October 15, 2018

We are told that 33 of the 55 F-22s stationed at Tyndall AFB were evacuated to Ohio due to Hurricane Michael which trashed Tyndall AFB. Nothing has been said about the other 22 F-22s.- There is strong suspicion that those 22 aircraft have in fact, been transferred to Israel rather than having been destroyed by the hurricane.

If the US secretly transferred 22 F-22s – two squadron’s , to Israel as a counter to the Syrian possession of S-300s batteries?

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Sputnik
US May Scramble F-22 Fighters in Response to S-300 Missiles in Syria – Reports

On Tuesday, Russia announced the delivery of batteries of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Syria.

The US Air Force may employ F-22 stealth fighters and F-16CJ Vipers to suppress and destroy enemy air defenses in response to Russia’s deployment of S-300 surface-to air missile systems to Syria’s government, the Drive wrote.

The US already used the F-22s and F-16CJs during the opening stages of its military campaign in Syria when it was not yet clear how Syrian government forces might respond to their appearance in the country’s airspace.

Washington may have to return to such tactics, though it already continues to employ F-22s in areas near Syrian government control, the magazine wrote.
Moscow announced last week that it would supply S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Syria after government forces, responding to an Israeli airstrike on September 17, mistakenly shot down a Russian military reconnaissance plane killing all 15 crewmembers on board.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Israeli jets had used the Russian Il-20 as a shield against Syrian air defense systems and blamed the plane crash on the Israeli Air Force. Israel has refuted the accusations and insists that Moscow was warned about the air operation in a timely manner.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, their jets were targeting a Syrian facility suspected of producing weapons that could then be sent to the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon “on behalf of Iran.

According to Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian experts have already begun teaching Syrian troops to operate the S-300 systems, and the training is expected to finish within three months. The deliveries are intended to boost the security of Russian troops in Syria.

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Sputnik
Israel Will Demand New Weapons From US Amid S-300 Supply to Syria – Scholar

On Tuesday, Russia announced the delivery of batteries of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Syria.

In an interview with Sputnik, Egyptian expert on Israel Muhammed Ali said that now that Syria has received S-300 air defense missiles from Russia, Tel Aviv will insist on getting similar weapons from the United States.

He added that the statement Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made on Facebook on Tuesday about his country’s right to self-defense amply proved this.

“Israel realizes that with the deployment of S-300 systems in Syria, it will no longer be able to provide emergency help to militants by striking Syrian military installations from the air,” the expert noted.

This means that Israel is losing its leverage on the situation in Syria and it will now be working hard to obtain new weapons.

“Donald Trump is not looking for any further confrontation with Russia in Syria as he has his hands full sorting out numerous problems and crises in his own country and the continuing protests over the US embassy move to Jerusalem,” Dr. Ali said.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the US government and Congress for the historic 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the US and Israel on security assistance to the Jewish state.

“I thank the American administration and Congress for their commitment to Israel and also for the American financial assistance in the coming decade,” Netanyahu stated.

The MOU, signed in September 2016, guarantees Israel $38 billion in security aid over the coming decade.

This is the largest military assistance package that the United States has ever given to any country.

Speaking on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that Tel Aviv wasn’t “happy” about the S-300sdeliveries to Syria, but it could not give up on its military operations in the war-ravaged country.

“I cannot say that we are happy about the deployment of the S-300s. At the same tome, we have no choice here. We have no opportunity to make decisions [on military operations in Syria],” he said.

The minister further stated that it was important for Russia and Israel to restore normal ties despite their disagreements over the downing of the Il-20 reconnaissance plane.