Yemeni Conflict: News #3

But they are suffering too like the VC did... Americans were brutal... clearly the Saudis are too...

But both colonial powers are not giving them any alternative.

Events of the past two days show that Tehran's friends are alive and kicking (butt). Probably wishful thinking but maybe reductions in Russian and Saudi exports will make the west desperate for Iranian oil--to the point where sanctions de facto end without any concessions on the part of Tehran.

I would expect the west might look to Iranian oil and potentially gas exports to compensate for reducing the flow from Russia, but how much oil and gas could they sell them... and of course selling gas that way is slow and rather more expensive than piped gas so expensive gas is going to be a thing for Europe going forward now even if they could put in enough port facilities to take liquid supplies to replace the piped gas supplies they currently get.

I hope the Iranians demand payment in their own currency and not dollars or euros, which the west could freeze on a whim or just steal like they do... or maybe demand payment in Yuan or Rubles so they can buy products from Russia or China.

When the west buys your oil or gas they like you to spend the currency you make on their (overpriced) products in their currency so they can get some money back on the deal...

The Saudis did as Americans told them because they thought the Americans would protect them from their neighbours.

The protection they offer against drones and cruise missiles is absolutely pathetic so if the US isn't protecting them why should they take direction from America.

And the person saying the US should take the oil... they do...

Change is coming though.

Very true, drones are at ones plastic model aeroplanes that anyone can shoot down with a rifle from enormous distances, to outdoing the US satellite network by providing 24/7 all weather day and night coverage of the battlefield that makes ambushes on convoys impossible.

It is obviously something in the middle and of course come in a wide variety of sizes and types... some palm sized ones fly for ten minutes and then need 3 hours to charge... but if in those ten minutes they climb vertically and spot some enemy forces without revealing your position that allows you to mark the enemy positions on a digital map to then be engaged by other platforms... ground vehicles and aircraft and artillery then it is amazing.

Hand held balls you can roll into a room with cameras showing every corner so you know where the bad guys are, or if there are any in there at all... saving a hand grenade you can use on the next room.

To larger platforms with rockets and bombs and missiles but also cameras.

The most valuable part of a drone is often high quality cameras that provide information about where the enemy is and what forces they have and what they are doing right now.

A drone is like a plane, if it spots a target it can't just release a bomb and it will automatically hit, it will often need to turn in the direction of the target because the camera is independent and while you might be looking directly at the target the drone might be flying away from the target.

Most drones are very small and very light and really don't show up well on camera or IR device.

The Georgian drones in South Ossetia were a problem for the Russian forces there because the IR signature was too small for MANPADS to hit them when they were flying at 4km altitude, and at that altitude they were too high for 23mm cannon fire to reach... if they had OSA or Tunguska or Pantsir they could reach but they had BUK which is like using HAWK missiles to shoot down small drones.

They ended up using fighter aircraft, you might remember the video of a MiG-29 using an R-73 or R-60 air to air missile to shoot down the drone... not ideal.

Aircraft are not great for shooting down drones... they are expensive and their missiles are not cheap either.

The cheapest solution would be 57mm or 30mm airburst HE shells, or something like Kornet or Bulat with HE payloads.... or a drone with a 40mm grenade launcher with special airburst grenades that might use the same airburst technology the 30mm and 57mm HE shells use.

Small arms are not good because even the bullets that hit create a threat to anyone on the ground beyond the target when they come down again.

Having large numbers of soldiers firing lots of bullets into the air could do more damage than the drone... firing rifles and HMGs into the air is not safe.

Saudi coalition will come to an agreement of a Yemen split. Problem u have now is UAE etc taking islands for themselves. This is against the law and I don't see western nations telling them to leave or sanctioning them.

The Houthi need to create a price for the UAE that they will have to keep paying until the situation is resolved... if they can sort something out with SA then they can focus on UAE to get their island back... even if it is just constant drone attacks on the islands and any aircraft or shipping that operate near or on the islands...

Good, I hope they mean it, because it really was not a conflict doing anyone any good.

A horrible waste of lives and money.