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In the Middle East these days, things just seem to get more and more surreal by the moment. In the latest installment of "Terror Group Leaders Gone Wild," Hezbollah, not wanting to be suddenly ignored by Western news outlets -- what with Hamas grabbing all the "Islamic terrorist scumbag" media attention -- has announced that they have some Russian-made Yakhont anti-ship missiles with which to threaten the United States Navy.Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned Washington last week his group had something in store for the U.S. vessels deployed to the region since war erupted last month between the Palestinian...

The use of Russia’s Bastion coastal missile systems in Syria was the first combat use of this system against ground targets. It was aimed at testing the capabilities of the system in real combat conditions, said Konstantin Sivkov, president of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems. Earlier on the day, Russian Defense Minister said Bastion systems had been deployed to Syria. The minister said they had conducted strikes on terrorist targets in Syria. "These complexes are able to destroy both sea and ground targets at a distance of 350 kilometers at sea and almost 450 kilometers over land," Shoigu said at...

The Iranian army has taken an interest in Russia's coastal mobile missile system 'Bastion' armed with 'Yakhont' supersonic anti-ship missiles, a source close to the military-technical cooperation sector told Interfax-AVN on Jan. 20. "The interest of Iranian partners in this system derives from high performance characteristics of 'Bastion' and its reputation on the global arms market. Most importantly, Iran has a long coastline and waters which need protection," the source said. New horizons will open for military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Tehran "after the lifting of international sanctions against Iran," he said. "There are no impediments to the delivery of...

Barak 8 missile was successful in intercepting a missile that imitated the Yakhont anti-ship cruise missile. The Israel Navy has conducted a successful secret test of the Barak 8 missile, which is designed to defend ships from the much-vaunted Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles, reports Channel 2. The Yakhont missiles are one of the greatest threats to the Navy's vessels, mostly because of their potential use by Syria and Hezbollah. The missile flies at a very high speed – almost the speed of sound – from the moment it is launched. The test was carried out with the cooperation of an...

IAI-developed radar has greater range than its predecessors, can distinguish between enemy and friendly ships, detect multiple targets simultaneously. Israel's navy has a new weapon in the fight against threats from Syria and Hezbollah. Its newly installed "MF-STAR" radar system is designed to counter the Yakhont (S-800) anti-ship missiles used by both. The IDF says that the radar, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), has a greater range in comparison to the previous generation of systems, can mark more targets at once, and detect enemy ships hiding among dozens of friendly or non-combatant vessels. The radar, installed on one of...

Unconfirmed news reports claim the Russian Navy is deploying land-based ‘Bastion’ anti-ship missile systems as a response to the recent U.S. move entering two naval vessels to the Black Sea. The two American Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG-103) crossed the Bosphorus Strait Friday, headed into the Black Sea, as tensions simmer over Ukraine’s Crimea region. The Russians also moved two naval combatants from the Mediterranean Task Force back to the Black Sea Fleet. Tension is mounting in the Crimea Peninsula with the preparations for a referendum on independence from Ukraine later this week. As of today, the Truxtun...

Report: Israeli Strike Destroyed Missiles Potentially More Powerful Than All Hezbollah’s Rockets Combined FEBRUARY 26, 2014 2:20 PM Joshua Levitt An unnamed senior Israeli security official told TIME magazine that Israel destroyed surface-to-surface missiles in a Hezbollah convoy, crossing from Syria into Lebanon on Monday, which were extremely dangerous because of their ability to carry very heavy warheads. TIME wrote on Wednesday that the “Israeli official indicated they could carry warheads heavier and more dangerous than almost all of the tens of thousands of missiles and rockets Hezbollah now has pointed toward Israel.” According to TIME, the strike was “the...

The Israeli Navy is preparing for scenarios in which, using the “Yakhont” missiles, there will be an attempt to hit Israel’s oil rigs. Therefore it tries to convince the members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that it should be equipped with small and more sophisticated boats rather than the veteran missile boats The Minister of Defense, Moshe Ya'alon, used his visit to the Munich Security Conference last weekend for advanced negotiations with seniors of the German security establishment, including the new Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, for the acquisition of medium-sized destroyers (frigates), which will be used,...

Vice-Admiral (res.) Marom told the Post the West does not know very much about the Yakhont. Israel has defenses in place against the supersonic Russian- made Yakhont anti-ship missile, ex-navy chief Vice-Admiral (res.) Eliezer Marom told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday, days after The Wall Street Journal reported that Hezbollah has been smuggling the weapon to Lebanon in pieces to evade Israeli strikes. Describing the Yakhont as the most advanced missile of its kind in the world, Marom said the West does not know very much about the weapon, which flies at low altitude “right over the sea,” reaching speeds...

(BEFORE IT'S NEWS) -- Is Barack Obama in his completely insane move of attempting to start World War 3 TRYING to get America and our Navy destroyed? Russia has just sent their most advanced anti-ship missiles to Syria in a clear warning that any attack against Syria will not go unanswered. The New York Times quotes unnamed US officials as saying the missiles could be used to counter any potential future foreign military intervention in Syria. The P-800 Oniks Russian П-800 Оникс; English Onyx, also known in export markets as Yakhont, English ruby or sapphire, is a Russian/Soviet supersonic anti-ship...

“The supersonic and long-range anti-ship Yakhont missiles of the Syrian army and the Lebanese Hezbollah (resistance movement) are serious deterrents to a US naval attack by its warships in the Mediterranean Sea,” Dr. Mostafa Zahra, a military analyst and strategic studies expert, told FNA on Monday. He said that Syria’s Iskandar high-precision ballistic missiles and its anti-ship Scud missiles will also target the US warships in case of a US naval invasion of Syria, reminding that the American military vessels are not equipped with any weapons system to intercept or divert the Syrian anti-ship missiles. The P-800 Oniks, also known...

Russian supersonic missiles behave like wolves August 8, 2013 Viktor Litovkin, special to RBTH Yakhont anti-ship cruise missile at the 3rd International Airspace Show in Moscow. Source: RIA Novosti Large-scale construction of the next-generation Project 885 Yasen-class submarine armed with Onyx supersonic missiles is starting in Russia. These ships will compete with the latest American Seawolf-class nuclear submarines and will be world leaders in terms of fire power. Large-scale construction of the next-generation Project 885 Yasen-class multi-purpose nuclear attack submarine, armed with Onyx supersonic cruise missiles, is starting in Russia. The ships will compete with the latest American Seawolf-class nuclear...

Israeli navy seeks to counter Russian ship-killer Israel's navy is installing the Barak-8 air-defense missile system aboard its combat vessels to protect them against Syria's new supersonic Russian-built Yakhont anti-ship missiles which the Jewish state views as a potent threat to its long-held naval supremacy in the eastern Mediterranean. HAIFA, Israel, July 30 (UPI) -- Israel's navy is installing the Barak-8 air-defense missile system aboard its combat vessels to protect against Syria's new supersonic Russian-built Yakhont anti-ship missiles, which the Jewish state views as a potent threat to its long-held naval supremacy in the eastern Mediterranean. The medium-range Barak-8 was...

An attack two weeks ago that destroyed an advanced Russian missile shipment delivered to Syria’s Assad regime should also serve as a warning to Iran – and to those complacent Western diplomats who have (dangerously in my view) reconciled themselves to the idea of allowing Iran to go nuclear and then trying to contain it. For it seems that the July 5 attack on an arms depot near the Syrian naval base of Latakia, which has been attributed to Israel, came not from the air (as CNN and the New York Times reported last weekend) but from under the water....

US officials have confirmed that Israel recently carried out a strike against Yakhont missiles near Latakia, Syria on July 5. Threat Matrix had previously reported on the incident on July 9. CNN reports: A series of explosions on July 5 at a critical Syrian port was the result of airstrikes by Israeli warplanes, according to multiple U.S. officials. Regional media widely reported the predawn explosions at Latakia, but no one had officially claimed responsibility. Three U.S. officials told CNN the target of the airstrikes were Russian-made Yakhont anti-ship missiles that Israel believes posed a threat to its naval forces. The...

REUTERS/Baz Ratner New reports of strikes on Russian anti-ship missiles near the port of Latakia, Syria, seem to indicate another possible Israeli strike, Reuters reports. This would be the fourth such strike this year.From Reuters:Rebels described huge blasts - the ferocity of which, they said, was beyond the firepower available to them but consistent with that of a modern military like Israel's.Israel has not confirmed or denied involvement. The Syrian government has not commented on the incident, beyond a state television report noting a "series of explosions" at the site.As has been the trend, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the strikes.Israel...

Are S-300 missiles on their way to Syria right now? A report on CNN Thursday said that American intelligence units had observed several Russian warships on their way to Syria. The ships are currently in the eastern Mediterranean, and information gathered by the intelligence groups indicates that the ships are carrying parts for the S-300 missiles. According to the report, the U.S. has been keeping track of the Russian ships for several days, ever since they left a military base in Russia. Satellite data indicates that the ships are carrying cargo that appears to be suitable for use in a...

Times of Oman reports Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Moscow had not yet delivered its sophisticated S-300 missiles to the Syrian regime for fear this would upset the delicate balance of power in the volatile region. .....

(Reuters) - Russia could speed up delivery of anti-aircraft missiles to Syria if the West intervenes, but also floated the idea of suspending the shipment, Russian media reported on Friday, as Moscow set out its negotiating position ahead of peace talks.A Russian arms industry source was quoted by Interfax news agency as threatening to hasten delivery of the hotly-contested S-300 missiles if the West were to impose a no-fly zone or Israel were to launch new air strikes.However the source also "did not exclude that the delivery of the S-300 to Syria could be frozen for a period of time"...

Russia has not yet delivered advanced S-300 missiles to Syria, despite rather vague Syrian indications to the contrary, reported two Russian media outlets on Friday. The Russian business daily Vedomosti said that it was unclear whether or not the air defense systems would be delivered this year, while the daily Kommersant reported that the S-300 missiles would only be delivered in the second quarter of 2014. According to Kommersant, the systems need another six months of testing and training before they become operational.