U.S. and Russian forces in the Middle East -------- Whiteman Air Force Base: Missouri-based, ultra long-range B-2 stealth bombers can reach Syria and Iran with help of squads of KC-135 and KC-10 tankers. B-2 can carry 16 JASSMs (Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missiles), and satellite-guided “bunker busters” Turkey: U.S. military assets at Incirlik Air Base include F15 warplanes, drones and U.S. troops Crete: U.S. naval base at Souda Bay RAF Akrotiri: Typhoons and Tornados taking part in Operation Shader against so-called Islamic State --------- RUSSIAN MILITARY ASSETS Advanced S-300 and S-400 missile defence systems deployed at Syria bases of Hmeimim, Latakia and Tartus, and Iranian base of Hamadan, give Moscow control over much of Syria’s airspace Aircraft: Sukhoi Su-24, Su-34 strike fighters, Su-35s based at Hmeimim Hamadan Air Base: Long-range Russian Tupolev-22M3 S-300 Su-35 --------- Kobani: Base in Kurdish- controlled Syria expanded to accept U.S. C-130s and C-17 airlifters Erbil Air Base: U.S. Air Force C-17 airlifters, AH-64, CH-47F and UH-60 helicopters Kuwait: 332d Air Expeditionary Wing with F-16s and drones at Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base Iraq: 1,000 U.S. troops in Qayyara Air Base United Arab Emirates: RQ-4 Global Hawk spy planes at Al Dhafra Air Base Qatar: 10,000 U.S. troops, F-22 Raptors, B-52 bombers, C-17 airlifters at Al Udeid Air Base B-2 bomber Jordan: Muwaffaq Salti Air Base is U.S. forward operating base for Predator and Reaper drones Izmir Air Base Russian bases: Hmeimim, Latakia and Tartus Diego Garcia: British island territory in Indian Ocean, 6,120km from Damascus. Reports of build-up of B-1 Lancer and B-52 bombers EGYPT LIBYA TURKEY SYRIA GREECE SAUDI ARABIA IRAQ IRAN YEMEN CYPRUS MEDITERRANEAN SEA RED SEA CASPIAN SEA THE GULF --------- MEDITERRANEAN Guided missile destroyers from U.S. Sixth fleet, each capable of launching up to 90 Tomahawk cruise missiles. Russia has sent Admiral Grigorovich missile ship to Mediterranean PERSIAN GULF U.S. Fifth Fleet headquartered in Bahrain. USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group deployed RED SEA USS Bataan Amphibious Group conducting theatre Security operations --------- How cruise missiles find their way to target 1. TERCOM (Terrain contour matching): Radar compares stored map reference data to actual terrain to determine missile’s position. Course corrections can be made if necessary 2. DSMAC (Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation): Terminal guidance in target area compares stored image of target with actual target image AGM-129 Range: 3,700km Tomahawk Range: 2,500km --------- Sources: Stars and Stripes, 6th Fleet, U.S. Naval Institute, Stratfor, IHS Jane’s 360, Tass © GRAPHIC NEWS --------- ---------