Interesting articles

It appears that the Pak AF claims of 3 Rafale, 1 Su30 & 1 MiG29 shot down in the opening exchanges of Operation Sindoor were indeed accurate. An Indian MP has confirmed the losses.

I would reiterate my own thinking on this, that the losses are as much a failure of Indian planning as they are a success for Pakistan rearmament and training.

A week before Op Sindoor kicked off I posted on the CA Pak/India thread that.

The new aircraft and A2A missiles, in particular the J10 & the J17 block 3 operate Chinese supplied PL15 missiles. There are 2 versions of that missile, the export PL15E (145km range) which is what Pakistan was initially supplied and the domestic Chinese version (300km range).

There are reports from the past week that China has armed Pakistan with the 300km version directly from PLAAF stocks. Aswell as that, there are also reports that Turkey has made very recent arms deliveries too. Both versions of the missile outrange the Indian R77s and Astra's, and the Chinese domestic version outranges the Rafale's Meteor A2A meaning Indian strike package would be outranged and at risk from Pak air defence.

The Indian Air Force is, and has been in crisis for the past 20yrs. It is vastly understrength, currently fielding 31 fighter squadrons, which will drop to 29 with retirement of final 2 MiG21 squadron's in October. It's authorised fighter strength is 41 squadrons. Yet it is facing Pakistan & China as strategic threat in the NE & NW. Pakistan fielding 25 fighter squadrons, and China with 66 fighter squadrons although fielding approx 25 within range of India.

China are also now fielding 5th Gen fighters en masse & Pakistan will also soon start inducting J35.

Whereas India's 5th Gen is expected to enter service in 2035... And given Indian equipment induction timelines, it will be late.

There are now demands within India to seek immediate purchase of a 5th gen fighter to counter the Sino/Pak 5th gen threat. Their only options are US F35s, or Russian Su57s.

My thinking is that given the Indians already build the Su30 and AL31 engine. That they will seek a manufacturing license for the Sukhoi and upgrade their domestic manufacturing line to be able to build the Felon.

I don't think it's the right plane for them, but necessity means they are running out of options.

I'd also expect the Indians to try and get on board with either FCAS or GCAP as a means of getting a more capable airframe than their laggard AMCA. I'd expect the French to seek Indian partnership on FCAS, esp if the Dassault/Airbus partnership falls apart. The Japanese would likely be the Indian path into GCAP if the UK & Italy agree.

The pre-legislative scrutiny of the Defence Bill has ended. No agreement on a recommendation on the Triple Lock between government and opposition member on the Committee on Defence and National Security, as expected, but they have asked to have a role in scrutiny and renewal of overseas deployment mandates when/if the TL goes.

Personally, I don't have a big issue with that. I mean the Committee majority will be in line with the government of the day anyway, so if they want to ask questions of the minister and the brass, in closed session if necessary, it does contribute to the primacy of the Oireachtas in such matters if the UNSC element is removed.

Yes. Doesn't sound like he is minded to give any such concession. And thats fine too, they have a solid majority.

It is, but it was naively self-imposed by the government of the day.

And the bigger issue by far is the UN mandate change, not the threshold of small deployments being 12, or 50, or 100 or whatever it ends up being.

Dont tell anyone but the defence forces might be importing Ammo via New Ross. Remember its Top Secret info.

https://m.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/new-ross-news/irish-defence-forces-applies-to-import-ammunition-through-the-port-of-new-ross/a702361661.html

The Nitrofert company already has a large facility at the river port in Ross. If that doesn't already have an ordinance for explosive materials handling, then it would strike me that the port has been operating dangerously and illegally for a long time.

Which I doubt.

But it is an odd one all the same. New Ross is a tiny facility with poor infrastructure. When it comes to setting up security and marshaling armaments convoys I would have thought Belview remained ideal for the job.

No, you're correct. The story is that New Ross would be a new port of disembarkation for ammunition, and the licencing and safety measures that would required for that.

It would have been landed previously at Cork, Waterford-Belview and Dublin.

Those ports are certainly busy, by all accounts, but for the infrequency of shipments I can't imagine their schedules would make much of a difference to the DF.

I can only guess that some provider tendered an all-in price, with the proviso that they would be able to use a lower cost berth like Ross, if the DF could assist with any new licensing etc.

precisely

nice handy route up the M9 to the Glen.

Max population areas its anywhere near is New Ross and Baltinglass

Think it was the Irish Times who were discussing this point and their take was that someone versed in international law would be asked to confirm if any proposed missions or interventions were legal.

So independent of government but appointed by the government.

Talk about a space filler article.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025/08/07/air-corps-had-to-pull-out-of-show-in-england-due-significant-challenges-for-air-traffic-control/

i see on Twitter via a FOI request it was the DOD that pulled the Air Corps trip to the UK and nothing to do with ATC

I got the sense it was partly that, but more that there was no spare capacity if the aircraft types were need for unforeseen duty.

Precisely.

Its Time to disband the Department of Defence.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025/08/12/money-to-pay-reserve-defence-forces-members-ran-out-due-to-recruitment-surge/