Italy seizes Chinese military drones heading to Libya

[Forest Green]

China playing a stupid game. We can always give them drone problems from their neighbours too.

Italy seizes Chinese military drones heading to Libya, authorities say

The drones were reportedly heading for Benghazi under orders from Gen. Khalifa Hifter, the military strongman controlling eastern Libya.

www.defensenews.com

ROME — Italy has seized Chinese military drones disguised as wind turbines that were heading to Libya in violation of a U.N. embargo, Italian authorities said.

Components making up the two drones were concealed in six containers sent on two container ships from China to the Port of Gioia Tauro in Italy, where they were impounded before they could be loaded onto vessels heading for Libya, according to officials.

“The components were hidden among composite material replicas of wind turbine blades to conceal them and avoid checks,” Italian tax police and customs officials said in a statement. One of the drones featured the slogan “The energy saving world” written along its side.

This has classic Viktor Bout written all over it. They should never have released him.

 

[MrPhantomMan]

China playing a stupid game. We can always give them drone problems from their neighbours too.

Italy seizes Chinese military drones heading to Libya, authorities say

The drones were reportedly heading for Benghazi under orders from Gen. Khalifa Hifter, the military strongman controlling eastern Libya.

www.defensenews.com

This has classic Viktor Bout written all over it. They should never have released him.

I dunno; it's a pretty normal smuggling MO.

 

[Forest Green]

Breaking down weapons and labelling them as something else is very classic Viktor Bout though. There's also a reason his release was requested and a reason for the timing of it, I doubt it was just so he could watch TV.

 

[MrPhantomMan]

Breaking down weapons and labelling them as something else is very classic Viktor Bout though. There's also a reason his release was requested and a reason for the timing of it, I doubt it was just so he could watch TV.

You'll need more than what literally every smuggling syndicate in the world does if you want to assert it's Bout.

 

[publiusr]

Truth be told—the Libya bit was the fiction.

After all the cannoli, hit men in Italy are all out of shape, so’s they just use drones to settle vendettas now.

 

[archipeppe]

After all the cannoli, hit men in Italy are all out of shape

We are accustomed to such a diet, and still be effective....

Anyway the seize was accomplished by the Guardia di Finanza (some sort of border and financial police) along with Carabieri (military police) and maybe some support by Italian services (maybe after U.S. whistlelblow...).

Oddly, any protest was raised by the Chinese Embassy in Rome.....

 

[Lc89]

Belenko moment in Chinese style.

 

[archipeppe]

Belenko moment in Chinese style.

Not so much, Belenko defeated while in such a case the Chinese were discovered with their hands in the jam's can.

More "Cuban Crisis" moment than anything else....

 

[Forest Green]

You'll need more than what literally every smuggling syndicate in the world does if you want to assert it's Bout.

I would if it was a court of law, but it's not, it's a court of coincidence.

 

[Lc89]

Not so much, Belenko defeated while in such a case the Chinese were discovered with their hands in the jam's can.

More "Cuban Crisis" moment than anything else....

Now we have their technology in our hands.

 

[Nik]

So, now, will the Chinese round up a bunch of Italian tourists, accuse them of 'espionage' ??

 

[archipeppe]

So, now, will the Chinese round up a bunch of Italian tourists, accuse them of 'espionage' ??

And so what?

There are far many Chinese in Italy than Italians in China.....

 

[Forest Green]

So, now, will the Chinese round up a bunch of Italian tourists, accuse them of 'espionage' ??

There are some places just not worth visiting on holiday, Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Hell... Honestly don't know why any of those places would be on the safe to travel list, because it ain't.

And so what?

There are far many Chinese in Italy than Italians in China.....

But sadly they know that the EU doesn't just arbitrarily round up foreigners on BS charges for political gain.

 

[sferrin]

Belenko moment in Chinese style.

They didn't bring along a J-20 so not quite.

 

[MrPhantomMan]

I would if it was a court of law, but it's not, it's a court of coincidence.

How about a court of logical thought? It would get thrown out there.

 

[MrPhantomMan]

Belenko moment in Chinese style.

No it's not. There are already a bunch shot down- that's what these are thought to have been replacing. If there hasn't been exploitation of those I'd be very surprised. I'd be more surprised if these weren't a downgraded (from the regular PLA versions) set of examples too.

 

[Nik]

D'you think Italy will sell these drones to Ukraine for cents on the Euro ? Or just donate them ??

 

[MrPhantomMan]

I doubt they'd operate them- who knows if they had the control terminals with them and even if they did, what those terminals are sending back to China.

 

[Forest Green]

How about a court of logical thought? It would get thrown out there.

It wouldn't IMO. Lot's of stuff getting where it shouldn't since he was released, plus there was a reason they wanted him released.

 

[sienar]

It wouldn't IMO. Lot's of stuff getting where it shouldn't since he was released, plus there was a reason they wanted him released.

8+ billion people on earth yet only one weapons smuggler.....

 

[Forest Green]

Only 1 recently released weapons smuggler and lots of weapons getting to rebel groups acting in the interests of the government that took a hostage to secure his release.

 

[MrPhantomMan]

Mate, you're reaching hard. Literally *every other smuggler uses these methods*. Noone writes "methamphetamine" or "weapons" on their Bills or declarations or entries or whatever.

Did weapons smuggling stop while he was locked up? Honest question.

 

[Forest Green]

It sure sped up after he got released. Lots of weapons being smuggled to groups supported by Russia (African coups, rebel side in Libya, Hamas etc.).

 

[MrPhantomMan]

Yeah alright if you say so.

 

[Forest Green]

World news says so.

 

[MrPhantomMan]

You're having a Bout of obsession here mate; he's not the boogyman anymore that you think he is.

 

[Forest Green]

I guess they just asked for him to be released out of all the people/things they could have asked for.

 

[MrPhantomMan]

Alright this will be my last post. To sum up:

-You have no even circumstantial evidence

-You are surmising on the back of a less than shaky assumption

-You are basically bringing your gut feeling to the party.

Thanks.

 

[Justo Miranda]

We are accustomed to such a diet, and still be effective....

Anyway the seize was accomplished by the Guardia di Finanza (some sort of border and financial police) along with Carabieri (military police) and maybe some support by Italian services (maybe after U.S. whistlelblow...).

Oddly, any protest was raised by the Chinese Embassy in Rome.....

In my opinion, the real cause of the diplomatic tensions between the two countries lies in the resentment of the Chinese towards Marco Polo who stole the recipe for the manufacture of spagetti with undoubted commercial success.

 

[publiusr]

Leave the drones...take the cannoli.

 

[Forest Green]

Alright this will be my last post. To sum up:

-You have no even circumstantial evidence

-You are surmising on the back of a less than shaky assumption

-You are basically bringing your gut feeling to the party.

Thanks.

Circumstantial evidence I do have, hard evidence I don't. The assumption is 100% reasonable, that does not mean it's a definite fact, just a reasonable assumption that if Russia makes a fuss about a convicted arms dealer being released after fitting someone up for cannabis possession, then there's probably a reason for that, and supporting arms deliveries to Russian-backed groups thereafter is a reasonable reason. It's only a gut feeling whether you believe it was him or not.

 

[okakac]

Typing "Where is the Italian Carrier?" to the Google searchbar...

She set sail for the Pacific on June 1st. Expected to be in Japan by August. It's a big world. Or a slow ship. I can't tell which.

As such if whatever remains of Italian Communists starts questioning whether it is to worth to anger China in consideration of the extensive trade between the respective countries, China is already proven to be a threat. At this moment I can't remember whether Italy was with Haftar or not during this pioneer war of UAVs on both sides. BUT these are surely not the only examples Italians knew to be in the delivery pipeline to Haftar's forces.

 

[TsrJoe]

i cant really see China being a 'threat' to Italy

 

[okakac]

In Defence Business Cold War Rhetoric pays.

 

[Forest Green]

i cant really see China being a 'threat' to Italy

There are direct threats and indirect threats posed by third parties to consider.

 

[Scott Kenny]

We are accustomed to such a diet, and still be effective....

Anyway the seize was accomplished by the Guardia di Finanza (some sort of border and financial police) along with Carabieri (military police) and maybe some support by Italian services (maybe after U.S. whistlelblow...).

Oddly, any protest was raised by the Chinese Embassy in Rome.....

For the Americans, the Guardia di Finanza is somewhere between CBP and the IRS. Complete with their own very heavily armed SWAT teams. They don't have much of a sense of humor when it comes to tax fraud etc.

 

[BlackBat242]

Typing "Where is the Italian Carrier?" to the Google searchbar...

She set sail for the Pacific on June 1st. Expected to be in Japan by August. It's a big world. Or a slow ship. I can't tell which.

And aren't paying attention to headlines.

Where Cavour was 1 month ago:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1800123197268091030

View: https://x.com/TheCVN69/status/1800123197268091030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1800123197268091030%7Ctwgr%5E9feda0bd5bbc9769b8a99a5082d7c5d2c8e72f02%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheaviationist.com%2F2024%2F06%2F24%2Fcavour-indo-pacific-campaign%2F

5:09 AM · Jun 10, 2024
The #IKECSG seamlessly integrated with Italy's ITS Cavour Carrier Strike Group in the Red Sea, showcasing what partnerships are all about.

Where Cavour was 2 1/2 weeks ago:

Italian Carrier Strike Group Arrives In Singapore As Part Of Indo-Pacific Operational Campaign

The ITS Cavour left its port earlier this month for a five-month cruise that will allow the aircraft carrier to work with multiple regional partners in

theaviationist.com

Italian Carrier Strike Group Arrives In Singapore As Part Of Indo-Pacific Operational Campaign
June 24, 2024
The Italian Navy quietly deployed, without much fanfare, its Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to the Indo-Pacific region earlier this month. Today, the service announced the arrival in Singapore for a logistic stop of the 31st Naval Group, as the core of the CSG made of the ITS Cavour and the ITS Alpino FREMM frigate has been called.

Where Cavour is now:

Italian Navy carrier making port visit in Darwin - APDR

The aircraft carrier Cavour and the frigate Alpino arrived in Darwin on 9 July and stay until 5 August to participate in Pitch Black 2024

asiapacificdefencereporter.com

The aircraft carrier Cavour, the Italian Navy’s flagship, and the frigate Alpino arrived in Darwin, Australia, on 9 July and stay until 5 August to participate in “Pitch Black 2024” air exercise, hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). This large-scale exercise will include 20 other nations, including United States, United Kingdom, France and countries from the Indo-Pacific region.

 

[okakac]

Thank you.

What you see here is related to things ı can't locate right now. Specifically the case about the possibility of leasing a limited number of jet trainers to USN for carrier qualifications.

Do not worry. Nobody is trying to sell you anything. With all due respect and with no intention to insult you in person, people would set themselves on fire in front of Pentagon. Nor there is any wish to start brib... Sorry, that's an impossible action in the US...

Relevant authorities will define everything here as a lie. That's not a problem for me. But it is also true that Italians are aware that an US team wanted access to all codes when their visit coincided with things. In a further mention of stance, the US would have no need for weapons capability or unmanned abilities for 20 or so (different) jets maintained by an American company to be established with an all ex-USN personnel if possible. Obviously if my country is supposed to have actual carriers the crew would have to be trained somewhere.

You are not taking our actual jets to a war with China, that's why we are not selling you anything.

Certain Italians fear this to become a repeat of 70s. Their advice to their successors were naturally misunderstood. As such, they are both offering certain shares in Libyan oil and reminding Ankara that Haftar is being supplied and might conduct terrorist attacks with these Chinese drones against certain oil interests. Even the offer of shares is in bad faith as it is supposed to be taken from important people in this country. If you are into politics too keenly, you might imagine those Italians might be thinking about future exports to Middle East. Removing competition right now instead of trusting on London to keep hold of things. It is no accident and no joke that some have declared that "they" will seek exports only to Vietnam. Not thinking that it would ever happen, if you are confused by the statement.

The American response revolves around returning the facilities in Ankara back to F-35 work. Which will justify a slow down.

Anyone questioning this post? It is an expansion of the "dismissal" in my first post in the thread. Which was evident to all with the right amount of context.

 

[okakac]

Already? We support F-35 as the single combat aircraft for all US Services.