Russian military intervention and aid to Syria #4

JohninMK wrote:Are we certain? Anyway, why a S-400 not a S-300 of some type?

The top picture looks as if the radar antenna is on a trailer not a 6 wheeled truck. In the second the radar is tucked behind the other trucks so it is no help.

Let it be S-300 or S-400...I'm happy as long as there is a robust S-xxx family system present in the region.

It may be a S-400 system or maybe just few components from the S-400 system. But the region needed a long-range AD asset and lets hope this is a full system to create a protective bubble in excess of 200Km radius.

Btw, I always wished for Syria to become Russia's Kaliningard or Sevastopol and if the Russian strategist are indeed moving in that direction, S-400 in the region should be no surprise. Russia needs to have 3 to 4 more locations for the S-300/400 to protect the Syria, locations like - Kuweries airbase, two-three location around Damascus and Tartus.

medo wrote:96L6 radar does not necessary mean S-400. later models of S-300 like PMU2 also use 96L6 radar.

Yes could be and there are high chances for it. It could also be the Syrian S-300 system that Russia had a deal for.

Why don't Russia deliver the Yak-130 and MiG-29M2 planes Syria paid for? That way the Syrian air force can replace its really old planes.

In my view, high probably of not delivering the Yak-130 coz of this....

Battlefront Syria: Kweres airbase
http://spioenkop.blogspot.in/2015/05/battlefront-syria-kweres-airbase.html

   Kweres, the entry sign of which can be seen above, was originally constructed by Poles in the early sixties to serve as the SyAAF's main training base. It officially remains home to the Aviation Academy of the Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF), comprised of the Basic Flying School, using the MBB-SIAT 223K1 Flamingo and the PAC MFI-17 Mushshak, and the Advanced Flying School, using the L-39ZO and the L-39ZA. Most SyAAF pilots once got their wings here, which makes the airbase of high symbolic value.

   The Basic Flying School quickly wound down operations after the start of the Civil War however, and its aircraft remain stored in various parts of the airbase. The SyAAF has thus been unable to train new pilots in Syria itself, further increasing the burden on the already tired and often depressed pilots, most of which are fully aware that more often than not civilians are on the receiving end of the rockets and (barrel) bombs. Another training facility; Mennegh, once home to the Helicopter Flying School, was already overrun on the 5th of August 2013. A limited form of advanced training was continued on L-39s and helicopters present elsewhere in Syria.

Its only yeaterday that SAA recaptured SyAAF's primary training airbase.

But there should not be any more delay from the Russian side and they need to accelerate the delivery and train the pilots in Russia so that they return and gain on-site combat experience.

The radar doesnt mean the system is there. And if it is at the Russian airforce base in Syria, then guaranteed it is used to monitor the skies for Potential US, Turkish, Israeli or Jordanian planes that may fly the area. The 96M6 has a detection range from roughly 5km to 300km (or more), and a mixture of both high altitude and low altitude (L band and S band). Such system is perfect for getting a radar in place real quick to a facility to monitor the skies. And it will be useful for both pilots and ground based systems well. For all we know, they have Buk and other systems in place.

sepheronx wrote:The radar doesnt mean the system is there. And if it is at the Russian airforce base in Syria, then guaranteed it is used to monitor the skies for Potential US, Turkish, Israeli or Jordanian planes that may fly the area.  The 96M6 has a detection range from roughly 5km to 300km (or more), and a mixture of both high altitude and low altitude (L band and S band). Such system is perfect for getting a radar in place real quick to a facility to monitor the skies. And it will be useful for both pilots and ground based systems well.  For all we know, they have Buk and other systems in place.

Exactly no place is better than a real battlefield to test out your new weapons and Radars. Yes they have several unparalleled qualities but you can judge their efficiencies only in a real war. As you mentioned,one won't find such a golden opportunity to track US warplane signatures even F-22 and other nato member jets as well as securing your base from enemy attacks in real time . In starting they even brought anti-aircraft guns just to track US jet signatures maybe.

Euronews about yesterday's visit to Hmeymim air base.

^^^^

Not bad considering, but loaded with the usual caveats typical for western MSM

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RuAF bombed the airport Taftanaz - Idlib countryside....it's claimed with cluster bombs

The distance from Kuweireis captured airbase and Turkey border from the aleppo district
is on my estimates using the map provided earlier.. is between 90km to 130km.
The ideal defenses for such a place like kuweires base ,so far from Russia base in latakia ,should be highly mobile air defenses like Buks ,Pantsirs and tors.. that can operate in passive mode without using its own radars but receiving the radar information from farther land radars away of NATO airforce combat range. to not allow NATO to know their location. and if possible using track version of them for rough  terrain.  something like this for example..




But to really create a dome of air protection , having Russia best defenses like S-400s active allowing its missiles signature to be spied for future jamming is not the most ideal way.. allowing NATO to practice and train with them. That will only encourage more NATO nations to travel to Turkey to practice how to detect and jam S-400s.. Even though S-400s should be there but NOT active so NATO can start learning or understanding them..but instead only used in case a major war start. So the ideal airdefenses for not full scale war against Russia are Mobile defenses that can operate in passive
mode ,just using the radar information shared from Russian AWACS and or land radars deployed
in Syria deployed . This means that Radars should be active beyond combat range of enemy
planes..that is 200km+ and in combat range of NATO planes -air to ground missiles the Mobile Pantsirs,Tors and Buks do the job. become like mobile anti air mines ,that will be ready to shutdown any NATO plane entering Syria and without the enemy knowing where the air defenses are deployed.  Timing and distance is critical to a hostile plane.. because they could retreat to Turkey border and if shutdown the plane will fall inside turkey side and NATO could use that for propganda that Russia have commited an agression on a member state. So this is why short range -mobiles air defenses like Pantsirs ,Tors is the way to go to fight any
hostile planes.. and Buks with 50km to 70km range only if hostile planes are far from turkey border ,deep inside Syria. So that if the plane is shutdown they will be unable to claim agression if can be proved it invaded Syria and shut down inside Syria.and S-300 and s-400 only used if a major war start between NATO and Russia or Syria.

Ideally Syrian army with Russia airforce help ,should try to campture the north of Allepo first,
and get as close to turkey border.. like the take of ALbab city first.. taking that city will allow
the Syrian army and Russia airforce to virtually  seal the border of Turkey supplies to ISIS through their artillery. and hellicopters but also combat jets .  Once the turkey border is sealed
the terrorist will collapse in a month or two for food alone and lack of ammo and fuel. it will be a disaster for the whole terrorist operation and transportation and operations.

A couple dozen of Pantisirs ,about ~20 ,mounted in GM-352 chassis like the picture above and moved as close to Turkey border as possible should be the ideal way to complicate any no fly zone attempt of NATO. you cannot jam a gatlin gun and those small missiles will not be easily
seen by NATO airforces until is too late and hit their planes.

Mmmmmm, next stop the Black Sea and the Syrian Express?

ARKHANGELSK, November 12. /TASS/. The advanced Project 20180TV armament support ship Academician Kovalev built by the Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk in north Russia has gone to sea for state trials before joining the Russian Navy, shipyard spokeswoman Nadezhda Shcherbina told TASS on Thursday.

"The armament support ship Academician Kovalev has left the shipyard and gone to sea today [on Thursday] for state trials that will last about a week. The acceptance report will be signed in December," she said. According to the spokeswoman, the shipyard has removed all the ship’s imperfections detected during the shipbuilders’ trials in October.

The Project 20180TV reinforced ice-class armament support ship Academician Kovalev was floated out in the summer of 2014 for its further construction afloat. The vessel is designed to load, unload and transport weapons.

The Project 20180TV armament support ship has a full displacement of about 6,000 tons, a length of 107.6 meters and a maximum speed of 14 knots.

http://tass.ru/en/defense/835855

Posted in the Navy thread as well.

Cyberspec wrote:RuAF bombed the airport Taftanaz - Idlib countryside....it's claimed with cluster bombs

T-72's visible near the hangars



Su-25's and Su-24's at Kafr Zita - Hama

RuAF bombed the airport Taftanaz - Idlib countryside....it's claimed with cluster bombs

If they were attacking a runway then the most sensible weapon to use would be cratering munitions... which are carried in cluster bombs.

These are rocket propelled penetrators designed to penetrate through the surface layer of asphalt and concrete and to detonate in the foundations... hense their name... cratering munitions.

They are easily the most efficient way of disabling a runway and making repairs more difficult.

Cyberspec wrote:

Cyberspec wrote:RuAF bombed the airport Taftanaz - Idlib countryside....it's claimed with cluster bombs

T-72's visible near the hangars

Interesting contrast, in the foreground farm irrigation mist, in the background smoke from destruction of what looks to be the apron and its contents.

Lots of what appear to be already scrap 'stuff' plus another tank between the two areas.

Not gloating but clearly Moscow is pretty pleased with itself.

Moscow considers the Syrian army's actions backed by Russian airstrikes to be effective, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, the Syrian army lifted the siege of the Kweiris military airbase. The Kweiris airbase had been under ISIL siege for two years until the Syrian government forces with Russian air support advanced into the area and cleared it of jihadists, leaving a large number of them dead and wounded in the process.

"With the support of Russian aviation, the Syrian army's offensive continues with quite positive dynamics. Over the last week, as you know, a number of strategic advances and victories were achieved by the Syrian military. So the offensive continues quite effectively with the support of Russian aviation," Peskov told reporters.

Russia has been conducting pinpoint airstrikes against terrorist targets in Syria at the request of President Bashar Assad since September 30. The operation has been coordinated with the Syrian government forces.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20151113/1030024933/syrian-army-advance-kremlin.html#ixzz3rMpNwvJu

Pressure is mounting and the RuAF is striking in the East. Not sure why US/NATO did not hit the convoy as it is their area of operation. Much more at link

"In the Latakia province, a Nusra Front command and surveillance center was destroyed. The building occupied by terrorists was completely destroyed by a pinpoint strike."

Terrorists fighting in the Latakia province have received an order to urgently evacuate modern arms and assets, Konashenkov said.

He added that local citizens in Syria's provinces of Latakia, Tartus, Homs, Hama, Idlib and Damascus were joining self-defense groups. "At the moment, these units are nearly 4,000 strong."

"After necessary training, volunteers are involved in addressing issues aimed to defend residential areas, important sites’ and transport routes’ from terrorists. Such assistance from the civilian population allows freeing up regular army units in the rear and creating necessary reserves for developing the offensive on terrorist-occupied territories."

Russian aviation destroyed a column of fuel tankers with crude oil, which was heading toward Iraq, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"As a result of the aerial reconnaissance near Al Mayadin in the province of Deir ez-Zor, a column of fuel tankers heading toward the Syrian-Iraqi border was uncovered. According to data, the vehicles transported crude produced in the ISIL-controlled oil fields to refineries of terrorists located in Iraq."

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20151113/1030034264/russian-warplanes-hit-289-targets-syria.html#ixzz3rNaX8YPq

RuAF use white phosphorous bomb to destroy ammunition storage, secondary explosions of ammunition could be seen.

T-90A and Russian Airborne Troops near Latakia in Syria

One more..

Why repeat post these photos? Most of them were posted a few times yesterday.

JohninMK wrote:Why repeat post these photos? Most of them were posted a few times yesterday.

But not the one I just posted though

Siempre_Leal wrote:

JohninMK wrote:Why repeat post these photos? Most of them were posted a few times yesterday.

But not the one I just posted though

I know, that's why I said most

JohninMK wrote:

Siempre_Leal wrote:

Dima wrote:S-400 Triumph battery acquisition radar 96L6 at RuAF Latakia air base
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=90d_1447324892#A1W5j3oigQJ3Txz9.99



original photo from Ru MoD release
http://eng.mil.ru/images/upload/2015/SAVX7322-1.jpg

Everyday life of the Russian Aerospace Forces at the Hmeymim airbase in Syria
http://eng.mil.ru/en/multimedia/photo/gallery.htm?id=26078

what are you guys opinion?

Good find.

Are we certain? Anyway, why a S-400 not a S-300 of some type?

The top picture looks as if the radar antenna is on a trailer not a 6 wheeled truck. In the second the radar is tucked behind the other trucks so it is no help.

Moscow says 'rubbish'!

LATAKIA, November 13 /TASS/. There are no Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems (Triumph) in Syria. It is misinformation, Major General Igor Konashenkov, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, told journalists on Friday.

"Separate reports about our air base that regularly appear in foreign newspapers and publications are really bewildering if not funny. I would like to believe that these tales are being published for the purpose of self-advertising," the general told a briefing organized for foreign journalists as part of a press tour to Hmeymim air base where the Russian warplanes are deployed.

The journalists who have been working at the air base for three days have got a chance to see everything, including the base’s anti-aircraft defense means, with their own eyes. "Of course, there are no and there have never been any S-400 systems here. It’s just misinformation," Konashenkov stressed.

"Prior to frightening the British and the rest of the world with our S-400 anti-aircraft missile system, which is deployed in Syria, they ought to have read either the Wikipedia or the Russian Defense Ministry website to get an idea of what it looks like. Then it would have been clear to the editors of this publication how many elements this system has and what area would have been required for its deployment," the general explained.

JohninMK wrote:Moscow says 'rubbish'!

LATAKIA, November 13 /TASS/. There are no Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems (Triumph) in Syria. It is misinformation, Major General Igor Konashenkov, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, told journalists on Friday.

"Separate reports about our air base that regularly appear in foreign newspapers and publications are really bewildering if not funny. I would like to believe that these tales are being published for the purpose of self-advertising," the general told a briefing organized for foreign journalists as part of a press tour to Hmeymim air base where the Russian warplanes are deployed.

The journalists who have been working at the air base for three days have got a chance to see everything, including the base’s anti-aircraft defense means, with their own eyes. "Of course, there are no and there have never been any S-400 systems here. It’s just misinformation," Konashenkov stressed.

"Prior to frightening the British and the rest of the world with our S-400 anti-aircraft missile system, which is deployed in Syria, they ought to have read either the Wikipedia or the Russian Defense Ministry website to get an idea of what it looks like. Then it would have been clear to the editors of this publication how many elements this system has and what area would have been required for its deployment," the general explained.

So no complete S-400 in Syria now. That bad.
But still there are some parts of the system which gives hope for other parts to arrive in due time.

ult wrote:

Interesting. It seems like more Pantsir-S1's are being brought in to Syria via Syrian Express naval cargo freights, due to the fact that these SHORAD complexes neither have desert camo nor beige paint, so I suspect that these are in fact under the ownership of Russian VKS, brought in to defend the VKS airfield/base in Latakia.