Russian military intervention and aid to Syria #8

sepheronx wrote:I did a quick oped on this:

OPED: Syrian conflict and Russia’s withdrawal

Please give your opinions and critique.

You summed it up pretty well, good work.

Zivo wrote:

JohninMK wrote:

d_taddei2 wrote:

sepheronx wrote:There seems to be conflicting information.  In previous pages it said Su-24M would be staying in Syria but then our other friend states that already of the 12, 4 have left syria with only 8 remaining.

Do we have confirmation as to what is actually going to stay and which is going?

yeah sourcs have said all aircraft going apart from Mi-24/35 and bringing in Ka-52 and Mi-28 although no numbers yet. Would be interesting which aircraft did this

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russian-air-force-pounds-isis-raqqa/

what is happening with the Su-27SM surely would be worth keeping them in Syria along with some Su-24M

AFAIK there are no Su-27SM there, only Su-35, Su-30, Su-34 from the Flanker family.

Its logical to keep the 'fighters' but pull all the tactical bombing aircraft like the Su-24 and Su-34 out as they have destroyed most of 'their' possible targets so are no longer needed and their CAS role can be taken by the helicopters or the Su-30 in its bomber role.

I don't understand the shock over the mission restructuring. Numerous posters here, including myself were well aware that deep strikes and other strategic plays can only go so far, and eventually they will run out of targets to bomb. It's a waste to have unused aircraft sitting on a desert tarmac, which was the past state of affairs before the current reduction. It's almost like some of you want Russia to repeat the mistakes the US military has made over the last decade, burning through equipment life to support lavish conquests.

Strike aircraft out, attack helicopters in, this is the long awaited "phase two" of the operation.

Absolutely. Even to a non-military man like myself, it makes sense to fit the equipment to the task, not the other way around.

Too much?    

Latakia

https://mobile.twitter.com/petejohn10/status/711175641933213696

Ibrahim Joudeh Retweeted
@hamza_780 15 minutes ago
ka-52 in jablah tody


SyrianMilitaryCap. ‏@syrianmilitary 5 hours ago
Mi-28n over #Lattakia this morning

Ivan Sidorenko ‏@IvanSidorenko1 10 hours ago
#Syria #Damascus #WesternDamascus #Russia #Russian Delegate Visited and distributed some food baskets. #SAA

It was going to be just a simple TV interview of a Syrian lady soldier, but then look who walks by behind her SUV. The invisible men  

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ye4hy


One suspects that were it US or UK forces in a similar situation, that cameraman would have had some 'gentle' advice on the wisdom of ending the interview, sharpish.

Another An-124 inbound. More choppers?

https://twitter.com/AlRFORCEFREAK/status/711238048776908800

JohninMK wrote:It was going to be just a simple TV interview of a Syrian lady soldier, but then look who walks by behind her SUV. The invisible men  

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ye4hy


One suspects that were it US or UK forces in a similar situation, that cameraman would have had some 'gentle' advice on the wisdom of ending the interview, sharpish.

It's the ANNA crew, they did that on purpose, that's why they zoomed in like they wanted to hide it, and there's a whole fire team there. Yeah pulling out for sure. As I said, most leaks people have found on VK and elsewhere have been either voluntary pioneers or simple gaffes. Here's a clever pointer.

franco wrote:My favorite so far

Sam Tamiz ‏@SamTamiz Mar 17

#Russia spent $500 million on its six-month long military intervention in #Syria.

#US spent $500 million on training 'four or five' rebels.

The US military also spends $500 million a year on marching bands. Priorities, priorities.

short_fuze wrote:

franco wrote:My favorite so far  

Sam Tamiz ‏@SamTamiz Mar 17

#Russia spent $500 million on its six-month long military intervention in #Syria.

#US spent $500 million on training 'four or five' rebels.

The US military also spends $500 million a year on marching bands. Priorities, priorities.

The campaign was something in the ballpark of $450-465 million, significantly cheaper than $500 million. But like I said, it pays to have cheap munitions such as FAB-250's which cost less that $5,000 a piece ($4,700-4,800), and using older aircraft like Su-24M's with Gefest-T upgrades capable of giving of dumb bombs like FAB-250's, the accuracy of precision guided munitions, but at a fraction of the cost.

magnumcromagnon wrote:

short_fuze wrote:

franco wrote:My favorite so far  

Sam Tamiz ‏@SamTamiz Mar 17

#Russia spent $500 million on its six-month long military intervention in #Syria.

#US spent $500 million on training 'four or five' rebels.

The US military also spends $500 million a year on marching bands. Priorities, priorities.

The campaign was something in the ballpark of $450-465 million, significantly cheaper than $500 million. But like I said, it pays to have cheap munitions such as FAB-250's which cost less that $5,000 a piece ($4,700-4,800), and using older aircraft like Su-24M's with Gefest-T upgrades capable of giving of dumb bombs like FAB-250's, the accuracy of precision guided munitions, but at a fraction of the cost.

Just for info
this article it mentions 33 bilion rubles or £332 million

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/putin-says-russia-powerful-syria-comeback-within-hours-110216317.html


on another note now Russia plans to use Ka-52 and Mi-28 they really are showing the world and potential buyers just what there equipment can do as well as giving vital experience to its forces, would be nice for them to use Yak-130 and Mig-29SMT/M2 as i am sure many potential buyers will be looking to be buying Yak-130 and Mig-29M2 and Mig-35 in the near future just another way of show casing them. I many people in the west(general public) has only thought of Russia using old Soviet/out of date equipment, and i think with this intervention has shocked the public at just how good their equipment is and just how professional they are. But i still think a special mention has to be given to the older soviet designed equipment for this has been the mainstay of the SAA, the Mig-21, Mig-23, Su-22, BMP-1 & 2, BTR-60, MT-LB, T-72, T-55, ZSU-23-4, 2S1, BM-21, and the various other anti aircraft guns, artillery and small arms have proven themselves and served the SAA well, i think in particular the T-55 (with various makeshift upgrades) have proven very useful despite its age.

From Aldin's Twitter.

Aldin Abazović ‏@Ald_Aba 1h1 hour ago

Russian comm or EW vehicle on top of Nabi Yunis peak #Latakia @oryxspioenkop @CTstudies @AbraxasSpa  @ain92ru

JohninMK wrote:It was going to be just a simple TV interview of a Syrian lady soldier, but then look who walks by behind her SUV. The invisible men  

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ye4hy


One suspects that were it US or UK forces in a similar situation, that cameraman would have had some 'gentle' advice on the wisdom of ending the interview, sharpish.

Spot the telnyashka!

Syria is Russia's strategic asset and without a firm hold in the Mediterranean, Russian power and maneuvering is severely curtailed. Have no two thoughts about it! Syria needs to be protected and strengthened and the current war in Syria is a direct result of a failed attempt to uproot Russia from the region once and for all which (sponsored/prepared "revolution") followed earlier Russian announcement/intentions of increased role of Tartous naval facility in the future and the pipelines from Iran to the Mediterranean. There is only one option w.r.t to Syria and that is to strengthen and fortify Tartous & Latakia to be a full fledged forward operational base and be Russia's Kaliningrad in the Mediterranean.  

Source: IISS, Russianships.info, Center of the Analysis of Strategies and Technologies

Consider the Libyan position (in terms of location and the billions which could have flowed into Russian mil/civil sectors) and one will understand what a collossal loss it was for Russia due to one fucking arseole Medvedev, who for western strategist is the junior/new-age Gobachev/Yeltsin (naive, stupid/sellout, stupid).

I've posted that article related to revival of Black sea fleet in RuN thread and plz do remember not to give arseoles moscowtimes extra clicks.
https://www.russiadefence.net/t4282p350-russian-navy-status-news-3#156366

d_taddei2 wrote:on another note now Russia plans to use Ka-52 and Mi-28 they really are showing the world and potential buyers just what there equipment can do as well as giving vital experience to its forces, would be nice for them to use Yak-130 and Mig-29SMT/M2 as i am sure many potential buyers will be looking to be buying Yak-130 and Mig-29M2 and Mig-35 in the near future just another way of show casing them. I many people in the west(general public) has only thought of Russia using old Soviet/out of date equipment, and i think with this intervention has shocked the public at just how good their equipment is and just how professional they are. But i still think a special mention has to be given to the older soviet designed equipment for this has been the mainstay of the SAA, the Mig-21, Mig-23, Su-22, BMP-1 & 2, BTR-60, MT-LB, T-72, T-55, ZSU-23-4, 2S1, BM-21, and the various other anti aircraft guns, artillery and small arms have proven themselves and served the SAA well, i think in particular the T-55 (with various makeshift upgrades) have proven very useful despite its age.

+1
Completely agree but what I wanted to see most was the MiG-29SMT and MiG-29K/KUB in action. This would have taken off that "not combat proven" tag often bestowed by the chicken headed murican fanboys. One of the many reasons against the MiG-29s in the MMRCA contest promoted by the murian sellouts through media/forums in India was it being not proven and not in class of western birds in terms of multirole, serviceability etc. An action is Syria would have definitely gone to sideline such propaganda.
Since the big birds are getting withdrawn, hope Russia sends in the medium ones. New/upgraded platforms which have not seen action are the MiG-29SMT, K/KUB and IL-38N.

Dima wrote:

...

Consider the Libyan position (in terms of location and the billions which could have flowed into Russian mil/civil sectors) and one will understand what a collossal loss it was for Russia due to one fucking arseole Medvedev, who for western strategist is the junior/new-age Gobachev/Yeltsin (naive, stupid/sellout, stupid).

...

Agree about the Russian abstain rather than veto over Libya. I suspect it was naivete rather than complicity. I think it took the deliberate shooting down of MH-17 for Putin to finally see the full depravity of the AngloZionsts.

If Libya hadn't happened, then the takfiri position in Syria would have been less sustainable, as they gained loads of arms and c/w precursors looted from Libya, via Turkey.

There are two current governments in Libya, one takfiri in the west, the other non-takfiri in the east (I think) who are in conflict. The AngloZionists are trying to create a third puppet government that will 'replace' these two and 'invite' them in to Libya to consolidate their further looting of its resources. It would be ironic if the non-takfiri government invited Russia in do a 'Syria' in Libya. That would please Algeria and Egypt, so Russia might get 3 for the price of 1. However, that is purely wishful thinking on my part.

Airstrikes Near Palmyra Destroy Headquarters of al-Nusra Front, Daesh

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160320/1036619084/palmyra-airstrikes-daesh-nusra.html#ixzz43SAcMYk0

SyrianMilitaryCap. ‏@syrianmilitary  3 hours ago
Ka-52 flying unarmed so far ,today #Lattakia

Looks like some Su-24 are staying. No mention of the Su-25.

Earlier this week at a meeting with troops involved in the Syrian campaign Russian President Vladimir Putin said the number of combat sorties of the Russian Aerospace Forces had decreased from 60-80 to 20 a day. The president also underscored that the rest of the task force will be capable of accomplishing the assigned tasks in the region.

A squadron of Su-24 tactical bombers, including 9-12 aircraft, will be kept on duty in Syria. During the main stage of the campaign, those aircraft were responsible for the bulk of the airstrikes. The newest Su-30 and Su-35 jet fighters will also stay at the Hmeymim airbase for aerial protection, a Defense Ministry source told the Russian newspaper Vedomosti. A source close to the military command confirmed to RBK that Su-35 4++-generation jets will stay at the base.

Russia deployed four Su-35s to Syria on January 31, 2016. The Defense Ministry has not additionally reported on their withdrawal.

Moscow will also keep its air defense system in Syria. "Russian air defenses will be on combat duty in Syria and will be used against all targets posing threats to the Russian forces," Putin said. According to him, an S-400 medium- and long-range complex and a Pantsir-S1 air-defense system will stay on duty in Syria.

In addition, Ka-52 and Mi-28N attack helicopters have been spotted at the airbase, but their exact number is unknown.

According to military expert Viktor Litovkin, the rest of the Russian task force will accomplished its goals. He outlined several main objectives: conducting airstrikes on terrorist targets, supporting the Syrian Army and its allies, and control over the airspace in the region. "All the three aircraft are capable of carrying out airstrikes against terrorists. But the Su-24 is not designed for aerial combat, and it needs support of jet fighters," he told RBK.

In addition to the jets, Syrian airspace and Hmeymim air base will also be protected by an S-400 air defense system, Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Analytic Center for Strategies and Technologies, said. "There could be three sudden threats – coming from Turkey, Israel and the US," he assumed. He added that with an S-400 deployed to the base the Russian Aerospace Forces could not only establish a no-fly zone not over the Hmeymim airbase but also the entire province of Latakia where the bulk of the Syrian Army is concentrated. The system has a maximum acquisition range of 600 km and a maximum striking range of 400 km. "Within this radius, any aircraft can be tracked and then escorted by jets," Pukhov explained.

According to Litovkin, attack helicopters may be used against small groups of enemies and armored targets which cannot be hit by bombers. "The Ka-52 and the Mi-28N are armed with the Vikhr and Ataka anti-tank missiles as well as a 30-mm gun," the expert said. He added that terrorist may have man-portable air defense systems so attack helicopters could operate "accurately" at night time. What is more, some 200-300 civil specialists will remain at Hmeymim base. Military personnel will not be able to maintain aircraft and helicopters on their own. "As many as 2,000 personnel are required to operate the base. However, not all of them will be involved in combat missions," Pukhov concluded.

Both experts agreed that the rest of the Russian forces in Syria will be enough for the current objectives.

The full article is at: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160320/1036618424/russian-forces-syria.html#ixzz43SRH9f00

Good that Su-24s are staying, hope they stay untill the SyAAF Su-24 are up to the same standards as the Russian ones.

Another one,
Aldin Abazović ‏@Ald_Aba 3 hours ago
Beautiful photo of #RuAF Ka-52 above #Latakia coastline. #Syria