Russia to deploy S-400 defense missile system to Khmeimim airbase in Syria

The Russian Air Force base in Latakia will be reinforced with S-400 SAM system, which will soon be deployed there, Russia's Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Wednesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Russian Su-24 was shot down by a Turkish F-16 fighter jet near the Turkish-Syrian border. One pilot died in the incident. The second one was rescued and brought to the Russian airbase in Latakia.
Moscow maintains the jet did not violate Turkey's airspace. It ditched on Syria's territory four kilometers from the border.
Shortly afterwards, the MoD announced three steps to be taken following the attack on the Russian Su-24 bomber, including providing aerial cover by fighter jets for every airstrike, boosting air defense by deploying guided missile cruisers off the Latakia coast, and suspending all military-to-military contacts with Turkey.
rt.com

France Sends Charles de Gaulle Carrier Against ISIS

The French Navy’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier sailed Wednesday from Toulon naval base, and headed for the eastern Mediterranean to support coalition operations in Iraq and Syria.
The sailing, announced Nov. 5, has taken greater significance since the terrorist attacks here last week, as French President François Hollande has pledged to punish the ISIS forces which claimed responsibility for the killings.
The nuclear-powered vessel up anchored at 11:00 in the morning Paris time with 26 fighter jets on board and will arrive on station in the next few days.
HMS Defender, a Type 45 destroyer, has been assigned to sail with the French carrier, the British Ministry of Defence said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked the Russian Navy to sail with the Charles de Gaulle as a sign of political support. The Russian intelligence service has concluded that ISIS used a homemade bomb to bring down an Airbus 321 airliner flying over the Sinai desert, killing all 224 on board.
defensenews

Syria reportedly receives MiG-31 interceptors from Russia

The Syrian government has received six MiG-31 'Foxhound' interceptor aircraft from Russia under a deal that was said to have been signed in 2007.
The aircraft recently arrived at Mezze Airbase on the outskirts of Damascus.
Syria was reported to have ordered eight MiG-31 combat aircraft as part of a wider defence deal with Russia in 2007. Neither the Russian nor the Syrian authorities have so far commented publicly on the reported deliveries.
Until the arrival of the MiG-31s in Damascus is confirmed, it should be treated with an element of scepticism. With the regime of Bashar al-Assad finding itself increasingly hard-pressed on the ground, it has to be noted that a state-of-the-art high-altitude interceptor is probably of limited use right now.
The delivery has been linked to Western proposals for a no-fly buffer zone to be established over Syria, but while the MiG-31s would certainly give NATO planners pause for thought, their small number and single basing location would mean that they would likely be destroyed in the early hours of any alliance effort to establish air dominance over the country ahead of implementing such a no-fly zone.
janes

Turkey says it shoots down regime helicopter, Syria TV reports it was drone

Turkey has announced that Turkish jets on May 16 shot down a Syrian helicopter violating its airspace, while Syrian state TV reported that it was a surveillance drone that was shot down.
A Turkish F-16 that took off from the Incirlik airbase in the southern province of Adana shot down the Syrian aircraft with two Sidewinder air-to-air missiles on May 16, military officials told.
It was not immediately clear what kind of aircraft was shot down.
Turkish locals told daily Hürriyet that a Syrian military plane violated the Turkish border twice in the Dursunlu-Emek area of the southern border province of Hatay. They added that the aircraft fell into the Syrian side of the border in three pieces.
Syrian state media said that what had been shot down was a small, remotely controlled surveillance drone.
In the evening, Turkish Defense Minister said a Syrian helicopter that entered Turkish airspace shortly after 2 p.m. (1100 GMT) and flew seven miles inside, over a period of five minutes, was fired upon and shot down.
Prime Minister later confirmed that the aircraft was a helicopter.
The May 16 incident was not the first time that the two countries’ air forces have engaged militarily.
A Turkish F-4 Phantom warplane crashed into the Mediterranean on June 22, 2012, after being shot down by Syria.
On Sept 16, 2013, the Turkish Air Force shot down a Syrian helicopter at the border after it reportedly violated Turkey's airspace.
Turkish fighter jets also downed a Syrian jet on March 23, 2014, after it crossed into Turkish airspace, a week before local elections.
hurriyetdailynews

Syrian Air Force Receives Ten SU-22 From Iran

The Syrian Air Force, entangled in a bloody civil war that will soon reach its four-year mark, relies heavily on Russia and Iran to keep attrition from diminishing its firepower. After having upgraded several SyAAF Mi-17s with armour plates and FLIR cameras, stationing Mojaher 4, Yasir and Shahed 129 UAVs in Syria and even providing an Il-76TD to the SyAAF on behalf of Syrian Air, Iran is now further consoldating its stake in the conflict by the delivery of ten Su-22s to Syria.
These ten aircraft, part of a batch of 40 flown to Iran during Operation Desert Storm for safekeeping, were finally overhauled in recent years and were formally put into Iranian possession in July 1993 but could not be made operational due to budgetary constraints: A team of Ukrainian technical advisors were contracted to overhaul the Su-22s, but at the time this proved to be too expensive. Instead, the IRIAF was to restore the ten Su-22M-3 and Su-22M-4s to operational condition without any foreign help by using other Su-22s and Su-20s as a source for spare parts. This programme only commenced in 2013, when the Revolutionary Guard’s Pars Aviation embarked on the task of bringing the first Su-22s back to operational condition.
bellingcat

USAF F-22 Raptors Unexpectedly Over Syria

No one expected the F-22 unit which was in the Middle East for strategic deterrence and as a safeguard for possible contingency operations, would make its combat debut against ISIS.
The F-22 was part of the initial US-led air campaign against ISIS in Syria, which was conducted in three waves. The US did not know, at first, what Syria's response would be to the presence of American combat aircraft in its airspace. Although ISIS lacks an air force, the Syrians certainly have one—and a fairly advanced integrated air defense system as well.
The USAF crews started doing some generic planning, mapping out the closest airfields and coming up with a basic fuel plan, but the real planning couldn't begin until the airmen received their targets about 24 hours before takeoff. They were tasked with hitting an ISIS command and control facility about 50 miles from Aleppo.
airforcemag

Syria Says It Shot Down 2 of 3 'Islamic State Warplanes'

Syria’s air force has destroyed two of three warplanes reportedly seized by fighters of the Islamic State group in the north of the country accordin Information Minister.
The jihadists were reported to have seized the three planes, believed to be MiG-21 and MiG-23 jets, from Syrian military airports now under IS control in the northern provinces of Aleppo and Raqa.
defensenews

Russia helps keep Syria's MiG-29s flying

Documents released by RAC MiG have revealed some details about the upgrade of Syria's MiG-29 multirole fighters.
The company's 2011 annual report stated that four MiG-29s had been upgraded to the MiG-29SM standard for Syria. The report was taken down and later republished with the reference to Syria removed, emphasising the sensitive nature of the deal. The original version of the report also revealed that RAC MiG had opened an office in Damascus.
The number of MiG-29s acquired by Syria still remains a mystery with estimates ranging between 84 and 22. What is known is that there are one or two operational MiG-29 squadrons at the Sayqal Airbase and possibly more MiG-29s operating from Tiyas Airbase.
As Syrian MiG-29s use the 9.12 airframe, which differs from the MiG-29SM's 9.13M airframe, RAC MiG developed a special variant to suit Syria's needs.
Given the current conflict, arguably the most important upgrade is the ability to carry an expanded arsenal of air-to-ground weaponry, including Kh-29T/TE (AS-14 'Kedge') and Kh-31A/P (AS-17 'Krypton') missiles and KAB-500KR guided bombs. Other laser-guided weaponry could also be used by fitting a targeting pod or illuminating the target externally.
While Syrian Mig-29s have been filmed carrying out ground attack missions with guns and unguided rockets, it is unclear if they have been using guided munitions.
The upgrade also enables the aircraft to carry the R-77 (AA-12 'Adder') air-to-air missile, which would pose a threat to foreign aircraft that may intervene in the conflict. MiG-29s have already been spotted in Syria carrying the AKU-170E rails required to launch the R-77, indicating Syria also has the missiles.
Another deal, recorded in RAC MiG's 2009 report, covered the repair of an unspecified number of Syrian MiG-23MLDs. Syria reportedly received around 30 MiG-23MLDs from Belarus in 2008 for spare parts, some of which have probably been taken into service. MiG-23MLDs with Syrian markings have been photographed at Russia's Krasnodar Airbase in recent years, indicating that the repaired aircraft were not those acquired from Belarus, but MiG-23s originally supplied to Syria by the Soviet Union and then subsequently upgraded to the MLD standard.
janes

Israel deploys Iron Dome near Syrian border at Golan Heights

Military sources said the Israel Air Force has stationed an Iron Dome battery near the Golan Heights, divided between Israel and Syria. They said the battery was meant to protect against rocket and mortar fire from either Lebanon or Syria because of an alert of such a threat.
On late June 4, Iron Dome was activated to stop a mortar attack from Syria. The sources said the battery fired two interceptors, but redirected after the mortars were determined as heading toward open areas.
This marked the first time that Iron Dome, was employed near Lebanon or Syria.
Iron Dome has proven unable to stop mortars, a key form of attack from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. The Israeli side of the Golan Heights has undergone steady fire from Syria. The sources said the military assessed that most of the fire represented stray shells in battles between Sunni rebels and the Syrian
Army.
But the sources did not rule out intensified fire from the Syrian town of Quneitra, which contains an army base. The sources said Sunni rebels, including those trained by the United States, were trying to force Israel to attack the Syrian Army.
worldtribune

Turkey scrambles fighter jets to intercept Iranian aircraft

Turkey scrambled two F-16 to intercept an Iranian military plane that briefly crossed into Turkish airspace, bordering Iran.
The Iranian reconnaissance plane violated Turkey's airspace on Saturday for 20 seconds and left the area after the military dispatched F-16s to intercept it.
Turkish Air Force also conducted patrols with F-16 fighter on the Turkey-Syria border on Saturday.
Tensions between Turkish and Syrian forces have occasionally flared up since the start of the civil war in the country. When Syria shot down a Turkish jet in June 2012, Turkey changed its rules of engagement and warned that it would strike Syrian warplanes that approached the Turkish border. Turkey shot down a Syrian jet in late March after it violated Turkish airspace on the Turkish-Syrian border.
Last month, two jet fighters were scrambled to intercept a Syrian military helicopter approaching the border of Hatay province. The military said in a statement that a Syrian MI-8 helicopter turned back 0.9 nautical miles from the Turkish-Syrian border as Turkish F-16 fighters approached.
Under Turkey's new rules of engagement, any Syrian military unit approaching the border is considered a threat.
todayszaman

Russia to deliver Yak-130 aircraft to Syria

Russia approved the schedule to deliver Yak-130 trainer aircraft to the Syrian armed forces before the end of 2016.
It is planned to deliver nine aircraft to Syria before the end of this year and twelve aircraft next year. In 2016, Russia will deliver 15 more.
english.pravda

Syria's MiG-25s fly again

Video footage coming out of Syria has revealed that some of the country's MiG-25 'Foxbat' aircraft are operational.

The Syrian Arab Air Force acquired an unknown number of MiG-25s from the late 1970s in four variants: MiG-25P and MiG-25PD interceptors, MiG-25RB reconnaissance bombers, and MiG-25PU trainers.
The SAAF was believed to have retired its MiG-25s by 2011. This impression was bolstered by satellite imagery showing numerous MiG-25s left in the open at Tiyas Air Base (also known as T4) rather than stored in hardened aircraft shelters.
Satellite imagery of the base taken on 3 November 2013 shows 28 MiG-25s, the majority of which are on parking areas around the runway, but 12 have been towed into the desert, suggesting they are derelict. Imagery taken on 1 January suggests none of the 28 aircraft were moved over the following two months.
Nevertheless, a video released by an insurgent group on 8 August 2012 suggested some MiG-25s might be operational at the Tadmur (Palmyra) Air Base, which is 60 km to the east of Tiyas. The video showed two seemingly active MiG-25PD/PDS interceptors and one MiG-25PU trainer on the tarmac at a base the group identified as Tadmur. No MiG-25RB reconnaissance aircraft were sighted.
This assertion was confirmed by the two videos released in March, both of which showed a lone MiG-25 flying over Uqayribat, a town 60 km north of Tiyas Air Base and a little further from Tadmur.
While it is unclear which MiG-25 variant can be seen in the footage, the group that released one of the videos claimed the aircraft being viewed had just returned from a bombing mission, meaning it would have to be a MiG-25RB, which has a limited - albeit inaccurate - ground-attack capability.
It now seems the SAAF never formally phased out its MiG-25s, with most of them simply being set aside as scarce fuel was needed elsewhere. As its Su-22, Su-24 and MiG-23 fleets are worn down by their frequent usage and sporadic hits by insurgent air defences, the SAAF has increasingly started to use aircraft less suited for the air-to-ground role, such as its MiG-23MF/ML, MiG-29 and now even MiG-25RB aircraft.
It is also plausible the MiG-25 will return to the skies in order to protect SAAF ground-attack aircraft flying close to the Turkish border in the wake of the shooting down of a Syrian MiG-23 by a Turkish F-16. MiG-25PD/PDS interceptors armed with R-40RD semi-active radar homing and R-40TD infrared homing missiles might cause the Turkish Air Force to think twice before engaging Syrian planes again.
janes

Video: Syrian MiG-29 firing directly to the camera

Turkey downs Syria military jet 'in airspace violation'

Turkish forces have shot down a Syrian military jet they say was violating their airspace despite warnings.
Syria accused Turkey of "blatant aggression", saying the plane had been over Syrian territory at the time.
The incident reportedly occurred in an area where Syrian rebels and government forces have been fighting for control of a border crossing.
Turkey has broadly sided with the rebels in Syria's war since October 2011.
Turkish forces launched artillery strikes on Syrian targets in late 2012 after the Syrians shot down a Turkish jet.
According to one report, the plane's pilot was able to eject.
In a media statement on the incident, the Turkish General Staff said two Syrian military jets were involved, and that they had been "warned four times that they were approaching Turkish airspace".
One of the Syrian MiGs turned back.
The second Syrian jet entered Turkish airspace despite of the warnings. It then turned westwards and continued flying in our Turkey's airspace for a distance of 1.5km.
At this point one of two Turkish F-16s flying Combat Air Patrol in the region fired a missile at the Syrian jet in accordance with the rules of engagement at 1314. Hit, the Syrian jet fell in the vicinity of Kesab on Syrian soil 1,200m south of the border.
In September last year, Turkey said it had shot down a Syrian helicopter close to its border. Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said the aircraft was engaged by fighter jets after violating Turkish air space.
A Turkish fighter jet was shot down by Syria over the Mediterranean in June 2012, after Syrian forces said it had entered its airspace.
bbc

Israel scrambles F-16s as Syrian jets near border

Israeli fighters have been scrambled four times on 7 March, when Syrian combat aircraft approached the border with Israel.
Syrian opposition sources reported that the Syrian air force bombed the village of Rdir El - Bustan using so-called "bomb barrels", and approached the Israeli border on their way to and from their targets.
The Israeli air force – which is being held on high alert because of the situation in Syria – scrambled Lockheed Martin F-16s from its Ramat David air base.
There has been no official Israeli reaction to the incident, but sources say the tension stems from the possibility that a Syrian air force pilot could use the attacks on rebel forces in Syria to perform a "personal attack" on Israeli targets near the border.
In each recent instance, the Syrian fighters turned back after they had come to within a "suspicious distance" of the Israeli border.
flightglobal

Syrian defense systems put Turkish F-16 jets under radar lock

Syrian air missile batteries put two Turkish F-16 jets conducting a sortie in the southern province of Hatay along the border under a radar lock.
The Turkish jets were deployed to the border area after a Syrian SU-24 approached Turkish airspace. The Syrian SU-24 changed its route to the opposite direction at five nautical miles from Turkish airspace.
Syrian air defense systems put Turkish jets under radar lock during previous incidents in November 2013.
A radar lock is considered a hostile act as it amounts to interfering with a plane’s navigational systems by indicating that a missile is ready to be fired at it.
A Turkish F-4 jet that was flying over the Mediterranean Sea was downed by Syria on June 22.
More recently, Turkey shot down a Syrian helicopter on Sept. 16 after arguing that it had violated Turkish airspace by two kilometers.
hurriyetdailynews

Images of a Syrian attack plane firing rockets at ground target

The images show a Syrian Arab Air Force MiG-23ML using B-8 pods to fire rockets to ground targets located at Jabal Azzawiyah, Idleb province, Syria.
Such pods are used to fire 80-mm S-8 unguided rockets, a kind of weapon that was employed by both SyAAF Mil Mi-25 gunship helicopters, Mig-29 Fulcrum and Su-22 attack planes.
David Cenciotti-theaviationist

Syrian Air Force Su-22 leaking fuel after being hit by rebel fire

This video, shot on Oct. 7, allegedly shows a Syrian Arab Air Force Su-22 Fitter hit by rebel fire in the province of Daraa.
Syrian combat planes and helicopters have been particularly active in the last days: on Oct. 5, Su-24 Fencer attack planes and Mi-17 Hip choppers flew towards the border with Turkey and turned back a few miles before violating Ankara’s airspace.
theaviationist

Turkish warplanes shoot down Syrian helicopter

Turkey said its warplanes shot down a Syrian helicopter on Monday after it crossed into Turkish airspace and the government warned it had taken all necessary measures to defend itself against any further such violations.
Turkey scrambled two F-16 jets along the border between its southern Hatay province and Syria after warning the Mi-17 helicopter it was approaching Turkish airspace shortly before 2:30 p.m. (1130 GMT).
reuters

Syria Assad’s Mig-21 fighter jets are downed by rebel anti-aircraft fire

While U.S. and Russian warships and planes are amassing in the Mediterranean Sea, the Syrian regime is still attacking Free Syrian Army positions across the country.
And rebels are shooting back with some good results.
The image in this post shows a Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) Mig-21 hit by anti-aircraft fire.
Airports used by Assad’s Air Force to launch air strikes on rebels would be among the first targets of an eventual U.S. attack on Syria.
theaviationist