Syria Superthread [merged]

[CougarKing]

A Forward Air Controller officer?

Agence-France-Presse

Russian military says special forces officer killed near Palmyra: agencies
AFP
March 24, 2016


Moscow (AFP) - A Russian special forces officer has been killed near Syria's Palmyra, a military representative at the Russian base in Syria was quoted as saying by Russian agencies Thursday.

"An officer of Russian special operations forces was killed near Palmyra while carrying out a special task to direct Russian airstrikes at Islamic State group targets," the unnamed representative said, without giving the date of the incident.

(...SNIPPED)

 

[jollyjacktar]

This was reported elsewhere several days ago.  Gutsy move.

 

[McG]

Israel observes a substantial Russian presence remains in Syria, though some capabilities have changed (such as some fixed wing assets having been replaced by an increase of attack helicopters).

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/international/mideast-africa/2016/03/28/syria-air-power-russia-pullout-israel-putim/82338892/

 

[a_majoor]

More from Instapundit on Russia's moves:

http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/230328

MASKIROVKA: Russia, despite draw down, shipping more to Syria than removing.

It is not known what the ships were carrying or how much equipment has been flown out in giant cargo planes accompanying returning war planes.

But the movements – while only a partial snapshot – suggest Russia is working intensively to maintain its military infrastructure in Syria and to supply the Syrian army so that it can scale up again swiftly if need be.

Putin has not detailed what would prompt such a move, but any perceived threat to Russia’s bases in Syria or any sign that President Bashar al-Assad, Moscow’s closest Middle East ally, was in peril would be likely to trigger a powerful return.

Vladimir Putin seems to be handling his withdrawal from Syria with much more wisdom and foresight than President Obama showed when he scuttled our Status of Forces Agreement with Iraq in 2001.

Putin is certainly not leaving an opening for a power vacuum to occur under his watch.

 

[tomahawk6]

IS is said to have used mustard gas on Syrian troops.They probably captured Syrian chemical weapons stores.Not good if true.

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/isis-mustard-gas-attack/2016/04/04/id/722245/

 

[The Bread Guy]

One (among many) reason the place is a bit of a soup sandwich ...

Syrian militias armed by different parts of the U.S. war machine have begun to fight each other on the plains between the besieged city of Aleppo and the Turkish border, highlighting how little control U.S. intelligence officers and military planners have over the groups they have financed and trained in the bitter five-year-old civil war.

The fighting has intensified over the last two months, as CIA-armed units and Pentagon-armed ones have repeatedly shot at each other while maneuvering through contested territory on the northern outskirts of Aleppo, U.S. officials and rebel leaders have confirmed ...

 

[tomahawk6]

Today the Russians lost one of their most advanced helicopter gunships,the Mi-28 with the loss of both aircrew.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/04/12/this-is-the-advanced-russian-helicopter-that-just-crashed-in-syria/

 

[CougarKing]

Israel might have given Putin another excuse to reverse his aerial withdrawal:

Aviationist

There are conflicting reports on alleged clash between Russian and Israeli aircraft near Syria
Apr 22 2016 -
By David Cenciotti
Did Russian forces in Syria fire on Israeli warplanes?

Several Israeli media outlets said that Russian forces in Syria have fired at least twice on Israeli military aircraft in the last weeks.

Although no specific dates or locations for the incidents were given, it looks like these close encounters occurred as Israeli Air Force jets hit Syria to prevent suspected arms handovers to Hezbollah.

According to Reuters, Israel’s Channel 10 TV said a Russian jet approached an Israeli warplane off the Mediterranean coast of Syria last week even though there was no contact between them.

Probably referring to the same episode, Debkafile reported of a “near clash” between four IAF F-15s and two Russian Su-30SMs on Apr. 20: flying over the Med, the Israeli jets approached Hmeymim airbase, near Latakia, in northwestern Syria, where the Russian Air Force contingent is headquartered, forcing the Russians to scramble two of their Sukhoi jets.


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[The Bread Guy]

So, which is it, Russia?

• "Russian Air Strikes Hit U.S.-backed Syrian Rebels"
• "Moscow Hopes US Not to Resort to Military Solution in Syria"

 

[CougarKing]

Milnews, I'm guessing Pravda is saying "lies, lies, lies!" again, eh?

Defense News

Moscow Denies Strikes on US-Backed Rebels in Syria
Agence France-Presse 12:48 p.m. EDT June 19, 2016

MOSCOW — Russia’s defence ministry on Sunday denied bombing US-backed rebels in southern Syria earlier this week.

In a video conference with Russian military officials, the Pentagon said Saturday that it had expressed “strong concerns about the attack on the coalition-supported counter-ISIL forces at the Al-Tanaf garrison.”

Hours later Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov denied that Russia had bombed areas where US-backed rebels are operating.

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[CougarKing]

Assad's forces on the march:

CTV

Syrian forces advance on IS-held air base
Raqqa
Philip Issa, The Associated Press
Published Sunday, June 19, 2016 1:45PM EDT
Last Updated Sunday, June 19, 2016 3:04PM EDT

BEIRUT -- Syrian government forces advanced to within 10 kilometres of the Islamic State-occupied Tabqa air base in the northern part of the country on Sunday, part of a push to try to unseat the extremist group from its de facto capital, Raqqa.

Government forces recaptured the nearby Thawra oil field from IS militants, according to a Syrian journalist Eyad al-Hosain, who is embedded with the army. Activists said Sunday's government assault was accompanied by an aerial campaign on the town of Tabqa, five miles north of the air base. The activist group, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, which smuggles news out of IS-held territory, reported that fighter jets struck the town with cluster munitions, killing at least 10 civilians.

The Tabqa base, 45 kilometres from Raqqa, holds strategic and symbolic value in the government campaign on the IS capital. It was the last position held by government forces in Raqqa province before IS militants overran it in August 2014, killing scores of detained soldiers in a massacre they documented on video. Raqqa itself became the militants' first captive city.

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[CougarKing]

Why wasn't this intercepted by Iron Dome?

Defense News

Syrian-Launched UAV Evades Israeli Air Defenses
Barbara Opall-Rome, Defense News 4:24 p.m. EDT July 17, 2016

TEL AVIV, Israel — An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from Syria managed Sunday to penetrate Israeli airspace and evade two Patriot anti-air interceptors and possibly an F-16-launched air-to-air missile, sources here said.

An Israeli military spokesman insisted Israel Air Force air defenders detected the UAV prior to its violation of Israeli airspace on Sunday afternoon in the area of the Golan Heights. According to a July 17 statement, the Air Force continued to track the target in Israeli skies, yet failed to down the intruder, despite three intercept attempts.

“The aircraft was detected prior to entering the nation’s territory and was fully tracked by the Israel Air Force,” noted a July 17 statement. “From the initial investigation, it was found that three intercept attempts took place as per procedure. No hit of the target was identified.”
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[jollyjacktar]

Too slow of a target, maybe?

 

[The Bread Guy]

Too slow of a target, maybe?

Or too small???

 

[CougarKing]

More to reinforce the idea that Putin is in bed with the Iranians:

Al Jazeera

Syria's civil war: Russian jets bomb rebels from Iran
The fighter jets took off from western Iran and conducted air strikes in Aleppo, Idlib and Deir el-Zor provinces.

The Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday that its fighter jets had taken off from the Hamadan airbase in western Iran [Reuters]

Russian jets based in Iran on Tuesday struck targets inside Syria, the Russian defence ministry said, after Moscow deployed aircraft to an Iranian air force base to widen its campaign in Syria.

The ministry said the strikes, by Tupolev-22M3 long-range bombers and Sukhoi-34 fighter bombers, were launched from the Hamadan airbase in western Iran.

(...SNIPPED)

 

[tomahawk6]

The Iranians have Quds Force units fighting in Syria to support Assad,so this development is just an extension of their working relationship.

 

[tomahawk6]

The Russians and Syrians seem to be using thermobaric weapons in Syria.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Opinion/2016/08/16/Vaccum-bombs-in-Syria-the-latest-in-a-long-history-of-aerial-atrocities/2031471376703

Imagine taking a deep breath then submerging yourself in water. Then imagine having all of the oxygen forced instantaneously from your body. Try to inhale again. But instead of cold water filling your lungs, toxic, flammable particles start killing you from the inside out.

 

[tomahawk6]

To encourage the Syrians/Russians from bombing US allies/forces the USAF is flying combat air patrols.

https://www.airforcetimes.com/articles/us-fighter-jets-protect-hasakah-air-space-after-syrian-government-airstrikes

Nearly half a dozen U.S. fighter jets have contributed to protecting the air space over Hasakah, Syria, after Syrian government warplanes conducted airstrikes there on Thursday, allegedly against Kurdish forces. The location is also near American special operations forces and allies on the ground.

“We will always seek to protect our forces and we have an inherent right to ensure self defense if a situation dictates,” Air Forces Central Command spokesman Lt. Col. Chris Karns told Air Force Times Saturday.

Karns said the jets providing combat air patrols include F-15Es, F-16s and F-18s.

In a follow on incident Friday, two U.S. F-22s intercepted Syrian aircraft “which attempted to transit the area and were met by coalition aircraft,” Karns said. “The presence of the aircraft effectively encouraged the Syrian aircraft to depart the airspace, without further incident.”

 

[tomahawk6]

Another day another intercept of Syrian aircraft that were too close to US Special Forces.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/850e04c3-a5c8-3fae-bef7-e8ec6fb802d9/ss_syrian-jets-flying-close-to.html

wice in the last few days, Syrian jets performing air strikes close to where US SOF are operating in northeastern Syria caused coalition aircraft to scramble. On Aug. 18, US jets were dispatched to intercept the Syrian attack planes that were attacking targets near Hasakah supporting regime forces fighting the Syrian Kurdish forces. About 300 US military operate in the same area, training Kurdish forces who are fighting Daesh. Syrian pilots did not respond to the radio calls of the Kurdish on the general emergency frequency nor did they acknowledge calls attempted by the coalition on the air safety channel used for communication with the Russian aircraft operating over Syria. Anyway, by the ...

 

[jollyjacktar]

The Russians and Syrians seem to be using thermobaric weapons in Syria.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Opinion/2016/08/16/Vaccum-bombs-in-Syria-the-latest-in-a-long-history-of-aerial-atrocities/2031471376703

Imagine taking a deep breath then submerging yourself in water. Then imagine having all of the oxygen forced instantaneously from your body. Try to inhale again. But instead of cold water filling your lungs, toxic, flammable particles start killing you from the inside out.

Meh!  It's only against vermin.  They deserve every one.