Author: Matthew G. Saroff

S-300 Deliveries to Iran Confirmed

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Needless to say this represents a significant upgrade to Iran’s air defense capabilities:

One of the world’s most advanced air defense missiles, the S-300PMU1 Favorit (SA-20 Gargoyle), is designed to protect fixed sites against missile and air attacks. The system uses wheeled transporters for mobility. The Favorit system fires the 48H6E2 interceptor missile, updated with improved guidance algorithms, an improved warhead and enhanced ECCM capabilities. The system detects targets at ranges of up to 300 km and can handle up to 100 simultaneous tracks. Up to 36 interceptor missiles can engage targets simultaneously. Aircraft targets can be engaged between 3 and 200 km, and missiles can be intercepted at ranges of 5 – 40 km, and from 30 to 90,000 feet in altitude.

Against a stealthy target you could figure an engagement range in the 15 km range, based on the engagement distance being proportional to the 4th route of RCS, which means that they are not particularly effective for area defense, but for point defense of a specific target (nuclear facility) it could complicate the attack.

First a report of sale, now a report of delivery, in the space of a week and it looks like some are going to the Syrians too, though it appears to be a fixed installation geared toward protecting a Russian naval base at Tartous, and it is unclear as to whether the operators would be Russian or Syrian.

US Military Looking for Contractor to Oversee Mercenaries

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Well this has epic FAIL written all over it:

According to a solicitation released earlier this week by the coalition headquarters at Bagram Airfield, the military is looking for a contractor to run something called the “Armed Contractor Oversight Directorate.” The work statement says the new office will be responsible for tracking private security companies (PSCs) — and keeping tabs on how often they resort to force.

If our army is so hollow that we need to hire mercenaries to supervise mercenaries…

Just so you know, that sound that you hear is Franz Kafka turning over in his grave.

Note to Self: If You Pay Someone to Buy Something, They Generally Buy It

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Which is why, to no one’s surprise, the Dutch have decided that the JSF best suits their needs.

You’d have to be an idiot to not know that it was a done deal. After as Bill Sweetman notes, the Dutch were using PowerPoint slides lifted directly from Lockheed-Martin as a part of their evaluation.

The good Mr. Sweetman also notes that there were numerous errors int he comparison, and they all cut in favor of the JSF.

When one looks at the industrial offsets to Holland, it’s pretty clear that there is more money flowing in than flowing out.

As such, it would have been insane to expect any other result.

A160T Hummingbird Drone Achieves New Milestone

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Boeing has announced that it’s Hummingbird drone has has successfully changed the final drive ratio of its transmission in flight, which will allow two rotor speed settings, one being about ½ of the other.

It turns out that slower rotational speeds work better at hover and low speeds, but limit forward speed, because of retreating blade stall, and most helos therefore operate as a compromise. (The A160T set its record in slow rotor mode).

All in all, this program is moving along at a blindingly fast pace, with US special forces already making purchases of the diminutive helicopter.

Boeing’s PR is here.

Zimbabwe Update

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On the theory that if it bleeds, it leads, the lead story here is the shooting of the commander of the Zimbabwe Air Force known to be a close ally of Mugabe, in an apparent assassination attempt.

I would be unsurprised if there were more of this.

I am also unsurprised at the African Union’s decision to ratchet up measures against Mugabe and the ZANU-PF. There is a lot of, “There but for the grace of God, go I,” in what has been going on there.

In any case, some things stay the same, like Thabo Mbeki still working for power sharing, and never once laying an ounce of blame on either Mugabe or the ZANU-PF.

I have no clue why anyone in their right mind would treat him with anything but contempt.

Mugabe is attempting to put forward his false “unity government”, by publishing a the government law (it’s a parliamentary thing), though the MDC majority in parliament has no intention of ever taking taking it to the floor.

The same can be said for Mugabe’s “asking” Tsvangirai to allow himself to be sworn in as PM.

Under the current power sharing arrangement, both mean nothing.

In any case Mugabe is now suggesting that there be new elections, which would be even heavier on the violence than the prior ones no doubt.

Anyone who thinks that he will negotiate in good faith, need only look at the speech that he gave to the ZANU-PF annual conference, where he said, “Zimbabwe is mine.”

The only way we will see reform from him is if the sanctions against him are severe enough to coerce his agreement.

One sign that Mugabe is looking to step up the violence is that he is now claiming that the opposition is sponsoring a guerrilla war against him.

The idea of the state security forces of Zimbabwe being unleashed with the fig leaf of a counter-insurgency campaign is appalling.

It is thus no surprise that the MDC is threatening to leave unity talks, which I think is an attempt to get Mugabe to stop disappearing opposition leaders.

Finally, it appears that the cholera epidemic is getting worse.

Election Update

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Well, at the time that I am typing this, Franken lead over Coleman is in excess of 250.

So, when the votes go against you, what do you do, you go to court, claiming that the votes were counted twice, only the Coleman campaign has a twist: what they are claiming would not only throw out some votes, but would reset the counter on the precincts in question, all of which are Franken precincts, my guess, back to election night tallies.

In the meantime, another of Coleman’s moves, reinstating some challenges that he had previously withdrawn, has netted Franken 3 votes…..Karma, neh?

Pass the Popcorn

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Well, it looks like the right wing is going batsh%$ insane about Rick Warren giving the prayer at the convention too.

Debbie Schlussel (no link directly to her, she makes Michell Malkin look like Mother Theresa) is freaking out claiming that Rick Warren is a Syrian sympathiser, and she actually posts a picture of him getting or giving an an award from/to Bashir al Assad:

What’s next? Is this guy going to be caught on tape discussing a bribe with Blago?

The Nobel Prize Winner Sees the Big Picture

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Paul Krugman notes that it’s really very difficult to find meaningful differences between Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme and business as usual in the financial markets:

The financial services industry has claimed an ever-growing share of the nation’s income over the past generation, making the people who run the industry incredibly rich. Yet, at this point, it looks as if much of the industry has been destroying value, not creating it. And it’s not just a matter of money: the vast riches achieved by those who managed other people’s money have had a corrupting effect on our society as a whole.

He is right when he says that, we are “looking at now are the consequences of a world gone Madoff.”

Bush to Make Emergency Auto Loans

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A quick look at the proposal, and it looks to be remarkably non-punitive.

Politico has the bullet points:

Binding Terms and Conditions: The binding terms and conditions established by the Treasury will mirror those that were voted favorably by a majority of both Houses of Congress, including:

  • Firms must provide warrants for non-voting stock.
  • Firms must accept limits on executive compensation and eliminate perks such as corporate jets.
  • Debt owed to the government would be senior to other debts, to the extent permitted by law.
  • Firms must allow the government to examine their books and records.
  • Firms must report and the government has the power to block any large transactions (> $100 M).
  • Firms must comply with applicable Federal fuel efficiency and emissions requirements.
  • Firms must not issue new dividends while they owe government debt.

Targets: The terms and conditions established by Treasury will include additional targets that were the subject of Congressional negotiations but did not come to a vote, including:

  • Reduce debts by 2/3 via a debt for equity exchange.
  • Make one-half of VEBA payments in the form of stock.
  • Eliminate the jobs bank.
  • Work rules that are competitive with transplant auto manufacturers by 12/31/09.
  • Wages that are competitive with those of transplant auto manufacturers by 12/31/09.
    • Note that wages here means all forms of current and past employee remuneration, or at least it does to Bush and His Evil Minions™,and so would have the effect of competing the Big 3 (Big 2½) with their large number of retirees against the transplants who have basically no retirees, which if strictly enforced, would mean not paying much more than minimum wage.
    • Note also that these are “targets”, and not “binding terms and conditions”, and so will be subject to some level of sanity.

In any case, meeting the terms has a deadline of March 30 of next year, which kicks everything to Obama.

I think that this is why Obama has said very little here, because if he were engaged, it would give Bush the cover to do something much worse.

Mark Felt Dead

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He was, of course, immortalized by Woodward and Bernstein as their source “Deep Throat who, as deputy director of the FBI, supplied and confirmed many of their stories.

He was 95.

He did a great service to the country, though it’s unclear what his motives were.

My guess would be that he was not interested in protecting the country, per se, but in protecting the bureau.

Economics Update

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The big news, the bail out, I’ve already discussed, though the fact that S&P has cut the ratings on 12 banks, Bank of America, Barclays Bank, Citibank, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank of Scotland, UBS, and Wells Fargo, is not what I would call small news.

In any case, it appears that oil is down to $33.87/bbl, and the dollar is up.

I think that the announcement of the auto bailout strengthened the dollar, and as to oil, the world economy is still seizing up.

Retail gas was up above$1.67/gal today, so I think that we have hit bottom there.

Inouye Next on Cunningham Scandal Hit Parade?

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Interestingly enough, what should be one of the safest seats in the Senate may be at risk because of the perception of scandal.

In a situation that has macabre reflections on Ted Stevens, it appears that defense contractor Mitchell Wade has been cooperating extensively with authorities, and he has reportedly named 5 members of Congress, including Daniel Inouye, though it is unclear whether we are talking proximity, ethics issues, or actual violations of the law.

As Hawaii now has a rather popular governor, should this progress much further, the reelection of the senior Senator from Hawaii may not be a sure thing.