France in military talks with Cyprus

[turkkan]

The toros 260 missile has a 150 Km range and the missiles are guided by GPS, and further upgrades will make the missile be able to hit over 280km away, basically Athens. Here is a magazine article on it

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[turkkan]

Furthermore there is currently a lot of talk between Russia and turkey on the acquisition of S-300 or S-400's with an option to co-produce the later. If those are acquired i suggest you not having youre heart set on to many of those F-16 block 52's leaving crete to come to cyprus.

[turkkan]

You are right actually, the toros can only reach 100km, it is in mass production now as we speak, however the above article has a mistake in it, its actually speaking about the B611, its called the 'J' missile in turkey. THis has a range of a 150km and expected to expand to 280km.


CASIC B611: Unveiled at Zhuhai for the first time, the B611 battlefield missile has a range of 150km. It is apparently the product of a cooperative program with Turkey and is in production for the PLA. It is meant to compete with the Russian Iskander-E. Photo: RD Fisher

CASIC unveiled a new short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) called the B611. A picture of this missile appeared on the internet in 2003, while Chinese sources say development began around 1999. Some sources indicate the B611 was the product of a cooperative program with Turkey. It is now in production for the PLA and CASIC officials said that "several countries" have expressed interest in the B611. The missile is derived from the DF-15/DF-11 SRBM family, and shares its stealthy nose shape. However, it is smaller and had only a 150km range. Other sources note that a lengthened, 250km range version is in development. The B611 has a useful 480kg size warhead that features high explosives for now, but other warheads may be developed. CASIC officials claim it has a maneuver capability similar to the Russian SS-X-26 Iskander-E. At the show it was featured with a 24-ton twin-missile truck-based transporter-erector-launcher (TEL). Six of these could be connected to a separate command truck for a notional battalion. An earlier version featured a single missile with integrated command section TEL. With a lighter warhead, this missile might be able to increase its range in order to reach Taiwan. However, it is more likely the B611 would be used to rapidly build up missiles on Taiwan that could be used to attack any U.S. forces coming to the rescue.

[s300]

[turkkan]

[Kifeas]

It is not my intention and wish to carry on this subject endlessly, but since you are trying to prove to me that we are somehow hopeless (nowhere near the truth,) then I must give you some better facts. The missiles you are talking about have a 150km range, but still, the most important assets and installations in the south are outside their range, unless they are placed on the very little tip of the Anamur peninsula in south Turkey, nevertheless the destruction capacity of the above missiles on sheltered or mobile assets is very limited. Furthermore, the TOR-M1s may have a 60%-90% kill probability at 2 MACH (700 m/s,) but there is another system available (BUK-M1-2,) with a much higher range (40 kms) that can intercept (kill) targets flying at 3.6 MACH, even though at a somewhat less kill probability 40%-70%. However, in case of firing such missiles, rest sure that not just one AM missile will be launched against each one of them, but perhaps 2-3 ones from different batteries, making the kill probability a 100% one.

Such missiles cannot be used effectively against Cyprus in order to destroy important military assets, especially mobile ones, but only for the purpose of causing destruction on cities and civilian casualties. However, in view of such a scenario of using the above missiles for the destruction of civilian areas -and besides the fact that we are perfectly legitimized to re-import the S-300 PMU system, we are also legitimized to target civilian (and military) areas in the north, and it is not only the Hezbollahs that have Katyoushas. In fact, the Hezbollah Katyoushas are the so-called Mickey Mouse ones. The real things are launched from 4x10 mobile platforms (Smerch and Grad MLR systems.) Turkey can make use of its sophisticated assets against us, but only if it has no interest and regard for its own assets and civilian areas in the north.

And Bananiot, it is not an issue of engaging ourselves in an arm’s race with Turkey, like the US vs. Soviet one, because this is not (and cannot be) our purpose. Our purpose is to defend the little area, airspace and waters of Cyprus from our only single one hostile neighbor that is called Turkey; while Turkey’s purpose –besides defending it’s 80 times larger territory and boarder lines, is to be offensively capable against all its numerous and equally large and hostile-turned neighbors. Our and Turkey’s needs are quite different for each other, both in terms of numbers /quantities and in terms of types /kinds of military expenses and acquisitions.

[Bananiot]

I do not believe you are saying that we should protect our legitimate rights with military strength. Simply we cannot do this and in any case, our adversaries will only allow us to install those weapons that do not constitute a threat to their supremacy. Look at what happened with the S300's. I think also that it is a non starter trying to defend the part of Cyprus that is left to us. No one is endangering this part. The idea is to get rid of the occupation and short of attacking capabilities all we have is political means. However, since we have lost all credibility in this field recently, I can see the frustrution that directs you to a distructive "solution".

[Kifeas]

[Bananiot]

I think the present Cyprus government agrees with me. Thus it has nothing to do with my small party which was voted by about seven thousand people in the last elections and obtained 1.5% against all odds.

The government must agree with me because, as far as I know, the S300's are still in Crete. This makes you and your proteges the real defeatists, since they can bring them to Cyprus but they always chicken out when it comes to push and shove. Slogans are harmless and win votes, action is much harder.

If you have any complains you know where to direct them for, according to your own logic, the governement can only be assumed to have accepted the logic of the strong and strongly abides by it. This is what must keep the S300's in Crete and the Turkish F16's roaming all over Cyprus.

[turkkan]

THe s300's have become a critical part of Greece airdefense umbrella, they also partly protect the pathway from Crete to Cyprus so their role is served quite well.

[Kifeas]

[Mete]

Kifeas & Turkkan,

It's fun to read your posts. Back in the days when I used to play with my army toys, my buddies and I used to compare our armies. We'd talk about how many soldiers, helicopters, planes, rockets, etc . we had and we'd try to predict who would win the "war" before we actually start the game of war. This kind of reminded me of those days

[Kifeas]

[pg]

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/4862106.asp?gid=74