Russian arms supplies to Syria:

As Sa'iqa wrote:Indeed, the Israelis got nervous when Syria started talking about getting S-300, so they must have some respect for this system.

BTw How hard it is to jam russian SAM systems? I've heard that NATO managed to jam BUK.

Batch of Yak-130 is prepared for shipment to Syria wrote:Combat training aircraft Yak-130, previously ordered Syria, ready to ship. This is with reference to a source in the Russian delegation at "Le Bourget" reports RIA Novosti Aircraft already built now "Irkut" and stand on the site of the plant. According to the source, so far only made ​​gliders, in that upon receipt of a positive "political solution" to install the engine and avionics, and then sent to Syria. The contract for the supply of the Yak-130 was signed in December 2011, so the June 18 press conference following the G8 summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the supply of arms to Damascus are manufactured in accordance with international law.Advance payment for the first six aircraft at a rate of about one hundred million dollars was transferred in June: this is reported by the newspaper "Kommersant".Yak-130 allows you to train pilots piloting fighter of the fifth generation and generation "4 + +". The cost of one plane with almost an order of magnitude ($ 15 million versus 100-150) less than the cost of combat fighters. Installed on board digital control system to simulate the behavior of other aircraft, while the "glass cockpit" (instead of electro-mechanical devices are used MFDs) makes it possible to simulate even the other booths.Due to its technical characteristics, including speed, range and service ceiling, the Yak-130 combat aircraft is noticeably inferior, although is feasible to install it 3,000 kilograms of weapons on six hardpoints.

Contract on S-300 supplies not realised in full wrote:ST PETERSBURG, June 20 (Itar-Tass) - The contract on the Russian S-300 supplies to Syria has not been realised in full, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Rossiya-24 TV Channel on Thursday."We're fulfilling all our contracts. Till now the contract has not been realised in full, "Lavrov said.
Lavrov also said that Western partners are unsure they would be able to convince Syrian opposition to participate in Geneva-2.
"As for the timing / of the conference / we offer such terms that it would be possible to determine any particular purpose, but Western partners have asked not to do it," said the Minister. According to Lavrov, they've settled on the phrase "in the near future." This, ACCORDING to Lavrov,  is Due to the Fact That the Western Partners do not believe in Their special ability to "Prevail upon" the Opposition to Take Part in the Conference.

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TR1 wrote:Who else could they be for?

They have been modernizing/capremonting a bunch of BMDs lately, could be those.

TR1 wrote:They are also paper armored, and in general far less suitable to the rigors of sustained urban war than BMP-2.

I would be shocked if when they finally decided to send armor to Syria, it would be BMDs!

TR1 wrote:I just don't see how it would be any better than BMP-2 in this scenario. Practically speaking BMD is no more mobile in the type of environment the Syrians would use it.

The whole point of the vehicle is air-drop, it sacrifices a lot to get that. BMP simply doesn't have to make that sacrifice.

Remember in A-stan the VDV used BMDs exactly for ambush type scenarios and such, but replaced them with BMPs as time went on, simply because they were sturdier vehicles that held up better to the tough terrain.
BMD is just too light.

etaepsilonk wrote:And besides, motorized SF uses technicals and light jeeps anyway, so, that paperthin armor would actually be an improvement, don't you think?

In recent weeks Russia has stepped up supplies of military gear to Syria, including armored vehicles, drones and guided bombs, boosting President Bashar Assad just as rebel infighting has weakened the insurgency against him, sources with knowledge of the deliveries say.

...

"Dozens of Antonov 124s [transport planes] have been bringing in armored vehicles, surveillance equipment, radars, electronic warfare systems, spare parts for helicopters, and various weapons including guided bombs for planes," a Middle East security source said.

"Russian advisers and intelligence experts have been running observation UAVs around the clock to help Syrian forces track rebel positions, analyze their capabilities, and carry out precision artillery and air force strikes against them," said the source, who declined to be identified.

Vyacheslav Davidenko, spokesman for Russia's arms export monopoly Rosoboronexport, said they could not comment on arms deliveries to Syria.

Russia Increasing Military Equipment Deliveries to Syria, Sources Say

GarryB wrote:

OK, let's consider this:
If bmps are far more useful, than bmds, then what the heck are bmds doing in syrian port?

More to the point the exposed model in the photo with optics boxes on the roof of a turret but no obvious armament are the secret recon versions of the BMD which were not widely photographed even in the 1990s when they tended to show everything else.

Perhaps they are surplus to requirements but too sophisticated to dump?

Perhaps they are forward deploying vehicles there for VDV to use and have likely sent "observers" from the various branches of special forces to help the Syrian government the way the western governments likely sent "observers" to assist the rebels.

They might be there for current observers or future observers.

medo wrote:I think we miss anouther posibility. Considering, that in Novorossiysk are both naval infantry and 7th VDV division, they could also have exercises together and VDV training naval shipment as well as naval infantry training para droppings.

etaepsilonk wrote:

medo wrote:I think we miss anouther posibility. Considering, that in Novorossiysk are both naval infantry and 7th VDV division, they could also have exercises together and VDV training naval shipment as well as naval infantry training para droppings.

...Srsly?