The current operation of the Russian armed forces in Syria has a number of critical features. The first and foremost is the opportunity to test the troops in a real local conflict. The personnel of the aerospace forces and the navy got the opportunity to apply their skills not only in the framework of exercises, but also in the course of a real war. In addition, the military is actively using the latest weapons and equipment. The second feature of the operation is its military and political consequences. Foreign states were given the opportunity to observe the Russian armed forces and draw conclusions about their potential. The results of the operation achieved so far already look extremely interesting or even shocking for foreign specialists.
On January 30, the British newspaper The Independent published an article "War in Syria: Russia's 'rustbucket' military delivers a hi-tech shock to West and Israel" for by Kim Sengupta. The author of this publication summarized the preliminary results of recent events in the Middle East. To do this, he examined the opinions and recent events prevailing until recently, and also tried to draw some conclusions about the prospects for the international situation.
At the beginning of his article, K. Sengupta recalls what opinions have been circulating in recent years. It was believed that the Russian armed forces have outdated materiel and strategy. The bombs and missiles were "dumber than smart," and the navy was "rustier than ready." For several decades, similar views were shared by many Western military leaders. They treated their Russian colleagues with undisguised condescension. However, what they saw in Syria and Ukraine came as a real shock.
At present, the Russian armed forces are demonstrating a high intensity of combat work. Thus, in the course of the Syrian operation, the Aerospace Forces perform more sorties per day than the coalition led by the United States in a whole month. The Russian navy has been striking targets in Syria from a distance of about 900 miles. Finally, we should also recall the logistics system responsible for supplying the group in Syria. Also K. Sengupta notes the high potential of the Russian air defense means. Systems deployed in Syria and eastern Ukraine make it impossible to strike at Bashar al-Assad's troops and Ukrainian separatists.
Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the current commander of United States forces in Europe, has already noted Russia's achievements in electronic warfare. While Russia was previously thought to be lagging behind in these areas, recent events have shown that Russian forces have superior systems.
The deployment of air defense systems continues. According to Lieutenant General Frank Gorenk, chief of operations for the US Air Force in Europe, Russia is now deploying anti-aircraft weapons in Crimea, which was taken from Ukraine in 2014, as well as in the Kaliningrad region, "sandwiched" between Lithuania and Poland. Such actions by official Moscow, according to the general, create serious difficulties for NATO aviation. There are problems with safety when flying in various areas, including in several regions of Poland.
The author of The Independent notes that not only Western countries are worried about Russia's actions. In particular, recent events in Syria are making the Israeli leadership nervous. Russian weapons and equipment appear at the northern borders of Israel, which leaves the leadership of this country only guessing what the current situation may lead to. Israel's greatest fears are related to the fact that the most modern Russian-made weapons could enter Iran, which is considered Jerusalem's main danger. In addition, modern systems can go to other Arab states, whose relations with Israel are also far from ideal. All such processes can lead to the fact that Israeli aviation can no longer count on unconditional air superiority - the main advantage over the armed forces of unfriendly neighboring countries.
New military power, according to the British journalist, lies at the heart of the latest strategic victories for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia's intervention in the Syrian war led to a significant change in the situation, and its further development seriously depends on V. Putin's plans. The Ukrainian conflict was partially frozen, and on the terms of the Russian president. In addition, Russia is clearly showing its plans for rapprochement with the Kurds and is oblivious to Turkey's angry reaction. Finally, and more importantly, Russia is returning to Egypt. The latest agreements between the two countries imply cooperation on a scale that has not been seen in 44 years since the time of President Anwar Sadat.
Describing the situation, K. Sengupta cites the opinion of an Israeli military intelligence analyst who previously spoke with The Independent. This specialist claims that now any side wishing to do something in the Middle East will first have to negotiate with Moscow.
The author of The Independent notes that V. Putin is not without pleasure talking about the new military possibilities, with the help of which he managed to come to the current situation. According to the Russian president, the West got the opportunity to make sure that modern weapons really exist and are also operated by well-trained specialists. In addition, foreign countries have made sure that Russia is ready to use this weapon in its own interests.
The author notes the high intensity of the combat work of the aerospace forces. The Russian aviation makes several dozen sorties per day - up to 96. The Western coalition, led by the United States, performs the same number of sorties in a month. Western military strategists are forced to admit the striking differences in the work of the Russian and foreign air forces. In particular, during the operation in Kosovo and Libya, foreign aviation quickly "fizzled out" and began to reduce the number of sorties.
One of the reasons for the insufficient intensity of the foreign coalition, according to K. Sengupta, is the peculiarities of the military-political situation in the Middle East. A number of states that are part of the coalition led by the United States prefer to strike not at Daesh terrorists, but to carry out operations in Yemen, where there is a confrontation with local groups and Iran, which supports them. Turkey works in a similar way, which does not fight terrorists, but bombes the Kurds.
Over the past months, Western military leaders and officials have repeatedly asserted that Russian aviation is striking not only targets of the Islamic State (a terrorist group banned in Russia), but also other formations. In addition, the indiscriminateness of the Russian military in the search for targets is noted, due to the lack of concern about casualties among the civilian population and the presence of only unguided weapons.
The author recalls that Russia has never promised to destroy only the objects of the Islamic State group. Moreover, it has been repeatedly asserted that all terrorists will be targeted. By agreement between Moscow and Damascus, most of the formations called the moderate opposition were included in the latter. The author also recalls the experience of the Chechen wars, which show that the Russian armed forces are not inclined to focus on “collateral damage”. In addition, from the published data, it could be concluded that at the early stage of the Syrian operation, most of the strikes were carried out with the use of unguided weapons, although this contradicts official statements.
At present, a group of aviation equipment is based at the Khmeimim airbase, consisting of old and new aircraft. According to The Independent, there are currently 34 aircraft at the Latakia airfield: 12 Su-25, 4 Su-30SM, 12 Su-24M and 6 Su-34. In addition, there are helicopters and an unidentified number of unmanned aerial vehicles at the base.
The work intensity of the Su-34 bombers is gradually increasing. According to K. Sengupta, this may be due to the characteristics of the available equipment and the specifics of the situation. For example, Su-25 attack aircraft - veterans of the wars in Chechnya and Georgia - may be vulnerable to portable anti-aircraft missile systems. The latter, according to some information, can be supplied by Turkey and Saudi Arabia to some groups loyal to them.
Following the incident with the attack and destruction of the Russian Su-24M bomber in November last year, Russia has deployed modern air defense systems to Syria. The main element of the reinforced air defense system was the S-400 Triumph air defense system. This system is very unnerving for Israel, because, falling into the "wrong hands", can significantly change the balance of power in the region. The S-400 complex includes radar detection equipment and launchers with guided missiles. The complex is capable of finding and destroying targets at ranges of up to 250 miles. Thus, the "Triumph" complex, deployed at the Khmeimim base, not only monitors the Syrian airspace, but also "covers" half of Israel.
Another "sobering experience" for NATO, according to the author, was the deployment of electronic systems in Ukraine. It is alleged that during the conflict in the Donbas, the Krasukha-4 electronic warfare system was deployed, capable of interfering with the work of enemy radars, including early warning aircraft. The emergence and operation of such technology makes foreign military leaders make far from optimistic statements. For example, Ronald Pontius, deputy head of the cyber command of the US armed forces, claims that the pace of development of American technologies does not meet the requirements dictated by new threats.
Considering the situation and coming to negative conclusions, General F. Gorenk is forced to admit that in the course of the development of its armed forces, Russia does not violate any international agreements and has every right to implement its plans. In Syria, Russian troops are using bombers and cruise missiles, and the purpose of their use is to demonstrate the ability to influence the situation in certain regions or even around the world.
After that, the author of The Independent makes the main conclusion. Russia is returning to the international arena as a full-fledged force capable of influencing the situation in different regions. In this regard, the West will have to make a choice and determine a strategy for its further actions. Western states should choose what to do next: start a new stage of confrontation with Russia or look for opportunities for rapprochement and restoration of good relations?
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Using the events in Ukraine and Syria as an example, the author of the article “War in Syria: Russia’s 'rustbucket' military delivers a hi-tech shock to West and Israel” examines the latest achievements of Russia in the field of modernization of the armed forces and the operation of new weapons in real conflicts. Despite adhering to the official position of some foreign countries (first of all, these are statements about the presence of Russian troops in Donbass), the article of The Independent is of certain interest and reveals the existing situation.
The general conclusions of Kim Sengupta are included in the title of the article. Recent events have shown that Russian weapons and equipment are not really "rusty old stuff". On the contrary, the most modern models are entering service, some of which, in terms of their characteristics, not only are not inferior to foreign counterparts, but also surpass them. Previously, when assessing the possibilities of new developments, it was possible to rely only on official communications and intelligence data, and now experts can familiarize themselves with the results of the actual application of new systems.
With such new data, the author draws certain conclusions. The article ends with an assumption about the connection between new weapons and Russia's foreign policy potential. Upgrading the military allows a country to influence various regions, if not the entire world. In this case, foreign states will have to take into account this force and the new major player in the international arena. According to the author, the West can choose one of two paths: continue the confrontation with Russia or try to make friends with her again. Time will tell how the international situation will develop. It is unlikely that foreign states should follow the path of further deterioration of relations.
