Syrian Arab Air Defence Force
Arabic: قوات الدفاع الجوي العربي السوري
Emblem of the SyADF
Founded1969 (1969)[lower-alpha 1]
Country Syria
TypeAir defense
RoleAerial warfare
Size21,000 (active)[1]
15,000 (reserve)[2]
Part of Syrian Armed Forces
HeadquartersDamascus, Syria
Motto(s)Homeland, Honour, Sincerity! (Military)
Unity, Freedom, Socialism! (National)
ColoursBlue, Green
Anniversaries16 October
Engagements
Websitewww.syadf.com.sy
Commanders
Commander-in-ChiefMarshal Bashar al-Assad
Minister of DefenceLieutenant General Ali Mahmoud Abbas
Chief of Air Defence StaffMajor General Ali Tawfiq Samra
Insignia
InsigniaMilitary ranks of Syria
Flag of the Syrian Air Defence Force

The Syrian Air Defence Force (SyADF or SADF), officially the Syrian Arab Air Defence Force (SyAADF or SAADF; Arabic: قوات الدفاع الجوي العربي السوري) is an independent command within the Syrian Armed Forces. It is responsible for protecting the Syrian airspace against any hostile air attacks. The SyADF is one of the most powerful and combat-tested Air Defence forces in the region.[3]

It has been merged into and then separated from both the Syrian Arab Army and the Syrian Arab Air Force. The Syrian Air Defence Force controls four Air Defence corps, eleven Air Defence divisions and thirty-six Air Defence brigades, each with six surface-to-air missile battalions.[4] Since 2017, it has been linked to a joint Russian-Syrian command.[3]

Soviet officers of the 231st Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment at the Syrian S-200VE Vega-E complex, circa 1983

It is equipped with 650 static S-75 Dvina, S-125 Neva/Pechora and S-200 launchers, 300 mobile 2K12 Kub, Pantsir S-1 and Buk launchers and over 4,000 anti-aircraft guns ranging from 23mm to 100mm in calibre (e.g. ZSU-23-4 Shilka).[5] There are also two independent 9K33 Osa SAM regiments, each with four batteries of 48 mobile SAMs. An unknown number of S-300 system were delivered to Syria in 2018.[6]

A large number of Iranian Air Defence systems were delivered to the country in 2021: Mersad, Khordad-3, Bavar-373 and Khordad-15 systems.[7][8]

The Syrian early warning system comprises Long Track; P-12 Spoon Rest; P-14 Tall King; H-15 Flat Face; P-18 Spoon Rest; P-19; P-30 Big Mesh; P-35 Bar Lock; P-80 Back Net; YLC-6 Radar; JY-27; JYL-1; PRV-13; PRV-16 Thin Skin; Alborz[9] mobile and static radar sites throughout Syria.[10][11]

Current structure and organization

Part of a Syrian 2K12 Kub ground-to-air missile site built near the Beirut-Damascus highway and overlooking the Bekaa Valley, in early 1982 during the 1982 Lebanon War.
  • Including:[13]
  • Self-propelled
    • 62 batteries:
      • 11 teams - 27 batteries - SA-6 Gainful (PU SAM 2K12 Square);
      • 14 Battery - SA-8 Gecko (PU SAM 9K33 Osa);
      • 12 Battery - SA-22 Greyhound (96K6 Pantsyr S1E);
      • 9 Battery - Buk-M2
  • Towed
    • 11 teams - 60 batteries with SA-2 Guideline (CP-75 Dvina / S-75M Volga) and SA-3 Goa (S-125 Neva / S-125M Pechora) (Being upgraded);
  • Two SAM regiments with SA-5 Gammon(in each brigade to 2 divisions for 2 batteries each).
    • Four SAM battalions
      • Eight Static/Shelter SAM batteries
  • Two independent SAM Regiments
    • Four SAM batteries with SA-8

Inventory

Towed and self-propelled air defence systems

Gear Country of Origin In Service Type Comments
Bavar-373 Iran Unknown Long Range Mobile SAM Sayyad-4B missile. Delivered in 2022.[7][8]
Khordad-3 Iran Unknown Mid- Range Mobile SAM Taer 2 and Sayad missile. Delivered between 2019 and 2022.[7]
Khordad-15 Iran Unknown Long Range Mobile SAM Sayyad-3 missile. Delivered between 2019 and 2021.[7][8]
Mersad Iran Unknown Short- to Mid- Range Mobile SAM Shahin missile. Delivered between 2019 and 2021.[7][8]
S-300 Missile System Russia 24[14] Long Range Mobile SAM 24 delivered in October 2018. PMU-2 Favorit variant.[15]
Buk-M2E Missile System Russia Up to 40[16][17] + 20 Buk-M1-2s.[18] Mid-Range Mobile SAM Up to 36 believed to be delivered before 2011. Additional units delivered in 2018.[19]
Buk-M1-2 Missile System USSR 20[20] Mid-Range Mobile SAM Additional delivered in 2011.[21]
Tor-M1 Missile SystemRussiaN/AShort-Range Mobile SAMModified Tor-M1 "Dezful" variant. Supplied by Iran in 2018.[22]
Pantsir S-1 Russia 57+[23] (+10 Pantsir S-2)[24] Short-Range Mobile SAM 40 delivered up until 2017. Additional units delivered in 2018. One unit destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in 2018. Two more destroyed in an Israeli air strike in January 2019.[25]
Tunguska USSR 6[26] Short-Range Mobile SAM Pantsir S-1 ordered in favour of additional Tunguska.
Strela-10 USSR 35[27][28] Short-Range Mobile SAM
Strela-1 USSR 20[27][29] Short-Range Mobile SAM
9K33 Osa USSR 50[27] Short-Range Mobile SAM 60 delivered. Several lost in Syria Civil War.
2K12 Kub USSR Up to 150[27] Mid-Range Mobile SAM 195 at the start of 2012. Some units out of service due to partial replacement by Buk-M2.
S-200 USSR Up to 44[27] Long-Range Static SAM Modified by CERS.[30] Destroyed an Israeli F-16 on 10 February 2018. Destroyed a Russian cargo Il-20 on 17 September 2018.
S-125 Pechora USSR
Russia		 148 + 30 2M[27] Mid-Range Static SAM Additional 2M's may be delivered in 2023.
S-75 Dvina USSR
Russia		 Up to 300[27] (S-75 Volga, S-75M Volga variant obr. 1995) Mid-Range Static SAM In service, mainly deployed against UAVs.[31]

Electronic warfare systems

Name Type Quantity Origin Photo Notes
Groza-S Mobile electronic countermeasure system N/A  Belarus Supplied by Belarus in 2018.[32][33]

Combat history

Syrian SA-5 Air Defence system in 1984

In October 1973, the Syrian Air Defence Force (SyADF) shot down numerous Israeli warplanes using mostly the 2K12 Kub (SA-6) SAMs.[34]

In 1982, Israel claimed that 19 of 20 batteries, consisting of five launchers per battery, each launcher carrying three SA-6 missiles, were wiped out in Operation Mole Cricket 19, and the SyADF claimed to have shot down 43 Israeli warplanes over Lebanon in the same year.[35][36]

On 22 June 2012, the Syrian Air Defence Force shot down a Turkish McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II reconnaissance jet. The jet's pilots were killed; both Turkish and Syrian forces searched for them before recovering their bodies in early July. The incident greatly escalated the tensions between Turkey and Syria.[37]

In mid-November 2013, Turkish sources claimed the SyADF targeted, for ten seconds, three Turkish F-16 fighters that were flying near Dörtyol, over southern Hatay province after deploying from the Incirlik and Merzifon airbases.[38] The incident came after a Turkish F-16 shot down a Syrian Mi-17 helicopter on September 16 after Turkey claimed it crossed into Turkish airspace in the same area.[39]

On 17 March 2015, a US MQ-1 Predator drone was shot down by a Syrian S-125 missile.[40][41]

On 13 September 2016, the Syrian Army claimed to have downed an Israeli warplane and a drone after an attack on Quneitra province. The Israel defence Forces denied any such loss.

On 17 March 2017, the Syrian Armed Forces claimed to have downed an Israeli warplane after an attack on military site near Palmyra.[42] The Israel defence Forces denied any such loss.[43]

On February 10, 2018, Israel launched air strikes against targets in Syria with eight fighter aircraft as retaliation for a UAV incursion into the airspace of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights earlier in the day. Syrian Air Defences succeeded in shooting down one of the Israeli jets, an F-16I Sufa, with an S-200 missile.[44] The jet crashed in the Jezreel Valley, near Harduf.[45] Both the pilot and the navigator managed to eject.[46][47]

On April 14, 2018, the Syrian Air Defences claimed to repel massive US, British and French missile strike on Syrian military facilities. Three civilians were injured, among civilians and military none.[48] The SyADF used 112 anti-aircraft missiles, hitting 71 targets out of 103 (according to the Russian MoD). To repel the attack, the following complexes were used: S-125, S-200, Buk, Kub, Osa, Strela-10 and Pantsir S-1.[49][50]

On the night of May 10, 2018, Israel launched a large scale air attack on multiple, alleged Iranian targets in Syria. After being engaged by the SyADF, the Israeli aircraft attacked and destroyed a Pantsir-S1 launcher, as well as several other anti-aircraft systems (SA5, SA2, SA22, SA17) .[51]

On September 17, 2018, four Israeli F-16s engaged targets in the Syrian port city of Latakia, to which Syrian Air Defences responded. During the Israeli attack, a Russian Il-20 aircraft was mistakenly destroyed by an S-200 missile launched by the SyADF. All fifteen crewmembers of the Il-20 died as a result.[52][53] Russian military claimed, Israeli Air Force pilots took shelter behind the IL-20, this exposing the Russian aircraft to the Syrian missile attack.[54]

In February and March 2020, Turkey Air force F-16 fighters and combat UAVs launched airstrikes on Syrian Army positions in Greater Idlib region in retaliation for the Balyun Airstrike. Syrian Air Defence Forces stated they succeeded in shooting down 13 Turkish combat UAVs, including 7 Bayraktar TB2 and 6 TAI Anka.[55]

On July 19, 2021, four F-16 fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force entered Syria’s airspace via the US-controlled al-Tanf zone and fired eight guided missiles at an area southeast of Syria’s Aleppo. Vadim Kulit, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, claimed that seven missiles were downed by the Russian-made Pantsir-S and Buk-M2 systems of the Syrian Air Defence Forces.[56]

In the evening of 27 July 2021, a drone was launched by militants from the Kafer-Khattar community in the Idlib Province. The militant drone was downed over the Hama Province by the Syrian Air Defence who used a Russia-produced Pantsir-S missile system, Kulit claimed the next day.[57] Syrian Air Defence forces shot down 22 missiles fired by Israel into Syria using Russian-made Buk-M2E and Pantsir-S systems, Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit said on 20 August 2021.

Syrian Air Defence forces shot down twenty-one out of twenty-four missiles fired by Israel into Syria using Russian-made Buk-M2E and Pantsir-S systems, Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit said on September 3, 2021.[58] Syrian Air Defence forces shot down 8 out of 12 missiles fired by Israel in Syria using Russian-made Pantsir-S systems, Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit said on 08.10.2021.[59] Syrian Air Defence forces shot down ten out of twelve missiles fired by Israel into Syria using Russian-made Buk-M2E and Pantsir-S systems, Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit said on November 24, 2021.[60]

On 13 May 2022, the Israeli Air Force launched attacks on SAA positions on Masyaf killing 5 people including one civilian,[61] the attack destroyed one Pantsir-S1 system.[62] On 25 August and 17 September 2022, new attacks were reportedly partly repelled by Syrian Pantsir-S1, Buk-M2E and S-75 systems.[63][64]

On December 25, 2023, the Israeli Air Force carried out an airstrike in the Sayyida Zeinab area, southeast of Damascus, resulting in the killing of Sayyid Razi Mousavi, the Iranian commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria. The Syrian Air Defence Force was unsuccessful in intercepting the missile.[65]

Notes

  1. ↑ Reorganised in 1971

References

  1. ↑ IISS 2023, p. 354.
  2. ↑ The Military Balance 2021 page 366
  3. 1 2 Jean-Baptiste Naudet (19 September 2018). "Syrie : les Russes ont-ils abattu leur propre avion ?" (in French). nouvelobs.com. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Air Defense Command (ADC)". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  5. ↑ Efrat, Moshe (1983). "The Economics of Soviet Arms Transfers to the Third World. A Case Study: Egypt". Soviet Studies. 35 (4): 437–456. doi:10.1080/09668138308411496. ISSN 0038-5859. JSTOR 151253.
  6. ↑ "The Latest: Russia says Syria now has S-300 anti-air system". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2018-09-30. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Ahmad Salloum (27 September 2020). "Exclusive: Iran Begins Developing Air Defense Systems in Syria". iranwire.com. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Farzin Nadimi (24 July 2020). "Iran-Syria Air Defense Pact Could Disrupt Allied Operations". Washington institute for Near East policy. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  9. ↑ "Iran Unveils New Air Defense Systems - Politics news - Tasnim News Agency". Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  10. ↑ "Syrian early warning radar sites". military.dds.net. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  11. ↑ Dylan Malyasov (19 February 2019). "Source: Israeli F-35 destroyed Chinese-made radar during airstrikes in Syria". defence-blog.com. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  12. ↑ The Military Balance 2021 page 366
  13. ↑ Sean O'Connor (8 January 2010). "Strategic SAM Deployment in Syria". ausairpower.net: 1. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  14. ↑ "Russian FM Lavrov: Delivery of S-300 to Syria regime has begun". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2018-09-30. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
  15. ↑ Walker, Shaun; McDonald-Gibson, Charlotte; Morris, Nigel (29 May 2013). "Russia stokes fears of an arms race with threat to deliver anti-aircraft missiles to Syria's Assad regime". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  16. ↑ Pike, John. "Syria - Air Force Equipment". www.globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 2018-05-04. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
  17. ↑ "Чем будет воевать Сирия в случае агрессии стран западной коалиции?". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  18. ↑ The International Institute For Strategic Studies IISS The Military Balance 2012. — Nuffield Press, 2012. — С. 349 с
  19. ↑ "Syria To Receive New Missile Shields In Addition To S-300". Eurasia Review. 2018-09-28. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
  20. ↑ The International Institute For Strategic Studies IISS The Military Balance 2012. — Nuffield Press, 2012. — С. 349 с
  21. ↑ "Trade Registers". Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  22. ↑ Jones, Dion Nissenbaum and Rory (2018-04-17). "Israel Conferred With U.S. on Strike in Syria to Target Iranian War Gear". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  23. ↑ "Daily defense news for military procurement managers, contractors, policy makers". Defenseindustrydaily.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  24. ↑ Sebastien Roblin (2 February 2021). "How Russia is Helping Syria Take Back Its Airspace From Israel". National Interest. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  25. ↑ "Syria To Receive New Missile Shields In Addition To S-300". Eurasia Review. 2018-09-28. Archived from the original on 2018-09-30. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
  26. ↑ "Национальная оборона / Рынки вооружений". Archived from the original on 2014-03-23. Retrieved 2014-09-14.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pike 2018.
  28. ↑ "Briefing by Russian Defence Ministry official Major General Igor Konashenkov (April 16, 2018)". Archived from the original on 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  29. ↑ The Military Balance 2012 page 349.
  30. ↑ "Geopolitics". 26 November 2012. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  31. ↑ https://inf.news/en/military/750473e0e7bcb5a97d3515f1111de14f.html
  32. ↑ "Беларусь выходит в лидеры на рынке средств радиоэлектронной борьбы, Не исключено, что белорусская электроника двойного назначения применялась в ходе боевых действий в Сирии". naviny.by. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  33. ↑ Белорусская «Гроза-С» в Сирии вырвала зубы у американских «Жнецов» 15 September 2020
  34. ↑ "White House Military Briefing" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 December 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  35. ↑ Herzog, The Arab–Israeli Wars, Random House (1982) pp. 347–48
  36. ↑ Bruce Walker & the editors of Time-Life books, Fighting Jets: The Epic of Flight, Time Life Books (1983) pp. 162–63
  37. ↑ "Assad regrets downing of Turkish jet, says won’t allow open combat with Ankara" Archived 2013-10-13 at the Wayback Machine. Al Arabiya News, 3 July 2012. Retrieved: 26 August 2013.
  38. ↑ "Syrian air defences 'harass' Turkish aircraft by putting them under radar lock: General Staff - INTERNATIONAL". Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  39. ↑ "Here's how the Turkish F-16 shot down a Syrian Mil Mi-17 Hip helicopter today". The Aviationist. 16 September 2013. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  40. ↑ "Air Force: Lost Predator was shot down in Syria". 29 June 2015.
  41. ↑ "Syria says it shot down U.S. Drone". Archived from the original on 2015-12-09. Retrieved 2015-12-03.
  42. ↑ "Syrian air defense shoots down one of 4 Israeli warplanes targeting military site near Palmyra". 17 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-03-17. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  43. ↑ Ahrenheim, Anna (17 March 2017). "Netanyahu: Syrian strikes were to block transfer of weapons to Hezbollah". Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 17 March 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  44. ↑ Zitun, Yoav (25 February 2018). "Investigation finds pilots of downed F-16 failed to defend themselves". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  45. ↑ Ensor, Josie (10 February 2018). "Israel strikes Iranian targets in Syria after F-16 fighter jet shot down". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 4 April 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  46. ↑ Critically yriawounded pilot downed in Syria strike walks out of hospital Archived 2018-03-08 at the Wayback Machine By TOI STAFF, 18 February 2018
  47. ↑ "Pilot of downed F-16 jet regains consciousness, taken off respirator". Times of Israel. 11 February 2018. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018.
  48. ↑ "Defense Department: The real targets of the US strike on Syria were military facilities". TASS (in Russian). Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  49. ↑ us-uk-and-france-strike-in-syria/a-43384199 US, UK and France-strike in Syria
  50. ↑ Peshkov, Alexander. "Russia uses Tomahawks that crashed in Syria to improve air defense system". Zvezda TV Channel. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  51. ↑ "The Israeli Air Force Has Just Released A Video Of A Pantsir-S1 Air Defense System Being Struck In Last Night's Attack In Syria". 10 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-05-13. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
  52. ↑ "In rare move, IDF admits Syria strike, expresses sorrow over Russian plane". The Times of israel. 18 September 2018. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  53. ↑ Ensor, Josie; Luhn, Alec (18 September 2018). "Russia blames Israel for friendly fire attack on its aircraft by Syria which killed 15 servicemen". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  54. ↑ "Syria shot down Russian military reconnaissance plane, admits Kremlin". Independent.co.uk. 18 September 2018. Archived from the original on 18 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  55. ↑ "In Photos: Turkish Combat Drone Shot Down By Syrian Army In Greater Idlib New-2020-Top News-Latest News-Breaking News". LATEST NEWS. 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
  56. ↑ "Russian Pantsir-S and Buk-M2 systems intercept seven missiles fired by Israeli fighter jet".
  57. ↑ "Syria's air defense uses Pantsyr-S to down drone launched by militants".
  58. ↑ "Syrian air defense downs 21 out of 24 missiles fired by Israeli fighter jets".
  59. ↑ "ЦАМТО / / "Панцирь-С" уничтожил восемь ракет, выпущенных Израилем по Сирии". Armstrade.org. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  60. ↑ "Russian Defense Ministry: Israeli fighter jets launch missile strike on Syria from Lebanon". TASS. 24 November 2022.
  61. ↑ "Israel fires missiles at central Syrian town, killing 5: Reports". Aljazeera. 13 May 2022.
  62. ↑ Levant 24 [@Levant_24_] (May 14, 2022). "Regime loyalists reported Israeli airstrikes in the vicinity of Masyaf in northern Syria. https://twitter.com/Levant_24_/status/1525590617350340608" (Tweet). Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Twitter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  63. ↑ "Russia says Russian-made air defenses in Syria shot down some Israeli missiles, bombs".
  64. ↑ "Syrian forces repel Israel's nighttime attack using Russian-made air defense systems".
  65. ↑ "Air strike kills Iranian commander in Syria". BBC News. 2023-12-25. Retrieved 2023-12-25.

Further reading

  • Kenneth M. Pollack, Arabs at War: Military Effectiveness 1948-91, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London, 2002, and Pollack's book reviewed in International Security, Vol. 28, No.2.
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