On November 11, the Israeli military shot down a Syrian reconnaissance drone patrolling near the demilitarized zone north of the Golan Heights with a Patriot interceptor missile. While initial reports indicated the unmanned aerial vehicle was Russian-designed, the Israeli military is also investigating if there is a connection to Iran and Hezbollah. “We hold the...
On November 3, the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s Varshavyanka class Kolpino (B-271) submarine fired six SS-N-30 Kalibr cruise missiles from a submerged position in the Mediterranean Sea at targets located in Syria’s Abu Kamal region on the country’s southeastern border with Iraq. A representative from the Russian Ministry of Defense told journalists that Russian forces...
On October 16, Syria’s national “Air Force and Air Defense Day,” a Syrian S-200 surface-to-air missile system fired on several Israeli aircraft flying reconnaissance over Lebanon. The missile interceptor failed to hit its target, and the aircraft safely exfiltrated Lebanese airspace. Several hours later a separate Israeli sortie launched four missiles at the S-200 site...
On October 5, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced two of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet submarines, the Veliky Novgorod (B-268) and the Kolpino (B-271), fired ten SS-N-30 Kalibr cruise missiles from a submerged position at ISIS targets near the town of Mayadin in the Deir ez-Zor province. The strike targeted ISIS command posts, ammunition depots,...
On September 22, the Russian submarine Veliky Novgorod (B-268) fired an unknown number of Kalibr cruise missiles (SS-N-27/30A) from a submerged position at targets in Syria’s Idlib province. The missiles traveled 300 km before striking command centers, armored vehicles, and training facilities. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the missile launch was a counter-offensive...
On September 14, Russia fired seven SS-N-30A Kalibr cruise missiles at ISIS targets in Syria’s eastern Deir el-Zor province. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, two Russian submarines stationed in the Mediterranean Sea, the Velikiy Novgorod (B-268) and Kolpino (B-271), fired the missiles from a submerged position and they traveled between 500 and 670 km...
On September 5, the Russian frigate the Admiral Essen (751) in the Mediterranean launched a salvo of three Kalibr cruise missiles at Islamic State militants in Syria as part of the Syrian army’s push to break the Islamic State’s three year siege of Deir al-Zor. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the missiles destroyed command...
An Israeli television report on Tuesday showed satellite images indicating a Scud missile factory capable of production and underground storage of ballistic missiles is currently under construction in northwest Syria, near the coastal city of Baniyas. Intelligence experts analyzed the images and concluded that the site’s structures bear a strong resemblance to those used in...
On June 13, CNN reported that the United States has deployed the M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from Jordan to a U.S.-Coalition training base at Al-Tanf in southern Syria. There are conflicting reports from defense officials about whether the HIMARS deployment is in response to the deployment of pro-regime artillery in the area....
Over the weekend, Russia emplaced a new, modified version of the S-300 (SA-23) air defense system at its naval base at Tartus in Syria. The system expands the range of Russia’s anti-air capability into Turkey and eastern Syria and comes after the collapse of a U.S.-Russia brokered ceasefire and the suspension of talks with Moscow...
