Syrian air defense gave a fantastic rebuff to the United States. Air defense systems deployed in Syria Actions of Russian air defense in Syria

Syrian air defense systems intercepted 71 missiles out of 103 fired from aircraft and ships of the US-led coalition. Such a result, without exaggeration, can be called fantastic. Officially listed air defense systems, although they have high performance, but their potential is not so wide. How did the Syrian missilemen manage to show such an impressive result? And what is the role of Russia in this success?

Western countries have used 103 missiles in Syria, including Tomahawk cruise missiles. Colonel General Sergei Rudskoy, Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, announced this on Saturday. According to the General Staff, the Syrian air defense intercepted 71 cruise missiles of the Western coalition, which indicates the high level of training of the local military.

According to Rudsky, Russian systems Air defense at Khmeimim and Tartus bases monitored launches cruise missiles from both sea and air carriers of the USA and Great Britain. " Russian forces air defense were transferred to combat mode. Fighter aircraft are on duty in the air,” Rudskoy said, adding that, according to preliminary data, civilian and military casualties Syrian army no, now the situation is in Damascus and others settlements Syria is rated as calm.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the S-125, S-200, Buk and Kvadrat air defense systems, produced more than 30 years ago in the USSR, were involved in repelling the strike. However, the effectiveness of destroying enemy missiles indicates that the Syrians used more modern facilities defeat.

The former deputy commander of the air defense forces of the Russian Ground Forces, Lieutenant General Alexander Luzan, who has repeatedly visited Syria, knows firsthand about the capabilities of local air defense and is well acquainted with its structure. He specifically emphasized that Russian air defense systems as part of the Aerospace Forces did not participate in repelling the night rocket attack, because “the raid did not go through the kill zone of the S-400, S-300V4 and Pantsirs, which are stationed in Khmeimim and Tartus.”

“Syrian air defense participated in repelling the raid. Two types of air attack weapons were used: aero ballistic missiles, which were launched from aircraft, and Tomahawk cruise missiles, which were launched from both aircraft, including B-1B bombers, and ships. Both were shot down, ”Luzan told the VZGLYAD newspaper.

He noted that the Syrian air defense is quite powerful. The main striking force was the latest multi-channel anti-aircraft missile system "Buk-M2", which Syria managed to buy from Russia shortly before the start of the civil war. Before that, Damascus had the Buk-M1 complex.

Also, before the start of the civil war, Syria acquired Pantsiri-S1 from Russia. This complex does not have a highly elevated antenna, but it has a short reaction time, so it manages to effectively fire at a cruise missile at close range. According to the expert, it was Pantsir and Buki-M2 that became the main means of destroying enemy missiles.

Older air defense systems should not be written off either, Luzan believes. “The “great-grandfather” of the Buka-M2, Kvadrat, is the export name of the Soviet anti-aircraft missile system Kub, which works very well on cruise missiles. It was released over 30 years ago. But it was very successfully used in the Middle East, especially in Egypt. During the Arab-Israeli war, it was the "Square", when it was first put there, that 78% of Israeli aircraft were destroyed. The Americans were forced to ferry the Phantoms to Israel with in-flight refueling in order to somehow increase its potential. Therefore, this time the “Square” could be used,” Luzan believes.

In turn, the ex-commander of the 4th air army Air Force and Air Defense Hero of Russia Lieutenant General Valery Gorbenko agrees that

By the number of intercepted missiles, the Syrian defenders showed not only a high, but a fantastic result.

“The effectiveness of the strike (of the Western coalition) turns out to be low,” Gorbenko told the VZGLYAD newspaper, adding that the Syrian Buks, as well as the S-75 and S-200 complexes, worked on the distant approaches, “and closer to the targets, the Pantsirs were the most effective ".

Luzan emphasized that an air defense system is considered strong if more than 60% of the targets are hit, so the result is commendable. At the same time, Gorbenko noted that such a high rate of efficiency was achieved solely thanks to Russia, which helped Syria restore anti-aircraft missile systems. No less useful have been the training programs for Syrian missilemen. “Or maybe we helped them somewhere during launches. Don't know. But they probably prompted, ”the lieutenant general suggested.

As for the use of the S-200, Luzan recalled that there were two groups of divisions with these weapons in Syria. “But a cruise missile is not a target for the S-200. And the carriers of cruise missiles were not included in the zone of its destruction, so if the S-200 shot down something there, then this is one or two targets, ”said the former deputy commander of the air defense forces of the Russian Ground Forces.

Luzan emphasized that anti-radar missiles of the AGM-88 HARM type with a launch range of about 50-60 kilometers can be hit by air defense systems. “A carrier needs to approach such a range, that is, an F-15 or F-16 aircraft. This means exposing the carrier to an air defense attack. Therefore, they took the simplest path: they used long-range cruise missiles, for the launch of which it is not necessary to enter the zone of destruction of weapons missile defense. And then come what may, ”explained Alexander Luzan.

During the night shelling, invaluable experience was gained and Russian videoconferencing. Russian S-300s and S-400s in Syria have detected and escorted Western missiles, collecting information for analysis and study.

“Teachings, and even more real fighting are always educational. From this we can conclude that it is necessary to improve the system of reconnaissance of air attack weapons. Cruise missiles fly into the combat zone at extremely low altitudes, so the detection range is negligible. There are reconnaissance systems, but they are not united into a single system. It is necessary to create a single information and control space. Then no surprises will be terrible. The means of destruction can always be brought on time to a state of combat readiness, and then - as in that fairy tale: the orchestra is doing its job, ”the lieutenant general urged.

He explained that there was an A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft in Syria, but neither the S-400 nor the S-300V4 have the means to receive information via non-directional communication channels from this flying radar. “And the same Rudskoy should know about this and draw certain conclusions,” Alexander Luzan believes.

Recall that on Saturday night, US President Donald Trump ordered a strike on Syria. He stated this in a special address to the nation. Great Britain and France joined the military operation. The strikes, as French President Emmanuel Macron assured, were carried out on the objects of the Syrian government for the creation of chemical weapons.

The first strikes of the coalition began at four o'clock in the morning (Syrian time, coincides with Moscow). They were applied from two ships of the US Navy from the Red Sea, tactical aircraft over the water area mediterranean sea, as well as American B-1B strategic bombers from the al-Tanf area.

The United States did not notify Russia of this strike, and the NATO countries were informed a few hours before the start of the operation. According to the Pentagon, the United States chose targets in such a way as to minimize the likelihood of involving the Russian military in the situation. According to Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first strike was aimed at a research center in which “the Syrian authorities researched, tested and produced chemical and biological weapons". The other two sites are a chemical weapons storage facility west of Homs and a nearby storage facility for chemical weapons. The objects were seriously damaged.

The political reaction to what is happening in Syria was expected. Russian ambassador in the United States, Anatoly Antonov said that the blow would not remain without consequences. “The worst fears have come true. Our warnings were not heeded. A pre-planned scenario is being implemented. We are being threatened again. We warned that such actions would not remain without consequences. All responsibility for them lies with Washington, London and Paris,” the diplomat said.

Their disagreement with what happened was expressed in the US Congress. Senator Tim Kaine called Washington's actions illegal because Trump did not receive permission to conduct a military operation. And Senator Jack Reed called Trump in the current situation driven into a corner.

It seems that the first S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems promised by Moscow to the Syrians and immediately arousing Israel's strongest concern, despite Washington's warnings, have already been delivered to the place of the alleged launch sites. This means that the most acute geopolitical crisis around the death of our Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea is rapidly gaining momentum.

In any case, anonymous reports appeared on the Web: on September 27, seven Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft and the An-124 Ruslan super-heavy carrier landed at the Khmeimim air base in the province of Latakia in a day. And since the Israelis have repeatedly stated that, if necessary, they will not allow the transfer of the S-300 from the Russian Federation to Syria by force of arms, since September 25, the sky over Khmeimim has been continuously patrolled by our Su-30SM and Su-35 fighters hastily deployed to this country from Russia , the new Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft and the A-50U long-range radar patrol and target designation aircraft.

It became known that our military intends to maintain such unprecedented security measures in Syria until at least October 5. When, logically, the installation of new anti-aircraft missile systems at launch sites in Syria will be completed. And they will be able to immediately open fire on any targets in the air. First of all, on Israeli planes and missiles, if new attacks on neighboring country Tel Aviv will try to organize.

Thus, literally one of these days Damascus will become the owner of the most powerful and most modern air defense system in the Middle East. There have long been all grounds for this - the territory of the SAR has been bombed for years by interventionists - Americans, Israelis, French, British, Australians. They have no problem inflicting air strikes with impunity when they see fit. The obsolete S-200s, which the Syrian Arab Army still uses, do not fully cope with modern missiles and aircraft.

The S-300s that Moscow is arming Syria with will change the balance of power. The Israelis made a special contribution to this rearmament. Their provocation, which led to the death of the Il-20 and 15 Russian soldiers on board, forced Moscow to reactivate the previously frozen project for the supply of S-300 to the SAR. Now it is the Israelis who feel the greatest threat. Moreover, this is happening against the backdrop of a tangible political cooling of their relations with Russian Federation. There is even information that Russian President Putin refused Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in an emergency meeting. At which he wanted to dissuade the Russian leader from handing over the S-300 Assad. Now Netanyahu is looking for other ways to turn the tide.

So, the other day Benjamin Netanyahu met with Donald Trump. As a result of this meeting, he said that he discussed with the American president the Russian Il-20 aircraft shot down by the Syrians. Later, the Israeli media found out that their prime minister had obtained from Trump "guarantees of freedom for Israeli operations in Syria." The leader of Israel himself put it this way: "I got what I asked for."

What American guarantees are we talking about? Of course, now Netanyahu is very concerned about the new direction of Russian military activity in the SAR. In addition to the mentioned S-300s, the Russian S-400 air defense systems located at the Khmeimim base have long been inactive in Syria. Probably, fearing the escalation of the conflict in western Syria, our military did not dare to actively use them to repel foreign air raids. Now we have every reason to do so.

For Israel combat aviation which just operates, mainly in the western part of the Arab Republic, it is the S-400 that can become the greatest threat. But Tel Aviv has certain capabilities to counter the S-300 systems received by Syria.

In fact, the IDF has been prudently working out mechanisms to combat these complexes for a long time. Israel has vast opportunities for this. By the way, since the middle of the 2000s, a thaw began in Israeli-Cypriot relations. And since then, there has been active military cooperation between these countries. The Cypriots, if you have not forgotten, have been defending their skies with Russian S-300s for two decades now. They bought those complexes from Russia back in 1998. That at one time caused the strongest commotion in NATO and was the first breakthrough of our defense industry to the Western European market.

Now the Israelis are using this circumstance with might and main for their own purposes. In the last five years alone, at least three large-scale exercises have been conducted with the development of a breakthrough in the Cypriot air defense system, which is based on the S-300, by Israeli F-16s. In practice, studied tactics effective counteraction to such military equipment.

However, exercises are exercises, and real combat operations are completely different. And, as it should be assumed, today Syria receives completely different modifications of the S-300 that the Cypriots got. Therefore, the IDF can still expect unpleasant surprises. So Tel Aviv is afraid to rely solely on the experience of its pilots in this matter. Otherwise, he would not have asked for protection from Washington. So what can the Americans give Israel to counter the Russian-Syrian allies?

Russian military expert Alexey Leonkov believes that after the incident with our aircraft, Israel faced serious obstacles in its ability to carry out strikes in the SAR. Previously, the IDF used mainly three directions for attacks on Syrian targets - Jordan, from the Mediterranean Sea and from the Lebanese Beqa Valley. Naturally, the Russian military will take this into account when deploying air defense systems in the SAR. So now Tel Aviv will have to completely change its approach to military operations in a neighboring state. Or just refuse them.

The latter, the expert believes, is hardly possible. So, through the Americans, the Israelis expect to achieve superiority over Russian systems. Probably one of the first points in the implementation of this plan will be an accelerated program for the supply of fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets to Israel from the United States. The IDF already receives them, but too little and slowly - now there are less than a dozen of these aircraft in Israel. Whereas, according to the plan, the States undertake to provide him with fifty F-35s.

It is likely that the leadership of the Jewish state will try to get Trump to sharply reduce the delivery time for the F-35. According to the Americans, the F-35s are practically invisible to the S-300 systems. But the expert believes that this can be seriously argued.

The States can also transfer the Boeing EA-18 Growler to their ally. These are planes electronic warfare. Currently, they are operated only by the Americans and Australians.

As for the capabilities of the Israeli electronic warfare units in the Air Force, there is no special data. But, apparently, they also now have an urgent need for renewal. "Growlers" in this regard will be very helpful.

Tel Aviv may also request from the United States anti-missile systems"Patriot", which, in conjunction with the F-16 or more advanced fighters and AWACS aircraft ( aviation complexes radio detection and guidance - ed.) can form a single system of combat in the air.

Turkish military expert Keram Yildirim believes that, militarily, the United States is unlikely to have assets in Syria now. Instead, they, together with Israel, can use other mechanisms:

- At the UN, Netanyahu again spoke about the problem of Iran. He even showed a photo of some secret "nuclear facility" where hundreds of kilograms are allegedly stored. nuclear materials. And he argued that the Iranian nuclear program is the main threat to Israel.

Because of the crisis with Russia, Netanyahu, along with Trump, will try to create maximum amount political reasons to distract Putin from what is happening in Syria. If Iran gets in trouble, Russia will have to respond. This is her ally.

You can also allow an attempt to disrupt the diplomatic settlement in Idlib. What Russia and Turkey have done is not to the liking of the United States, nor is it to Israel's liking. Previously, Israel had little to do with this case, but now the instability in Idlib will be useful to it.

If it comes to hostilities, then one way or another it will affect the entire north-west of Syria, in Lately Israeli aircraft fly right here. In conditions of instability, building an effective air defense system is a very difficult task. But if Tel Aviv misses the moment, then even an intense American military aid will not help Netanyahu. Therefore, he is likely to act quickly.

And at this time

The Russian military demanded that the Israel Defense Forces limit their flights in the area of ​​​​the Khmeimim and Tartus bases. First of all, this concerns coastal zones, the Interfax-AVN agency reports with reference to the Israeli media.

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, "a chain of tragic accidents" led Syria to shoot down a Russian spy plane on September 17th. These words of Mr. Putin seem to indicate that he considers this episode accidental and does not bring any charges against Israel. Israeli fighter jets have carried out air strikes on Syrian territory before and, apparently, they were likely targets for its air defense. However, as time went on, Russia became more and more militant. Its generals have said that Israeli fighter jets used the Russian aircraft as cover (Israel denies this). Then, on September 24, Russia announced its intention to supply the Syrians with more advanced S-300 air defense systems, signaling a shift in its regional strategy.

Ever since Russia intervened in Syria in 2015 civil war on the side of Bashar al-Assad, the dictator of this country, she tried to avoid clashes with Israel. Over the past 18 months, Israel has carried out more than 200 airstrikes against Iranian-linked targets in Syria. " Hotline linking Israeli Air Force headquarters in Tel Aviv with the Russian command center in Khmeimim in western Syria has helped prevent airborne incidents. The military procedures were supported by a tacit agreement between Mr. Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. Israel will not interfere with the Russian operation to rescue Mr. Assad, and Russia will not prevent Israel from attacking Iranian targets in Syria.

Russia's plans to modernize Syria's air defense system complicate this arrangement. S-300 is formidable anti-aircraft missile system, which is equipped with a radar capable of tracking more than 100 targets simultaneously at a distance of up to 300 kilometers. Its presence will make Israeli operations more risky, which is why Mr. Netanyahu has long objected to handing over these weapons to the Syrian government (Russia already has S-300s in Syria, but it does not use them against Israel). However, Israel says it will continue attacks on targets in Syria. Its stealthy F-35 fighter-bombers are capable of overcoming the protection of S-300 complexes and destroying them. But if Russian operators work alongside poorly trained Syrian troops, then there is a risk of escalation.

Russian minister Defense Sergei Shoigu said that the S-300 systems will be transferred to the Syrian army within two weeks. Some analysts doubt that this will happen. Due to pressure from America and Israel, it took Russia 9 years to deliver the promised S-300 systems to Iran. Moscow may view the threat to supply these systems as a way to put pressure on Israel to limit its intervention in Syria.

Russia was trying to find a balance between Israel and its enemies in the Middle East. Mr Putin became the first Russian leader who made an official visit to Israel (he did so twice), and Mr. Netanyahu stood shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Putin during this year's Russian military parade. However, this friendship did not prevent Russia from inviting Hamas to Moscow and helping Iran implement its nuclear program and arm Syria.

As Russia became increasingly isolated from the West, Israel grew in importance as a source of technology and political support. The Kremlin has carefully avoided anti-Israeli rhetoric in its accusations against the West. After the incident with its plane in Syria, Russia spoke of betrayed trust and expressed regret about it; Russia did everything to help Israel and assist it, and in return received betrayal, Russian commentators emphasize. Mr. Netanyahu called Mr. Putin twice and, in addition, sent a commander to Moscow air force Israel, but the Kremlin may be expecting more courtesies from Israel to defuse the situation.

The materials of InoSMI contain only assessments of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the editors of InoSMI.

Seven months have passed since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of the withdrawal of troops from Syria in order to achieve most of the goals set. Apparently, Putin understands the withdrawal of troops in a different way from what we understand, since during this time it was reported many times about the transfer of new aircraft, about bombings, and even about an aircraft carrier sent to the region. But the world, including Israel, is most concerned about the supply of Russian air defense systems to Syria.

At the beginning of the month, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it had completed the deployment modern complexes Air defense S-300 in Tartus. This news came a year after Russia deployed the S-400 system in Syria. All this is happening at a time when the skies over Syria are full of planes. different countries, including, as you know, Israeli ones. If this is not enough, then the mentioned air defense systems are able to detect and even shoot down aircraft in the depths of Israeli airspace.

A very scary scenario.

The Israeli defense establishment is still proud of coordinating actions with the Russian military. According to reports from foreign sources, even after the Turkish Air Force shot down a Russian aircraft, Russian-supplied air defense systems did not interfere with Israeli air strikes in Syria. On the other hand, Russian systems have given Assad courage, and the Israeli Defense Ministry has confirmed at least one attempt by Syrian air defenses to shoot down an Israeli Air Force aircraft. Considering that Russian adversaries in Syria have no military aircraft at all, the concern of the Israeli military becomes quite understandable.

The Israeli Air Force has a long history of fighting Russian means air defense, and she was not always successful. During the War of Attrition, Israeli aircraft suffered losses, the saying appeared "The missile crushed the wing of the aircraft." During the Yom Kippur War, the Air Force fought dozens of anti-aircraft batteries. The Egyptians and Syrians realized that neither their pilots nor those supplied in abundance Soviet aircraft unable to take over the Israeli pilots, and got a lot of missiles. Israeli aircraft lost 102 aircraft, 53 pilots were killed, and all from anti-aircraft fire. The rocket was again stronger than the wing.

During the First War in Lebanon in 1982, Israeli aircraft carried out an operation to destroy Syrian air defenses called Artsab-19 (Cicada-19). It is still taught in military academies. The Israeli Air Force destroyed 19 air defense batteries without losing a single aircraft, after which one of the largest air battles ensued in the sky, involving about 150 aircraft from both sides. Syrian aircraft lost 23 aircraft, and this time the wing defeated the missile.

Since then, the Syrians have greatly improved their air defenses with Russian help. Below is a list of air defense systems that are already deployed or can be deployed near our northern border.

S-300

This anti-aircraft missile system can shoot down aircraft at a distance of about 200 kilometers and is considered one of the best in the world. It takes about five minutes to deploy the battery. The system is able to simultaneously track 100 targets and simultaneously shoot down up to 35 of them. The S-300 air defense system can shoot down aircraft at very high or very low altitudes.

The S-300 has two types of missiles. Smaller ones called "Gladiator" (Western name) are designed to deal with aircraft and cruise missiles. Large missiles "Giant" must shoot down ballistic missiles. They carry a warhead with 130 kilograms of explosives.

After several years of diplomatic struggle, the S-300s were delivered to Iran. In Syria, S-300 air defense systems are operated by Russian operators, although there are reports that the same systems were transferred directly to the Syrian army. Foreign sources previously reported that Israeli pilots learned how to counter the S-300 during joint exercises in Greece.

S-400

This anti-aircraft missile system is considered an upgrade of the S-300. Its missiles are capable of shooting down aircraft at a distance of 250 to 400 kilometers and can hit up to 80 targets simultaneously. The response time is less than ten seconds. The complex consists of eight launchers and about 70 rockets.

As previously reported, the Russian military deployed at least one S-400 system in Syria in the Latakia region. If this is true, then the system's range includes northern Israel and threatens coalition aircraft in Syria. As of today, only the Russian army has S-400 systems.

S-300VM

This air defense system is designed to destroy intercontinental missiles, as well as aircraft coordinating air attacks. According to Russian sources, the effective range reaches 600 kilometers.

The S-300VM complex consists of mobile installations on trucks, several command posts and various air defense systems. This weapon causes serious concern in Western countries.

"Shell S-1"

Mobile air defense system equipped with anti-aircraft guns and missiles, capable of shooting down aircraft, unmanned aircrafts and cruise missiles, including at a low altitude - about five meters.

The Pantsir launcher (the battery includes from three to five launchers) can be equipped with twelve missiles and a pair of 30 mm cannons firing 2,500 rounds per minute at a distance of up to four kilometers. Missiles can shoot down aircraft at a distance of up to 20 kilometers. In 2012, the Syrian Pantsir S-1 system shot down a Turkish Phantom.

"Beech"

A mobile air defense battery capable of shooting down planes, UAVs, helicopters and, according to Russian sources, missiles and smart bombs. The system is equipped with several types of missiles with a range of 2.5 to 35 (according to some sources, up to 50) kilometers. It is capable of shooting down aircraft at an altitude of up to 15 kilometers. It takes about five minutes to deploy the system, the response time is 22 seconds. The complex includes a radar with a range of up to 80 kilometers, capable of controlling three missiles in parallel. The battery consists of three to four launchers, each of which has four missiles ready for launch and another 13 missiles.

The Buk came to the fore when it was alleged that such a system had shot down a Malaysian aircraft on flight MH-17. Dozens of such systems are in service with Syria and Egypt. Foreign sources said that Israeli Air Force at least once destroyed a cargo of Buk missiles destined for the Lebanese Hezbollah.

"Wasp"

A mobile air defense system capable of shooting down aircraft at an altitude of up to 12 kilometers and at a distance of up to 15 kilometers. It is very easy to handle and is able to launch the first missile 25 seconds after the radar detects the target.

This air defense system was also mentioned in connection with Israeli strikes on Syrian arms shipments. Israeli aviation is well acquainted with it, since at least three Osa systems were destroyed in the First Lebanese War.

"Tunguska"

Mobile air defense system with cannon and missile weapons. Called to Protect ground troops in motion from enemy helicopters, aircraft and cruise missiles. The installation carries two 30-mm guns with a rate of fire of 2500 rounds per minute. The missiles are capable of shooting down aircraft at a distance of 8-10 kilometers and at an altitude of five kilometers. The upgraded missiles have a range of 18 kilometers.

S-200

Anti-aircraft missile, very well known Israeli pilots previous years. The S-200 has been in our region for decades. The system includes a radar with a range of up to 600 kilometers and a missile at mobile installation, capable of hitting a target at a distance of 160 to 400 kilometers, depending on the modification. This is an old, heavy missile, unable to cope with modern combat aircraft. Its main targets are control aircraft, transport aircraft and bombers. According to some reports, it was precisely such a missile that the Syrian air defense fired at an Israeli aircraft.

The S-200 is also known to Israel by a tragic incident: in 2001, Ukrainian air defenses accidentally shot down such a Tu-154 missile plane en route from Israel to Novosibirsk. 78 people were killed, mostly Israeli citizens.

"Cube"

Mobile anti-aircraft gun, known to Israel from the Yom Kippur War and suffered heavy losses as a result of Operation Cicada-19. The installation carries three rockets ready for launch, which received the nickname "Fingers of Death" in 1973. The radius of action is more than 70 kilometers, the system is capable of shooting down an aircraft at an altitude of 12 kilometers and at a distance of 3 to 25 kilometers. It is in service in Iran, Syria and Egypt and other countries.

"Verba"

The Russian military industry also produced lethal man-portable air defense systems, such as the Strela and Igloo, that could shoot down a combat aircraft at a distance of five to six kilometers. But the world is much more concerned about the new generation of Verba MANPADS, unique in its kind. According to Russian sources, Verba is able to overcome most of the electronic countermeasure systems available to Western countries.

According to Russian sources, the Verba is equipped with a tri-band optical target search and guidance system, thanks to which the MANPADS are highly accurate. The range is six kilometers. According to Russian manufacturers, the missile is fully digital and operates autonomously in the air. The operator only needs to press the start button. The missile is equipped with a friend/foe recognition system, which significantly reduces the likelihood of losses from friendly fire. a one and a half kilogram warhead is capable of hitting an aircraft at an altitude of 4.5 kilometers.

In June, Russia announced the first contract for the supply of "Verba" to an unnamed foreign customer. Most of all in the West they fear that such MANPADS will fall into the hands of terrorists.

Recently, a series of "fatal and fantastic coincidences" continues to haunt, in the words of tourists Boshirov and Petrov. The defeat of the Syrian calculation of the S-200 air defense system Russian aircraft IL-20, as in the case of Salisbury, gave rise to many versions of what happened - from the mistake of the Syrian military to a deliberate provocation by Damascus aimed at disrupting Russian-Israeli cooperation. In any case, experts say, the tragedy points to low level training of fighters of the Syrian air defense forces, which is now not in the interests of Moscow to correct.

“The problem is the mediocre combat training and combat skills of the fighters of the Syrian Arab army in general and the calculations of air defense systems in particular: after Israel strikes at them, they usually respond with indiscriminate mass missile launches around the entire perimeter - this is their usual tactic. Sometimes they even get somewhere.”

In order to change the situation, Semenov believes, Russia would need to completely retrain the Syrian air defense forces, reform their command and control system: otherwise there would be no point in supplying new weapons.

At the same time, according to the expert, the Russian Federation should not take such steps. If Moscow strengthens Syrian forces air defense, to increase their effectiveness, the Iranians will immediately take advantage of this, which will further increase their already strong presence in Syria.

“This will provoke an even more active reaction from Israel, for which the Iranian presence in Syria is unacceptable.”

The Russian Federation needs to think first of all not about how to improve Syrian air defense or supply Damascus with some new types of weapons, and this requires clearer agreements with Israel.

“The Ministry of Defense rightly pointed out that Israel gave a warning about a strike on Syria with just a minute, and this is simply dishonorable. At the same time, if the message of the head of the Russian military department that the Israeli fighters "hid behind" the Russian aircraft is true, in such a situation, with any air defense system, this would not have been avoided, ”the News.ru expert points out.

Finding a consensus with Israel, Zolotarev believes, will be difficult, but the existence of agreements on Idlib with Turkey, with which Moscow also had many problems earlier, demonstrates that the Kremlin is able to negotiate if desired.