Syrian Air Force
Syrian Arab Air Force | |
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![]() Badge of the Syrian Arab Air Force | |
Founded | 1948[a] |
Country | ![]() |
Type | Air force |
Role | Aerial warfare |
Size | 15,000[1] troops 460 aircraft |
Part of | |
Anniversaries | 16 October |
Equipment |
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Engagements |
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Commanders | |
MFI-17 | |
Transport | Il-76, An-24, An-26 |
The Syrian Air Force (SyAF or SAF), officially the Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF or SAAF;
History
1940s
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Harvard_AT-6_Syrian_Air_Force.jpg/220px-Harvard_AT-6_Syrian_Air_Force.jpg)
The end of
Organized into three squadrons, one of which was equipped with
Aircraft in 1948
Planes of the Syrian Air Force in 1948.[8]
Type Aircraft | Role | Total Number | Operational Aircraft | Squadron Number |
---|---|---|---|---|
North American T-6 Texan | Attack | 17 | 12 | 1 & 2 |
Avro Anson | Light Bomber
|
2 | 2 | 3 |
Douglas C-47 Dakota
|
Transport
|
3 | 3 | 3 |
Percival Proctor | Communication | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Fairchild 24 | Advanced trainer
|
5 | 5 | 3 |
Piper J-3 Cub | Basic trainer
|
6 | 6 | 3 |
de Havilland Tiger Moth | Basic trainer | 6 | 6 | Unknown |
Total | 43 | 38 |
1950s
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Syrian_Fiat_G.55.jpg/260px-Syrian_Fiat_G.55.jpg)
During and immediately after this war, successive governments sought to bolster the air force through the acquisition of
The original batch of Meteors manufactured for Syria was sold to France instead. It was only following additional negotiations that SyAF received its first jet aircraft, in form of two Meteor F.Mk 8s. All 12 were in Syria by 9 March 1953. Another batch of seven refurbished ex-RAF F.Mk 8s and two FR.Mk 9 reconnaissance fighters followed in 1956. In summer 1954, six ex-RF Meteor NF.Mk 13 were delivered without their radar equipment: in Syria, they were used for training purposes until 1958. Because the government of Great Britain imposed additional arms embargoes, most of pilots for Meteors had to be trained in Egypt.[9]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Syrian_Spitfire.jpg/220px-Syrian_Spitfire.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Hafezalassad.jpg/220px-Hafezalassad.jpg)
In 1955, Syria placed its first order for 24
Sixty
In February 1958 Syria and Egypt joined to create the United Arab Republic. The Syrian Air Force was integrated into the United Arab Republic Air Force (UARAF) and ceased to exist. Nearly all of its aircraft and personnel, all of training aids and most of the equipment were re-deployed to Egypt, and replaced by two squadrons of MiG-17Fs of the UARAF. For example, recently delivered MiG-17PFs and their pilots formed the No. 31 'Crow-Bat' Squadron of the UARAF. During the times of the United Arab Republic, this unit was always commanded by a Syrian officer.
1960s
The union ended following the 1961 Syrian coup d'état. The new military flying service - officially designated the Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) - was re-established later the same year, using aircraft left behind by the Egyptians, including about 40 MiG-17Fs and 4 Il-28s.[7]
The new government of the Syrian Arab Republic attempted to buy additional aircraft in Germany and Italy, in 1961 and 1962. When all related efforts failed, Syria was left without a choice but to turn to Czechoslovakia for arms. By the time, Czechoslovakia was out of the business of producing fighters and interceptors, and thus the Syrians had to buy from Soviet Union instead. On 19 June 1962, Damascus and Moscow signed a major contract for arms, including an order for 34
Delivered starting in spring 1963, MiG-21s entered service with two squadrons of the 3rd Air Brigade, based at Dmeyr Air Base, 40 km (25 miles) northeast of Damascus. MiG-17s were meanwhile operated by two squadrons of the 7th Air Brigade, based at Almezzeh Air Base, in Damascus.[12]
With the ascent to power of the Baath Party, during the
During the Six-Day War, the SyAAF flew few air strikes on targets in northern Israel on the first day of the conflict but was subsequently evacuated to air bases in remote parts of Syria. In this fashion it evaded most of Israeli air strikes that caused massive damage to Egyptian and Jordanian air bases. This, in turn, helped the IDF in defeating the Syrian Army on the ground and led to the occupation of the Golan Heights. After this conflict, Syria continued acquiring small numbers of MiG-17s from East Germany and MiG-21s from the Soviet Union.[14]
1970s
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Aerospatiale-SA-341L-Gazelle-hatzerim-1.jpg/250px-Aerospatiale-SA-341L-Gazelle-hatzerim-1.jpg)
In May 1973, a new arms deal was signed with the Soviet Union, resulting in deliveries of over 100 additional MiG-21M/MFs by the end of the year. The
In the late 1970s, an insurgency characterised by dozens of assassinations of government officials and military officers erupted in Syria. By 1978, the
1980s
In 1981, the commander of the SyAAF, Major-General Mamdouh Hamdi Abaza, was assassinated by the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria. In early 1982, hundreds of SyAAF officers became involved in a coup attempt against President Hafez al-Assad, originally planned to take place in coordination with an armed uprising in the city of Hama. The government bloodily crushed the uprising in Hama, and subsequently purged the SyAAF.[17]
The Syrian Arab Air Force thus entered the
Immediately after the 1982 Lebanon War, the USSR continued to refuse deliveries of more advanced aircraft. It was only in August 1982, that Moscow changed its mind and granted permission for delivery of MiG-23ML interceptors, followed by advanced Su-22M-4 fighter-bombers. In an attempt to help Syria establish a strategic balance with Israel, in 1986 the Syrians were granted permission to place orders for 24
1990s/2000s
Short on spares and lacking funding for fuel and maintenance, the SyAAF was largely grounded for most of the 1990s and 2000s. Reports regarding purchases of
2010s
In July 2012 at the Farnborough Air Show it was announced that Russia would not deliver any new aircraft including the MiG-29M/M2s and Yak-130s while there was still a crisis in Syria, but it would still respect any previous refurbishment and maintenance contracts such as the MiG-25s.[25]
Operations during the Syrian civil war
During the initial phase of the Syrian civil war, up to mid-2012, the Syrian Air Force was involved in secondary roles, with no firing from aircraft and helicopters.
The situation changed on 22 March 2012, with an escalation in the use of airpower by Government forces,[26] starting with armed Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopter gunships firing rockets and machine guns.[27] The air war escalated further in mid June 2012, with the use of Mi-24/25 attack helicopters capable of dropping standard aviation bombs weighing up to 250 kg,[28][29] while the transport helicopters started dropping barrel bombs, aerial IEDs.[30]
On 24 July 2012, attack sorties by fixed-wing aircraft were reported by the rebels and recorded on video: initially L-39 COIN armed trainers began using rockets, bombs and guns[26][31] but they were quickly joined by MiG-21s and MiG-23s.[32][33] A few weeks later Su-22 ground attack aircraft were used and in November 2012, Su-24 medium bombers were filmed bombing rebels.[34] In December 2012, conventionally armed
Following a report on the appearance of newly delivered S-8 air-to-ground rocket pods previously not operated by the Syrian Air Force, being employed on different aircraft,[
The first reported activity of Syrian
With the start of aerial operations by the Syrian Air Force, in August 2012, online publications[40] probably overestimating rebels' claims on the number of destroyed aircraft, assumed that the Syrian Air Force was suffering significant technical difficulties, resulting in less than half of the best SAAF ground attack aircraft such as the Mi-25 Hind-D being serviceable. The publications reported that an increased number of conflict fronts and severe maintenance burdens dramatically worsened the situation, which was reportedly difficult before the war. These problems were thought to account for the use of L-39ZA (attack variant) jets,[41][42] before further escalations. Operational limitations were overcome during 2013 as Syrian pilots and technicians with the assistance of foreign advisers and technicians began to improve their operational skills. In December 2013 Jane's reported that the Syrian Air Force had dramatically improved its operational capabilities during 2013, and was now frequently conducting up to 100 sorties per day with half of these constituting combat sorties.[43]
Insurgents counter the Syrian Air Force with truck mounted, medium and heavy machine guns, anti-aircraft guns,
As the Syrian Air Force became more involved, the insurgents obtained more anti-aircraft equipment, captured air defense sites and warehouses while receiving shipments of Chinese and Russian material from external sponsors.[45] An improvement in accuracy was achieved and several Syrian Air Force jets and helicopters were shot down from August 2012.[46] Since insurgents besieged many airports, many of the aircraft were shot down taking off or landing. The raiding and shelling of airbases led to aircraft and helicopters being damaged or destroyed on the ground.[47]
In spite of occasional losses the Syrian Air Force remained largely unchallenged, efficient and feared by the rebels.
Syrian pilots spend most of their flying time at low to medium altitude where battlefield threats are more potent. Based on the aircraft type, Syrian pilots use different attack techniques for unguided munitions. L-39s attack in a dive, fast jets usually attacked in a low to medium altitude bombing run at high speed, firing thermal decoy flares against IR homing missiles and zooming after the attack.[51] Later, fast jets added rocket and gun diving attacks.[52][53][54][55] Helicopters were seen flying at unusually high altitudes which minimized their accuracy and increased collateral damage, but reduced losses since they did not have the high speed and acceleration of jet fighters; the altitude putting them out of range of most of the ground threats. Mi-24/25 gunships were observed delivering decoy flares as well.[56]
The Syrian Air Force frequently attacks insurgent forces with helicopter gunships in populated areas with unguided weaponry and the bombings often cause collateral damage to the civilian population and infrastructure.[57][58][59][60][61][62][63] From the end of 2012 until December 2014, Syrian Air Force L-39 were seldom seen, one of the two airbases for L-39 was captured and the other was besieged. In December 2014, videos surfaced showing the aircraft coming back to operational status after a factory overhaul inside Syria.[citation needed]
At the beginning of August 2015, a summary of the recent Syrian Air Force activity reported that during July 2015, the Syrian Air Force performed 6,673 air attacks, the highest number since the beginning of the war. It was reported that between October 2014 and July 2015, at least 26,517 attacks were made.[64] This showed that aircraft losses had been overestimated, while the airframe overhauling and rotation increased the overall combat readiness of the Syrian Air Force since Syria could not count on replacements, apart from some refurbished ex-Iraqi Su-22s, delivered from Iran in the Spring of 2015, which had been flown there during the Gulf War in 1991.[65] In early 2015, it was rumored that Russian pilots were flying operations for the Syrian Air Force.[66]
On 18 June 2017, US military officials confirmed that a U.S.
Organization
As of 2017, the Syrian Arab Air force consisted of following units:[68]
- 20th Air Division, with 3 fighter-bomber brigades, 3 helicopter brigades, and 1 transport brigade (southern Syria)
- 22nd Air Division, with 4 fighter-bomber brigades, 1 helicopter brigade, and Air Force College (central and north-western Syria)
These included following units:
- 17 Interceptor and fighter-bomber squadrons (each with 1-5 operational aircraft)
- 8 helicopter squadrons (each with 2-8 operational helicopters)
- 1 VIP transport group
- 1 training group
Air bases
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/%D0%92%D0%B2%D1%81-2015.jpg/200px-%D0%92%D0%B2%D1%81-2015.jpg)
Syrian insurgents overran several air bases in north-western, northern and southern Syria, including Marj al-Sultan and
Forces of
Pre Syrian civil war aircraft inventory
Due to the high security level on everything military related, the past and present of the Syrian Arab Air Force is still largely unknown. This makes it hard to judge the real strength of the air force today.[73] Additionally, considerable losses to the opposition forces in the country's ongoing civil war are not accounted for here. The following information is compiled from multiple, pre 2012 Syrian civil war sources.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in 2011 the aircraft inventory from Syrian Arab Air Force estimations was:[74][75]
- 575 Fixed-wing aircraft:
- Combat/Reconnaissance/OCU aircraft: 461
- Training aircraft: 76
- Transport aircraft: 26
- 191 Rotary-wing aircraft:
- Attack helicopters: 71
- Armed transport/utility helicopters: 120
Aircraft
Current inventory
Armament
Retired
Previous aircraft operated were the
Lost during Syrian Civil War
During the ongoing Syrian Civil War, the Syrian Air force suffered numerous losses of fixed, and rotary aircraft in the opening years.[96] However, with Russian and Iranian support, combat readiness of the Syrian Arab Air Force assets has significantly increased during the later years of the conflict.[97]
Commanders
The following officers have served as Commanders of the Air Force:
- (1948–1948) Colonel Abdel Wahad al-Hakim[98]
- (1948–1949) Colonel Sallahaddin Hankin[98]
- (1950–1951) Colonel Sayed Habbi [98]
- (1951–1953) Brigadier General Souheil Ashi [99]
- (1953–1957) UARAF period (two MiG-17F-units based in Syria were controlled by the 'UARAF Eastern Division', commanded by Brigadier General Rashed Kelani)[100]
- (1957–1963) Major General Wadih Moukabari [100]
- (1963–1963) Major General Nur Allah Haj Ibrahim[101]
- (1963–1965) Major General Louis Dakar[101]
- (1965–1970) Brigadier General Hafez al-Assad (actually serving as commander only 1965–1966; subsequently preoccupied with involvement in internal politics, therefore appointed Brigadier General Moukiiad as his Deputy)[101]
- (1966–1970) Brigadier General Mohammad Assad Moukiiad[102]
- (1971–1976)
- (1976–1978) Subhi Haddad[105]
- (1978–1981) Major General Mamdouh Hamdi Abazza[106]
- list incomplete
- (–1994) Ali Malahafji[105]
- (1994–1999) Major General Muhammad al-Khuli
- list incomplete
- (2006–2010) Major General Yusef Al-Ahmad
- (2010) Major General Ahmad al-Ratyb[107]
- (2010 – 2012) Major GeneralAli Mahmoud
- (2012 – 2013) Major General Issam Hallaq[108]
- (2013 – 2020) Major General Ahmad Baloul[109]
- (2020 – 2023) Major General Hasan Wadih[110]
- (2023 – present) Major GeneralTawfiq Khaddour
Ranks
Commissioned officer ranks
The rank insignia of
Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Syrian Arab Air Force[111]
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فريق Fariq |
عماد أول Eimad 'awal |
عماد Eimad |
لواء Alliwa' |
عميد Amid |
عقيد Aqid |
مقدم Muqaddam |
رائد Ra'id |
نقيب Naqib |
ملازم أول Mulazim awwal |
ملازم Mulazim |
Other ranks
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Syrian Arab Air Force[111]
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No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
مساعد أول Musaeid 'awal |
مساعد ثاني Musaeid thani |
مساعد Musaeid |
رقيب أول Raqib 'awal |
رقيب ثاني Raqib thani |
رقيب Raqib |
عريف Earif |
جندي أول Jundiun 'awal |
جندي Jundiun |
Markings
The roundel used by the Syrian Arab Air Force has the same generic design as that used by the Egyptian Air Force. It consists of three concentric circles, with a red outer part, white middle and black inner part. The unique part of the Syrian roundel is the presence of two green stars in the white circle, which is reflective of the two stars on the national flag. The fin flash is also an image of the flag.
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(1948–1958)
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(1958–1961)
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(1961–1963)
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(1963–1972)
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(1972–1980)
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(1980–present)
See also
Notes
- ^ Reorganised in 1971
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{{cite book}}
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- ISBN 978-0-9825539-2-3.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9825539-6-1.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9825539-6-1.
- ISBN 978-0-9825539-6-1.
- ^ "Al Moqatel - الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية". Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-9854554-4-6.
- ^ a b Batatu, 1999, p. 226.
- ISBN 978-0-9854554-6-0.
- ^ "Syrian Armed Forces" (PDF). www.inss.org.il. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2011.
- ^ "Council Implementing Decision 2012/424/CFSP of 23 July 2012 implementing Decision 2011/782/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria". Official Journal of the European Union. 24 July 2012. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
- ^ "The Syrian Phoenix is Arising". 14 September 2018.
- ^ MG Hasan Wadih was appointed as the Commander of Air Force and Air Defense
- ^ a b "شعار الرأس" [Main logo]. mod.gov.sy (in Arabic). Ministry of Defence (Syria). Retrieved 12 October 2021.
Bibliography
- Cooper, Tom (July–August 2002). "'Floggers" in Action: Early MiG-23s in Operational Service". ISSN 0143-5450.
- Cooper, Tom (2018a). MiG-23 Flogger in the Middle East: Mikoyan i Gurevich MiG-23 in Service in Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Libya and Syria, 1973-2008. Helion & Co. ISBN 978-1-912390-32-8.
- Cooper, Tom (2018b). Moscow's Game of Poker: Russian Military Intervention in Syria, 2015-2017. Helion & Co. ISBN 978-1-912390-37-3.
- Cooper, Tom (October 2014). "A NEW AIR WAR OVER SYRIA". Combat Aircraft Magazine (10). Ian Allan Publishing.
- Cooper, Tom (2015). Syrian Conflagration: the Civil War, 2011-2013. Helion & Co. ISBN 978-1-910294-10-9.
- Cooper, Tom; Nicolle, David (2009). Arab MiGs, Volume 1. Harpia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9825539-2-3.
- Cooper, Tom; Nicolle, David (2011). Arab MiGs, Volume 2. Harpia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9825539-6-1.
- Cooper, Tom; Nicolle, David (2012). Arab MiGs, Volume 3. Harpia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9825539-9-2.
- Cooper, Tom; Nicolle, David (2013). Arab MiGs, Volume 4. Harpia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9854554-1-5.
- Cooper, Tom; Nicolle, David (2014). Arab MiGs, Volume 5. Harpia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9854554-4-6.
- Cooper, Tom; Nicolle, David (2015). Arab MiGs, Volume 6. Harpia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9854554-6-0.
- Dijkshoorn, Marco (September 2010). "Syria's Secret Air Arm". Combat Aircraft Magazine. 11 (9). Ian Allan Publishing.
- Nicolle, David. "Arab-Italian Fighters: Fiats and Macchis in Egyptian and Syrian Service 1948-1956". Air Enthusiast, No. 55, Autumn 1994, pp. 32–36. ISSN 0143-5450
External links
- Cooper, Tom (30 September 2003). "Israeli-Syrian Shadow Boxing". ACIG.org. Retrieved 13 May 2011.