Worlds First Stealth Fighter

The Night Hawk cost 111 million dollars apiece and was discontinued in the USAF after 25 years and replaced with the F-22 or Raptor.  Never the less the F-117 was something unique and incorporated the stealth technology. This technology was published in a research paper presented in 1964 by a Russian scientist named Pyke. The Russians ignored this paper but the engineers at Lockheed studied the paper in detail. In effect, the Prof has stated that a plane could be made that could allow the radar waves to bounce off the plane and thus render the aircraft invisible to detection by radar. it could only be sighted visually.

 It meant making a plane with an unconventional design > it had to have angles of construction, that were of a particular slant so that the radar waves could bounce off. The plane thus had the look of a bat and was christened the Night Hawk. The Night Hawk first flew in 1981 and a few years later was inducted into the USAF. The Night Hawk was a revolutionary design and for 5 years the Americans kept it secret before the world came to know of this unique plane. The Russians rued the development of the F-117 and wondered how they had missed the bus.

 The Night Hawk was put into operational use and used extensively in the air bombardment of Iraq, during the 1992 US-Iraq war. The plane despite a slow speed of some 660km/hr could not be detected. It had a limited range of about 1000 km and thus for a target, it needed mid-air refueling. It carried no defensive armaments relying on its ability to attack a target undetected. It carried 2 x 1000 il laser-guided bombs that could penetrate even 12ft of concrete and was thus a force multiplier.  The Russians were however hard at work to perfect their own stealth fighter and the US the need of another plane was felt. Research started and this led to led to the Raptor, which had a longer range and flew at 3 times the speed of the Night Hawk. Once the Raptor was ready for combat duty, the F117 was phased out, but it served the US interests for 25 years. During this period only one Night Hawk was lost in combat over Serbia when a Russian missile was able to hit it. The pilot was rescued in a dramatic rescue mission, but the plane crashed. Russian engineers as well as Chinese salvaged parts of the plane and took it to Moscow and China to understand stealth technology. Parts of the plane can see be seen in the Museum at Belgrade.

 The F-115 remained the only stealth fighter in the world during the days of the cold war and even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the plane was the mainstay of US offensive action. It was used extensively in Afghanistan when the USA mounted an invasion and no plane was lost despite missiles with the Taliban. It hastened the defeat of the Taliban by a relentless bombardment with laser-guided bombs. The plane was also used in operations in Kosovo and Yugoslavia.

 The Russians were wary of the Night Hawk and later they did develop their own stealth fighter, but one wonders whether the Russian plane is as good as the latest American plane with stealth technology the Raptor. 

Love in the Russian Far East

At one time Russia rivaled the USA as a global power, but then came Gorbochov and we all know that Russia broke up into 18 states. This was also the end of the Russian dream for parity with the USA, as the population was reduced by half and so was the area.

But when Russia was a monolith place under communist rule it was organized and Indians were well respected. As an air force officer of the Indian Air Force, it was a great experience visiting the country. The best part was the Russian girls, golden and blonde who were great company.

I once landed at Moscow airport and a Russian Air Force helicopter whisked me and 2 of my colleagues to the Air Force base. It was a grand welcome and I was given an orderly a Corporal, a Russian girl. She was slim and smart and I will be frank I had lascivious thoughts about her.

 We were told that we would be 'honored' with a flight to the Russian far east, to the Pacific port of Vladivostok. As I was leaving the room I asked the Russian colonel who all were going along. He asked me if there was anyone I would like to accompany me and others. Of the cuff, I blurted if the NCO could come with us. He laughed and went away.

We boarded the supersonic transport early morning. It was the TU 144 and it could fly at Mach 2. It was a rival of the Concorde, but bigger.  I looked around and I was surprised to see my orderly with a knapsack slung on her back also waiting to climb in. This was a freighter version with very few seats. She waved to me and said Thank you for the trip to me.

The flight to the east was magnificent and the girl sat next to me. She had brought a couple of sandwiches of beef and meat and all of us relished them with hot coffee. Come to think of it what a hullaballoo is created now on beef. We landed at the airport, but the Russians were wary of our entering the cockpit, so we just sat as the plane hurtled at Mach 2. What an experience! whew simply unforgettable!

On landing my orderly told me she would be with me as per instructions. We had two days at the place. I asked her if we could go for a bike ride. This delighted her and she arranged a Ural bike. This is the Russian version of the BMW R7. Two days to while away before we fly back. We were told not to leave the base, but I put my orderly now in mufti along with me and drove away. She carried her knapsack and told me she had arranged sandwiches from the mess. We drove deep into Siberia and the Bike a 650 cc monster was simply powerful. We drove among the woods and small forests, and a drizzle began. The girl at the back clung to me. At many places, we saw log huts and we stopped at one of them for the rain to go away. Frankly, I wanted it to rain even more heavily.  We went inside and there were just a stove and a small cot.

I got to know the girl better and for me, these were magical moments with the rain belting away.  The inevitable did happen and I won't go into details of it. Suffice the rain stopped, but we didn't leave and continued for the night and the next day.

With the sun out we drove back to the base, with the cool breeze enveloping us. It was a pleasure, but I got a wallop when I got back. My AOC was livid. How he asked could I break a rule and go away with an NCO?  I said sorry, but he told me he would report me. Did he? No, the old foggy never filed a report and later in India asked me, how was everything?

Driving in the rain and snow with a girlfriend in Russia

 The Ural used to be a soviet bike; a copy of the Germa Zundapp. It was a 750 cc model and I wonder if it is still made today. Way back I visited the Soviet Union. It has now broken up and the old Soviet state has ceased to exist. Anyway, those were the days when India was a great friend of the USSR and us from the IAF made frequent visits to Russia. I trained on the MIG class of planes and so visited Russia at least 30 times.

Over the visits, I became friends with the Russian NCO. She was a young girl and she was. attached to me as a gesture of good comradely with India. Her name? It really does not matter but Olga s a lovely name. One fine day I landed at the Russian base and as usual, asked, "Where is Olga?"
I got a reply, "; Here I am" as she stepped forward in a ponytail and cap with an NCO uniform.

 She looked lovely and I had half a desire to kiss her there and then, but reason took preponderance and so all I said,"come to my room, lots of things to be done."I had bought two pairs of jeans and shirts for her as these were scarce commodities in Russia. The next day the Colonel told us that we were going east to a Soviet base. I was dismayed but had no choice.  I boarded the aircraft and what a thrill Olga was there with her knapsack.

 We landed at the far eastern base and I went to my room in the officer's mess. I rang up Olga and told her to come to the guard room. I went and was at the guard room and sure enough, Olga came. She wore a heavy jacket as it was cold. Mind you Siberia can be pretty cold. I hugged her and said, "let' s run away on a bike.". At one end I saw a large Ural parked and I went up to the bike. I pumped it and it sputtered to life. I sat on it and put it in gear as Olga jumped on the real seat. We set out to nowhere. The bike was a military police bike and I wondered whether I had done the right thing in taking the bike. But what happens has to happen and soon full throttle we were into the woods. A fine rain began to fall and Olga noticed a small log hut. Maybe it was used by the Forest warden and we made a beeline for it.

 Inside it was better as the rain beat on the earth and an icy wind blew. What had to happen happened and Olga was in my arms: her heavy clothes were soon divested from her as I saw her as created by God. It was the hedonist and after many a time, we were warmed. She ran out in the rain. Gone crazy? I don't know. I followed her in the rain and then the rain and icy wind added its own dimension as I held Olga down on the wet grass. How long did this last? 2 days? Yes, two days and as I held Olga close sharing her warmth a loud sound and in entered the Soviet Military police.

They took us back and the AOC was livid he said, "what the fucks; running away with a Russian girl on an MP bike. You have the gall? I shall report  you to AHQ."  But the old foggy never made a report and the Russians friends as ever just winked at me. I remember the Russian colonel asking was it great fun?; Olga? We drifted apart, but that's another story

With Coronavirus news here is Something else

The coronavirus is hogging the light. Over 20,000 dead and 1,00,000 affected and the epicenter shifted from China to America. Very sad but this dance will put you in a better mood.

Finding an Iranian Girl to Date

An Iranian Dating Site: IranianPersonals.com

Dating Iranian Girls

Shy Muslim girl

History records that though the Iranian’s have an ancient civilization yet they lagged behind in development at the turn of the 20th century. An attempt was made by Shah ( Reza Pahlavi) to bring in modernization. But he failed and the Islamic extremists led by Ayatollah Khomeini took over. In such a scenario a site like Iranian Personals.com is like a breath of fresh air. The site that caters to Iranian Moslems all over the world including Iran is a great hit. The site was launched in 2001 and has grown by leaps and bounds as can be seen by the vast number of photographs and data uploaded by Iranians.
It is obvious that the writ of the Ayatollah’s does not run as far as this site is concerned. With servers outside Iran, the site is outside the pale of influence of hard-line Moslem clerics. All you have to do is to log on to www.iranianpersonals.com and fill up the necessary personal details and upload a photograph (optional). The membership is free, but in case you have to use the other facilities offered by the site like SMS facility, chatting and sending personalized messages a paid subscription is a requirement. The site is the oldest Iranian dating site and has over 150,000 members. I
Iranian personals also have a number of rivals as well. The more important sites competing with Iranian personals are IraniMatrimony.com, Iranianpassion.com, persiansoulmate.com, loveawake.com among others. However, this site has a solid reputation of reliability and confidentiality, which is so important in dating and friendship sites.
The site also has a consultant Dr. Mouse. This good man is a great help and will try and solve any problem that a member has. In particular, his advice as to how to break the resistance of conservative Iranian Moslems girls is a great help.
. The basic membership is free and one can simply become a member by filling up a form on the net. But in case you want to make use of the extra services provided the site like SMS facility, chatting, sending messages and telephone contact a paid membership is a must.
The site gives a paid membership for $ 39.99 which can be paid online through debit or credit cards, PayPal and checks as per the choice of the member. The paid membership of $39.99 is the base price and for more extra services the membership price will go up. This basic price is for one month, but in case you opt for a 3 or 6 months period, the price is significantly reduced and one has to pay just $33.99and $24.99 respectively.

The icing on the cake of a dating site is customer feedback. Generally, reviewers refer to Iranian personals as the number one site among its genre. The overall customer feedback is extremely positive and even shy Iranian girls will vouchsafe for this site. I will certainly recommend this site to all Moslems from Iran on the lookout for a companion from the opposite sex. Remember Gays have no place in this setup.

Hitlers Secret Plan to Invade Switzerland

Operation Tannenbaum: Hitlers Secret Plan to Invade Switzerland

Hitler had made plans to capture Switzerland. But he delayed and that was the saving grace for Switzerland.

A Plan Never put into Effect

Switzerland is a small country in the heart of Europe. It is small but has maintained strict neutrality since 1818. When the Second World War broke out, the Swiss cabinet declared itself neutral between the Allies and Axis powers. The Swiss were however under no illusion. Denmark, Belgium, and Holland had also declared their neutrality, but Hitler had invaded them. In a matter of 7 days, these nations were overrun by the Wehrmacht.

The Swiss saw all this and drew their lessons. They mobilized and raised active service duty from 18 up to 60. The Swiss thus could put into battle some 500,000 troops. These were formed into 3 corps for the defense of Switzerland. This is in sharp contrast to the nations like Denmark and Belgium, who just relied on Hitler's assurances. The Swiss were not convinced and put their corps in the national defense grid and got ready for a German offensive.

Hitler held the Swiss in contempt. His general staff was instructed to make plans for an invasion of Switzerland. The OKW on Hitler's instructions earmarked 13 divisions for the invasion. Intelligence reports reached Hitler and considering the mountainous terrain and 3 corps, Hitler delayed the attack. In the meantime, Hitler launched his invasion of Russia in 1941. He accordingly delayed his invasion of the Alpine state.

Once the going got tough on the Eastern front, the invasion of Switzerland went on the back burner and after 1944 was shelved altogether. The plan to invade Switzerland in 1940 and 41 was real, but the knowledge that the Swiss would fight, the OKW wanted to avoid needless casualties. This is an abject lesson for all nations who do not realize the importance of military preparedness.

Celebrating the 75the anniversary of the Siege of Leningrad

St Petersburg earlier known as Leningrad was witness to a massive military parade. This was to commemorate the 75th anniversary of breaking of the German army's siege of the city. President Vladimir Putin was not present at the parade, but he visited a nearby cemetery and attended a memorial concert. The parade commemorates the heroic resistance of the citizens of the city against the German army. DW news has reported that more than 2,500 soldiers and 80 military units paraded through St. Petersburg's Palace Square on Sunday as the city marked 75 years since the breaking of the German siege of the city

German siege

On 22 June 1941, the Fuehrer ordered the invasion of the Soviet Union. The German army quickly reached Moscow and surrounded Leningrad. Despite many attempts, the German army could not enter Leningrad. The citizens put up a heroic resistance, and over 500,000 died of starvation. The siege was lifted after 942 days, and during this period the population of Leningrad had shrunk from 3 million to just over 800,000.

Celebration

The celebration was attended by representatives of France, the UK, Germany, and 16 other nations. 

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas announced a pledge to donate €12 million ($13.7 million) to the siege's remaining survivors. Nearly 108,000 war veterans still survive in the city. The offer was accepted by Russia, which recently created a universal nuclear warship. Sputnik News has reported that Leningrad ( now renamed St. Petersburg became the first city to be bestowed the title of Hero City in 1945.

Parade

The parade was conducted in biting cold with ice falling. Thousands of Russians including surviving veterans of the siege witnessed the parade. The parade also marked a gun salvo using dummy shells to recreate part of the scene during the lifting of the siege. The guns used were the same used during World War II. Despite the temperature falling to minus 11 degrees Celsius hundreds of spectators watched the parade.

Remembering

The Russians have been celebrating the end of the Siege by the German army for almost a week. Some of the most recognizable landmarks of the city are lit up, and many residents lighted candles in their windows. The city had been devastated during the siege as the German army had decided to "starve" the city into surrender. The elder brother of Vladimir Putin who last year met Trump at Helsinki, died during this siege and his mother almost died of hunger.

Russia's former imperial capital will be remembered for long in history as one of the important battles of the last war.