, but we'd have to switch to the Ranburg 'high-side.'

Posted by Besoeker 2018-07-03 16:17|| 2018-07-03 16:17|| Front Page Top

#10 There is another possibility, but we'd have to switch to the Rantburg 'high-side.'

The "Premium" pay version with secret handshakes code words and door knocks?

Posted by Frank G 2018-07-03 18:40|| 2018-07-03 18:40|| Front Page Top

23:17 Whiskey Mike
23:11 Whiskey Mike
22:11 Charles
21:44 Herb Phavising3443
21:13 Besoeker
20:26 3dc
20:02 ed in texas
20:01 Anomalous Sources
19:42 Frank G
19:28 Silentbrick
19:22 Dale
19:08 magpie
19:07 NoMoreBS
18:59 JHH
18:40 Frank G
17:59 European Conservative
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17:21 mossomo
17:03 Boss Elmique2397
16:56 Boss Elmique2397
16:52 Thing From Snowy Mountain
16:42 Besoeker
16:37 gorb
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