Global Conflict Reporting

Tag: Israel

  • US Army General speaks on transfer of patriot air defense battalion to Middle East.

    US Army General speaks on transfer of patriot air defense battalion to Middle East.

    By. Scott Jackson

    04/10/2025

    Two days ago GCR reported that a number of US cargo planes were moving equipment to the Middle East. We have some more information on that today after Admiral Samuel J. Paparo revealed today at a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee, that several Patriot battery’s had been taken from South Korea and the Indian Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) and transferred to Central Command (CENTCOM). The airlifts were cauteries out by dozens of C-17’s.

    Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

    INDOPACOM covers the pacific and Indian Ocean region and is one of the most important military commands for the U.S. as they struggle against Chinese territorial interest with Taiwan as well as other parts of the first island chain. CENTCOM on the other hand, covers the Middle East region and is currently carrying out operations against the Iranian backed Houthis in Yemen. US assets have been reported as being moved to the Middle East in a suspected threat to Iran. US president Donald Trump has made it clear that if negotiations aren’t started with Iran, concerning Irans nuclear program, bombs will be the next step.

    While Iran has little in the way of modern aircraft capable of defending against these hypothetical US strikes, what they do have is hundreds of medium and long range ballistic missiles. High level officials from the Iranian government have made threats towards U.S. military bases in the region as well as the bases of anybody who could help the US with a strike on Irans. This is where the patriot systems come in.

    Patriot missile test

    A patriot battery is made up of the following.

    6-8 launchers

    1 radar set (AN/MPQ-53 phased-array radar)

    An Engagement Control station.

    An Electrical Power Plant

    And an Antenna Mast Group.

    Patriot PAC 2 launcher in service in Israel.
    AN/MPQ-53 phased-array radar

    A patriot battalion is made up of anywhere from 4-6 battery’s and 24-48 launchers as well as the single radar, power, and Fire Control Station each.

    The Patriots in South Korea are apart of an I rig rated defense system and cover US assets in the country like Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek and Osan Air Base.

    South Korea has asked the U.S. Department of Defense to temporarily deploy substitute assets, such as alternative air defense systems or combat aircraft, on a rotational basis to cover the hole left in their air defense network with the removal of these systems between February and March. The Patriots are expected to remain in the Middle East for the next at least six months.

    The U.S. has dozens of bases and locations in the region that could come under fire in the near future as tensions rise in the region. Iran has already threatened US forces as a retaliation for a possible strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Israel all have their own defense networks (some supplemented by THAAD and Patriot systems.)

    Thank you for reading. I hope you get as much out of what I’m doing here as I get out of making these reports. If so I would invite you to join my Patreon. Doing that would help me more than I can describe. I’ve kept it as cheap as possible to become a member. It’s only a $1.00. However a dollar from even half of my Facebook followers would be a life changing amount of money for me and for this page.

    Audio content coming very soon. I’m also looking for interesting people to interview. If that’s you, contact me through my email.

    Thank you for all the support over the years. Here’s to many more.

    -Scott

  • Iran and United States send threats over Iranian nuclear capabilities.

    By Scott Jackson

    April 2nd, 2025

    The past couple days have seen a rise in the already complicated tensions between the United States and Iran. US president Donald Trump threatened that bombs would fly “like they have never seen” unless Iran agreed to come to negotiations regarding Irans nuclear capabilities. The threat comes as a number of B-2 Spirit long-range strategic bombers were not so quietly flown to Diego Garcia, an island strategic airbase located on the Indian Ocean.

    “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing,” Trump told NBC News over the weekend, adding “it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”

    6 US Air Force B-2 “Spirit” shown here on satellite imagery taken in the last day.

    This remote airbase has long been used to station bombers for strikes into the Middle East region. The bombers arriving highlights a recent buildup of US military forces in the Middle East, mostly air and navy assets. Two US carriers were ordered to the region, the USS Harry S Truman already in the area as well as the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) which will arrive in the upcoming weeks.

    Stock image. Carrier and her strike group.

    Iran neglected to the offer of direct negotiations with the US however said they are open to indirect negotiations. While they claim to not be pursuing nuclear weapons right now, they say that if they are targeted for attack by the U.S. or Israel they would be forced to pursue nuclear weapons. They also made threats against the multiple US forces in the Middle East and furthermore claimed they would attack any base used by the Americans to attack Iran. This was likely to dissuade America’s allies from allowing America to launch attacks from their airbases. While Irans capabilities are obviously miles behind what the US can bring to a fight, that doesn’t make them completely toothless. Iran has massive stocks of missiles and drones, including ballistic missiles. One specific threat was made by an unnamed Iranian official and reported by Tehran Times. The threat was towards the Diego Garcia airbase which is around 3700km away from southern Iran. Irans longest range missile has a reported range of around 2500km meaning they would need to decrease the payload in these missiles to cut off some of the weight and extend ranges. On top of that IRGC Navy Commander Admiral Alireza Tangsiri suggested on March 29 that Iran may close the Strait of Hormuz if the United States and Israel attack Iran. And of course threats have been leveled towards Israel threatening another missile attack if they were targeted.

    Trump sent a letter on March 5th to Iran that brought up the discussion of negotiations over Irans nuclear projects however president Trump also demanded that Iran curtail its missile program and stop supporting terror groups in the region (Hamas, Houthis, Hezbollah, etc). I A senior Iranian military official stated on March 29 that Iran will “never negotiate” on its missiles or the “capabilities” of the Axis of Resistance.

  • US targets Houthi territory in Yemen with wave of airstrikes.

    US targets Houthi territory in Yemen with wave of airstrikes.

    By. Scott Jackson

    March 15, 2025

    The U.S. has launch a wave of airstrikes on the Houthi sites in Yemen with confirmation that at least some of the strikes struck in Sanaa.

    “Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom,”

    US President Donald Trump during the strike. He also said,

    “Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at US aircraft, and targeted our troops and Allies. ”

    And..

    “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.”

    While Houthi attacks in international shipping had stopped since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas todays attack is in response to a statement put out by the Houthis two days ago saying that any Israeli or U.S. linked ship that came close to Yemen would be attacked in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Houthi spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Sare’e said on Twitter that the Houthi threat to attack these ships would be in place until Israel resumed Gaza crossings, as well as aid delivery’s into the region.

    Houthi militants had spent over a year, since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 7th, 2023 attacking any ship with (and some without) any link to Israel and the U.S. with several ships being damaged by anti-ship ballistic missile or drone attacks. The U.S., in response, deployed several CSG’s (Carrier Strike Groups) into the region to counter this Houthi threat. US carrier aircraft conducted a number of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. Currently the Harry S. Truman is deployed to the area, having resumed her deployment after some repairs from an accident that occurred in the Suez.

    A Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile. The Houthis were the first to fire an ASBM in anger.

    This video shows the strikers launching from the USS Harry S. Truman. A mix of F/A-18 Super Hornets for air cover as well as for the actual strike task. These are accompanied by growlers who will cover all electronic warfare and jamming.

    Cue up “Danger Zone”

    This short video shows the strike on Sanaa. Houthi sources claim 13 killed and another 9 wounded. They also report an additional strike north of Sanaa near the border near Saudi Arabia.

    U.S. President Trump issued a direct warning to Iran for their support to the Houthis, promising to hold them “fully accountable” for the actions of the Houthis, Irans proxy. This comes two weeks after a letter was sent from the U.S. to Iran offering a path to restarting bilateral talks.

  • Two Iranian Cargo ships set to leave China filled with propellant used for ballistic missile production.

    By. Scott Jackson

    January 24,2025

    M/V Golbon and M/V Jairan, Two Iranian flagged containerships have reportedly been loaded with over 1000 tonnes of sodium perchlorate at a Chinese port over the past several days. 

    M/V Jairan
    M/V Golbon

    Sodium perchlorate is used to make ammonium perchlorate which can be used as a solid propellant in ballistic missiles and is controlled under the Missile Technology Control Regime, an international Anti- Proliferation group. 

    (more…)