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The Houthis released a video showing the downed Vestel Karayel combat drone of Saudi forces. The drone was shot down in the northern Yemeni province of al-Jawf on March 7.
Houthis Release Video Of Downed Vestel Karayel Combat Drone Of Saudi Forces
Considering it’s just a Cessna 207 Statioinaire clone (cockpit and windows mercilessly head-chopped), the looks are not surprising. Actually a really good, sturdy basic design to steal for a slow but capable medium drone. You can literally scale up a model airplane kit of it and put it into production. Turks already have some kind of home-brew 100 hp (75kW) engines, so add Israeli avionics and bombs, some grey paint and you’re ready to sell to the Saudis and UAE for a few million USD (several bajillion TRY) a pop. Toss in a turboprop used in existing Vestels and you have a Karayel Exxxtreme Edition. Saudis/UAE head-choppers will pay double for that one. Want to make even more money? “Export” the production capability to the Saudis – you’ll be able to milk them for several million more in the process. I would pay good money to see the Saudi version try to take off and bomb something. Good thing they have boomerang Patriots – they’ll come in handy!
The ugly aircraft body isn’t the main attraction, though. Karayel’s use Canadian L3-Harris (Westcam) Electronic Optical / IR tracking and targeting bundle. Those systems go for close to a million USD each – probably more than the UAV airframe. Canada is being pressured to stop supplying them to the Turkish defense industries, and they’re used on a lot of Turkish equipment. Replacing it would be a pain in the ass – there’s few suppliers and and Turkey is years from coming up with anything remotely as capable. So, yeah… ‘indigenous’ drone with a couple hard points, but blind and useless without superior Canadian optics.
Interesting comment – as the Saudi’s were talking up domestic production of these combat drones after concluding Turkish supply deal including ‘tech transfer’. So guessing that means the Turk’s sell fuselage kits for assembly in KSA – packaged with Canadian hardware/software as the bolt on electronics suite. But none of it is exactly a roaring domestic Turkish design milestone though – a basic but sturdy US fuselage clone and a buy-in Canadian electronics package. Wonder how much the Turks are gouging Saudi’s for, to simply resell them off the shelf Canadian technology?!
The Turks also make money on the razor blades, not just the razors. Rocketsan sells the MAM-L/C, which is probably the only munition dropped from the Karayel. It’s almost $100,000 for a loadout of four (~$20K HE MAM-C, ~$25K TB MAM-L from the usual questionable ‘internet’ sources). These both use semi-active laser seeking, so yet another reason to stay locked into the L3 package. Then you need a nice air-conditioned trailer for the operators and some satellite time. A guy could make a good living hawking these kill toys to the Saudi/UAE head-chopping royalty.
I stand corrected. Just saw this Houthi video on AMN.
https://youtu.be/5bjBSRO25cg
At one point, Houthi bros zoom in on the detached turret, revealing
a fine German Argos II (old, non-HD) optronics product sold by German (international really) company HENSOLDT AG. Germany had banned arms and components sales to Saudi Arabia since the bonesaw episode in Istanbul, but Hensoldt claims their optics are ITAR-free (not subject to arms trafficking laws). Odd since it apparently has IR tracking and targeting. Not sure how ITAR-Free applies to the Saudi restrictions, but it’s a Turkish drone so….
Turkey entering Yemen war? hahaha didn’t learn from Saudi and Emirates. Beside that already defeated by Yemen long time ago
you have anything else than cheap photoshop?
She could not get any foto of Satanyahoo Chickenshit, so she used his twin, Edog
yes, especially in Syria
In reality Turkey is a worse threat to Iran than the Gulf states, but Russia has its back!
Turkish Russian relationship is only limited to some businesses (yes, even the S400 issue was more business than military cooperation). They don’t have any long term military, security, etc cooperation.
Turkey will not confront Iran, nor in Syria or Iraq or elsewhere. Only some political exchange for now. I hope for a mess between Turkey US Russia (look how Ukraine is moving their arsenal towards eastern part of the country, how Turkey and AZ are looking for another war in Armenia, all this is pressure on Russia, means good for another third party, you know…)
The pressure on Russia is applied by the U.S not Turkey.
There’s a $33 trade volume between Russia and Turkey, which largely favors Russia. There’s nuclear cooperation with Russia which runs into tens of billions of dollars and which Russia will benefit from for years to come.
So, what makes you say Turkish-Russian relations can’t be long-term?
because a 33 bn trade makes no long term cooperation, it is limited to business? You understand? There is no active military, security, culture cooperation on every field. Iran and China have a 300 bn trade agreement, does it make it long term? No! They sanctioned Turkey just like a peanut after downing their aircraft, Russia is only looking for a way to smash NATO countries against each other
No, Russia’s economy is in trouble, and 33 billion a year is quite a size-able amount to let up. Russia is building nuclear reactors in Turkey partly funded by Russia. That investment would be worth more than 100 billion dollars over the next two decades or so. That too is too large an investment to gamble with. This does not even account for the likely growth over the coming years. Yeah, it’s not permanent, but it’s certainly not one that can break because of Syria or Iran.
Turkey isn’t looking to create a Turkish empire. It’s looking to revive the Sunni Muslim world.
Don’t you see Russia as an ally?
I see, but do not count to much on Russia, never on any world power
Hmm, maybe China, also economically because they’re with more
Right, Russia’s got Turkey’s back alright.
It took Russia almost 10years to deliver the paid-for S-300 to Iran, after Iran resorted to open a case in international court (needless to say it is a defensive system and subject to UN embargo which Russia voted yes by the way). Just like the case with Syria which still can’t use it. Took them more than 15 years to complete Bushehr power plant which was also paid in advance. But they sold Turkey 2 S-400 systems and a nuclear power plant.with loan.
And this after Turkey downed the Russian jet, the one that Iran saved its and the search helicopters’ pilots.
Personally I have no expectation from Russia to do anything for Iran, I wish they just don’t hurt or sell us more than they did.
LOL. Erdogan declared a policy of friendship with Iran. But that declaration could actually mask a strategy to undermine Tehran.
Iran’s answer to tb2 must be sam 358, they must supply it asap to houthis
Fact check – Turkey and KSA/ UAE are not friends – as Turkey’s leadership is offshoot of Muslim Brotherhood and sponsors MB based regional activities. That KSA loathes. That is why Turkey is only pals with tiny Qatar in Gulf – as both are MB affiliates. Meanwhile, KSA /Egypt /UAE are all lined up against Turkey – over last years KSA has informally pushed a boycott against Turkish goods across arab states. Turkey has next to no regional arab-state friends. Erdogan is a clown.
So are Turkish government and PKK off-shoots, the alphabet soup Kurdish terror groups. But they cooperate when it comes to stealing Syrian wealth like best buds.
Is the power of money -easy money at that- surprising?
True. Guess it takes motley collection of the corrupt and the criminal to make an organized crime syndicate function – and in these instances will find otherwise direct enemies and direct competitors operating in rough collusion to mutually profit from plunder/looting when they see an exploitable window of opportunity. Guess all mafioso like organizations operate in roughly the same manner.
Turkey is sending some of its terror elements of Turkish FSA to help Saudis in Yemen, against Ansarallah and the army.
Things are vastly different than what we are being told or what they seem. Especially when it comes to Erdogan and loads of hot air he pushes out when he talks against Saudis or Israel.
Arab governments are now inching closer to Turkey, especially Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The Biden administration means trouble for Saudi Arabia. Already, they have delisted Houthis from the terrorist list. They’ve ended arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and are applying pressure on Riyadh to end the war even as Houthi missiles and drones pound Saudi Arabia. The Biden administration is also trying to negotiate a deal with Iran that would provide a windfall of cash with which the mullahs will strengthen their regional anti-Saudi/Israel/America proxies.
Trade volume between Turkey and those Arab states you mentioned are comparatively negligible. Their unofficial boycott has next to zero effects on Turkey’s economy, especially after Turkey started creating new markets in Qatar, Libya, Somalia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Russia among many others. Arab boycotts cannot stop the Turkish economy in any way.
The reason you enemies of Islam hate Erdogan is because he’s smart. You hate smart people.
Looks like junk of a sort. Some kind of R2 D2.
So many commenters have so much pain and anger. I wonder why?
that’s because people are angry with one another.
Those Turkish drones killed hundreds of your forces in Syria and anguished thousand in Armenia. They also successfully halted Haftar’s push on Tripoli and sent his forces fleeing for their lives. Most importantly, they helped Turkey draw a redline in Syria that neither the Kremlin nor Assad would want to cross again.
Turkey is a strong country, fully capable of defending its borders from any attacker, including Russia. My recent research shows that Russia CANNOT invade Turkey even if it wanted to. With so many high-precision and innovative systems developed by Turkey, any invasion by Russia (whether from Syria or the black) will be stopped dead in its tracks, with prohibitive number of casualties on the Russia side. Now I understand why Erdogan is standing up boldly for Syrians in Idlib. I used to think that if America withdraws from Syria, Turkey too will be forced to. Then I realized with the kind of armament and competence of the Turkish military, Russia will not be able to forcibly take Idlib from Turkey even if it tried to.
you may be wrong on your assessment. Russia did not use its EW systems yet to defend against Turkish drones. If Russia would, the drones would fall out of the sky. But why should Russia give away the secrets of its capabilities for an opponent as weak as Turkey?
I’m not talking about drones. Drones by themselves cannot stop a Russian advance on Idlib. But combined with Turkey’s precision missiles, long-range missiles, bombers and a highly professional land army, the Turks will definitely be able to not only stop any advancing force on Idlib, but also roll it back. They don’t need NATO to do this. That’s one of the reasons NATO didn’t deem it necessary to create any safe zones in Idlib. And as it is, Turkey can annex Idlib and there’s nothing Assad or Russia will do, except stir up trouble and terrorism in Idlib to make the Turkish occupation more costly, or lean on the UN and Europe to sanction Turkey if it refuses to pull out.
Well, Russia just stops all bilateral trade with Turkey and forbide its citizens to visit Turkey for holidays. The first holiday-embargo against Turkey dropped its currency drastically, having Turkey close to an economic collapse. One more, and including bilateral trade would kill off Turkey economically.
https://world-news-monitor.com/hotspots/turkey/2020/11/24/bilateral-trade-between-turkey-and-russia-totals-14-bln-in-9-months/
Boy, you’re kind of weird. There’s nothing about that link you provided that suggests Russia halted economic activities with Turkey.
Turkey the whore of the Zionist Israelis alongside Nuttyahoo bombed and bombed Assad. Assad is still there and getting stronger daily while Erdodog is playing delusional make believe Caliph. Turkey is a has been Power and will never rise again. The Persian empire has risen again and Nasrallah will soon be crowned King of Jerusalem.
LOL
You should write comedy. Thats the funniest fantasy story i’ve read in ages!
Is that all you’ve got? Tell me something more interesting, like how Russia CAN invade Turkey or forcibly take back Idlib. And I’ll tell you why Putin keeps signing agreements with Turkey despite the desperate and frustrated comments on SF urging Putin to take a more decisive action. Some of you idiots even accuse him of being a Zionist agent, not knowing that Putin is doing what’s best for Russia by keeping off Idlib. If the Feb/March 2020 attack by Turkey didn’t teach you anything, then let me remind you that the attack did three things:
1. punish Assad disproportionately and very painfully.
2. Get the message across that Turkey is willing to fight anyone (including Russia) if that “anyone” attacks Turkish forces in Syria. It was the first attack, and though it wouldn’t have happened without Russia’s approval and cooperation, Turkey refrained from attacking Russian forces. The logic was simple: Russia risked losing the entire Syrian army if it ever approved or encourage such an attack again.
3. The attack drew a redline for Turkey that all pro-Assad forces in Syria were careful not to cross since then.
So I’ll say again, Turkey is fully capable of defending its borders from any invading force, including Russia.
LOL, you are back again clown.
I’m always around idiot.
Yeah Assad has been punished so disproportionately, he’s still in power after 5 countries supplied head choppers and helped bomb one little country for 10 years. Erdodog the delusional Caliph of Funnytown first spoke about “No Assad” and now he and NATO have both changed tune. what an Anus Erdodog is
Then I guess Assad has won the war.
Turkey, is well, a Turkey. Erdogan is a monkey. When Assad liquidates the remaining Head Choppers and the PMU’s send the Yanks packing, Turkey will turn and run, like a Turkey on Thanksgiving.
He tried to do that in February 2020. We both know how it ended up.
Few Facts on the ground Frankly:
1- Houthies or more accurately Ansarallah now can hit ALL of Saudi Arabia at will.
2- US Air Defence systems set up for Saudis has been a total failure.
3- Province of Ma’arib and all the oil fields are about to fall to Ansarallah forces .
4- MBS, an illiterate mentally disturbed idiot threatened to bring war to Iran. However, he is now watching the war hiding under his senile daddy’s bed as missiles and drones rain down on the capital.