Syrian Civil War: News #7

In the Aleppo province of Syria, violent clashes are ongoing. The Syrian Arab Army and its allies are fighting against various terrorist groups supporting the offensive of “Jebat al-Nusra” against the village of Khan-Tuman.

According to reports from the Syrian side, the army has liquidated a large number of terrorists on this sector of the front, and has confirmed the destruction of dozens of pickup trucks armed with machine guns, infantry fighting vehicles, and other military equipment of the bandit gangs.

In this published footage, government soldiers are seen destroying tanks and infantry fighting vehicles with the aid of “Konkurs” Russian anti-tank missiles, and eliminating the gangs’ foot soldiers with mounted grenade launchers, rocket launchers, and anti-aircraft installations.


As Russian Spring reported earlier, terrorists of the Al-Nusra Front and fighters of the moderate opposition have launched an offensive against Khan-Tuman and the city of Aleppo. More than 100 civilians have been killed and wounded under “hellish fire.” The tank attack of Al-Nusra militants against fortified pro-government military units has been caught on film by a drone.

d_taddei2 wrote:off topic  is there a way to block or ignore members posts?

d_taddei2 wrote:off topic  is there a way to block or ignore members posts?

Declared “inoperational” by most of foreign observers already at the start of Syrian uprising in 2011, the Syrian Arab Air Force not only remains operational, but — regardless of how badly impacted by attrition over the years — is showing surprising signs of vitality.

The logical question is therefore — what’s left of the SyAAF?

From the standpoint of the “silent service” — as the SyAAF used to be known within what was once the Syrian military — the civil war in Syria began slowly. For most of 2011 and 2012, all of Sunni officers and other ranks were grounded and de facto locked inside their bases.

The large part of the Syrian fleet of helicopters and combat aircraft — the total was estimated at over 500 as of 2010 — was grounded, too. Types like the Mikoyan i Gurevich MiG-23MS and MiG-25P/PDS/PU/RB and Sukhoi Su-20 had been withdrawn from service in the 2000s. Nearly 50 percent of the remaining Mil Mi-8/17s, MiG-21MF/bis/UMs, MiG-23MF/MLs and Su-22s were in need of major overhaul, if not an outright replacement.

During that period only a relatively few Alawites flew helicopters that the regime used to transport reinforcements and supplies to garrisons cut off by insurgents.

The insurgent advance on Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, in late July 2012 forced the air force into all-out action. For much of the second half of 2012 and through most of 2013, the SyAAF flew and fought in full swing. Its fighter-bombers were regularly striking targets from Salma near the Turkish border to Dayr Az Zawr in eastern Syria and from Aleppo to Dera’a.

Acting as the regime’s “fire brigade,” the SyAAF even pressed interceptor types such as the MiG-23MF, MiG-23ML and MiG-29 into the ground-attack role, altogether flying up to 230 sorties a day.

Most of the activity was recorded over Rif Dimashq and Homs governorates, where nearly 2,000 air strikes are known to have been flown between November 2012 and April 2013, alone — primarily by Mikoyan i Gurevich MiG-21bis and MiG-23BNs.

Other types saw intensive action, too. Indeed, measured by the number of available examples, Syria’s fleet of just 19 Sukhoi Su-24M2s was the most heavily utilized element of the air force.

Intensive operations inevitably resulted in heavy losses. And orders issued by the Ba’ath Party headquarters in Damascus demanding pilots to intentionally target civilians in insurgent-held areas — and commanders to lead by example — caused a spate of defections.

Combined, both factors badly depleted the SyAAF’s ranks. Between July 2012 and July 2013, the SyAAF experienced the heaviest attrition during this conflict — at least 45 helicopters and 30 fighter jets were confirmed as crashed or shoot down.

Also lost were around 375 pilots and other personnel, while 36 were captured and 40 went missing in action. By early 2014, the service was left with barely 60 operational helicopters and fewer than 150 operational fighter-bombers, nearly all of which were once again in need of overhaul.

Western embargoes on the delivery of man-portable air-defense systems and the lifting of the siege of Aleppo in October 2013 eventually saved Syrian president Bashar Al Assad’s air force.

The rate of losses dramatically decreased, but the availability of a crucial maintenance facility — “The Works” at Nayrab Air Base, part of Aleppo International airport — enabled the air force to overhaul around 20 aircraft in recent years.

Furthermore, with help of Iranian financial support and advice, additional overhaul facilities stood up at a number of other bases. Using assemblies from inoperable aircraft and spares acquired from abroad, Syrians ground crews managed to assemble about two dozen fully mission-capable aircraft.

These not only replaced worn-out or lost aircraft, but also secured the survival of the SyAAF as one of less than a handful of regular military services still loyal to Al Assad’s regime.

Losses — whether through ground fire or in accidents — remain unavoidable, especially because security standards have significantly decreased in face of continuous and prolonged action.

Aircraft are often sent to a mission with only most basic systems in operational condition. Stocks of ammunition are exhausted to a level where the SyAAF has been forced to launch domestic production of improvised bombs based on obsolete Russian designs.

The latter have a poor operational record. Many fail to detonate. And some do detonate — but prematurely, destroying precious aircraft and killing or injuring ground personnel.

Finally, some of pilots have begun showing obvious signs of becoming reckless. The crew of the Su-24MK2 shot down by Israeli PAC-2 Patriot missiles on Sept. 23, 2014 failed to activate their electronic countermeasures and then flew into Israeli-controlled airspace over the Golan Heights.

Unsurprisingly, Russian military intervention in Syria starting in September 2015 was most welcome from the SyAAF’s perspective, as it somewhat lessened the Syrian force’s heavy workload.

In five years of civil war, Al Assad’s air force has suffered a confirmed loss of at least 55 aircraft and 57 helicopters shot down or crashed and another 28 helicopters and 51 aircraft written-off on the ground — notably, most of the latter were in unserviceable condition.

Included in these numbers are about a dozen of L-39s, seven MiG-23s of all variants, at least four Su-22s and four Su-24MK2s. Also included are no fewer than 10 MiG-21bis from Hama-based No. 679 Squadron. Losses within this unit forced the SyAAF to send MiG-21UM two-seat conversion trainers into combat and also to re-deploy a squadron of MiG-23ML interceptors to Hama.

Similarly, heavy utilization of MIG-29s in the ground-attack role forced the SyAAF to overhaul two MiG-25PDS and return them to “operational-like” condition. Although rarely flown, they are kept on constant alert at Tiyas Air Base.

Currently, what is left of the SyAAF is concentrated at five major air bases, each of which is a home for units usually operating fewer than a dozen of airframes.

Three squadrons are based at Hama, three at Shayrat, four at Tiyas, three at As-Seen Air Base and four at Dmeyr Air Base. A few other units and minor detachments are distributed at Kweres, Dayr Az Zawr, Marj Ruhayyl/Bley and Khelkhleh, while Almazza and Damascus International remain major helicopter- and transport aircraft hubs.

PapaDragon wrote:

Dima wrote: ...................The Iranians have scarified a lot in men and they need to be supported. The problem with the Iranian and other anti-terrorists groups is that all are heavily dependent on the Russian air-support and in cases artillery support.................

Wrong.

Iran has it's Air Force last time I checked so why aren't they using it? My answer would be because they lack balls just like their Saudi cousins and want someone else to bleed for them while they sit on their asses.

Iranians already have  their own hardware like aircrafts, helos, artillery, tanks and bmps. And they can always buy more if they need to which brings me to my next point:

Only thing that is surprising here is the fact that Russia hasn't already thrown Iran to the wolves after they fucked them over. For years Russia supported Iran and negotiated nuclear deal and lifting of sanctions.

And what was the first thing Iranians did? They instantly signed multi-billion $$$ deals with USA and EU and told Russian companies to fuck off. Only reason they are not buying weapons from the West is because nobody wants to sell it to them.

Regular wrote: 1 hrivnya earned, salo unlocked

Vann7 wrote: So don't be distracted too much by what happens in Syria or Ukraine. Neocons will like the war there to last decades if possible as long is need to collapse Russia economy and Putin and the Russian government support. the front lines can change in any direction over time back and forth ,and the wars in Syria and Ukraine can last a decade. What is more important for Russia is to make strong its economy ,get a solid Public Support for the Russian government and not allow Americans to over run Syria as they did to Lybia ,because that will also damage the support of Putin and Russia Image. Is all about Putin and Russia ,because in the end ,Russian citizens not many will want their government to start a major war with NATO in defense of a any country in middle east.  So Putin does not have full support to risk even the security of Russia and its economy in defense of syria.  If it was Armenia or Serbia or Belarus,
kazakistan ,or even Crimea ,is a different story. Not many Russians will sacrifice their quality of life and live in poverty ,for a war in defense of country in middle east. they dont identify or feel connected.

Dima wrote: I have raised the issue earlier about the civilian aircrafts (which was the first contracts that Iran signed with the West).....and I asked what has Russian Govt done to promote the Tu-204 and such in the Iranian markets? As far as I can see NOTHING!
I have been and continue to be a big supporter of promoting the Tu-204, havnt seen anyone else having the slightest interest in those flying machines even in this forum.

The fact here is that there is a Irkut gang in the Russian aviation industry headed by the Sukhoi who have been detrimental to every other established manufacturers....and they have been the first obstacle in the promotion and sales of Tu-204.

And what does Russian industries have to offer in the CIVILIAN sector??
South Korea recently concluded a vist to Iran with a massive business delegation....where is the business initiative from Russia?

Dima wrote:Syrian soldier posing with a Russian military T-90A, location is likely to be Eastern Homs. One shtora is cracked

GunshipDemocracy wrote:me was one who opted for Tu-204 but discussion about mental colonization (all and onlt with west ahhh how cool) of Russian economical elites is off topic here AFAIK