September 2013 ihs.com

IHS Jane’s Capabilities BriefingSyria in focus: fighter aircraft and land-based air-defence systems

© 2013 IHS 2 September 2013

IHS Jane’s Capabilities Briefing | Syria in focus

Cover: The Buk-M2E (SA-17 ‘Grizzly’) self-propelled surface-to-air missile system is the most potent air-defence weapon currently in service with the Syrian Armed Forces.

Debate over the merits of international intervention in Syria in the form of air and missile strikes has flared following the Syrian government’s alleged use of chemical weapons in August 2013. With strong opposition from Russia, a vote for intervention in Syria is unlikely to pass the UN Security Council. Meanwhile, the British parliament’s failure to pass a measure approving military action means the US and France have been left as primary advocates of an air campaign to hobble the Assad regime. While US President Barack Obama has announced that he will let Congress vote on the matter, unilateral strikes by NATO countries cannot be ruled out. This will become even more likely in the event that UN weapons inspectors confirm Syrian government participation in the August chemical attack. IHS Jane’s examines the Syrian air force and air-defence assets that would combat any unilateral or multilateral strikes against the country.

Syria in focus: fighter aircraft and land-based air-defence systemsIHS Jane’s holds a wide variety of geospatially enabled data on military forces as well as terrorism and insurgency events. Accompanying this report, we have created a KML file of the map below, with an added layer detailing all known insurgent attacks and counter-terrorism operations in Syria from March-August 2013. Please contact your account manager if you are interested in receiving this KML file.

KML File Available

*Squadron information based on Syrian air force order of battle circa 2012. Unit deployment and strengths may have changed due to the ongoing conflict.

ShayratSu-22M4 (1 squadron)

ShayratMiG-23MF (1 squadron)

ShayratMiG-25PD (1 squadron)

TiyasMiG-25PD (2 squadrons)

ShayratSu-22M3 (1 squadron)Hamah

MiG-21MF (2 squadrons)Deir ZzorMiG-21MF (1 squadron)

Al QusayrMiG-21bis (2 squadrons)

HamahMiG-29 (1 squadron)

As Suweidaya WestMi-24A (2 squadrons)

TiyasSu-22M4 (1 squadron)

An NasiriyahMiG-23BN (1 squadron)

DumayrSu-22M3 (1 squadron)

DumayrMiG-23MLD (1 squadron)

KhalkhalahMiG-21bis (2 squadrons)

Marj RuhayyilMi-24A (1 squadron)

Marj RuhayyilMiG-23MLD (1 squadron)

MezzeSA 342L (2 squadrons)

SayqalMiG-29 (2 squadrons)

Marj RuhayyilSu-22 (1 squadron)

L-39ZO (1 squadron)

MiG-23MS (1 squadron)

MiG-21MF (1 squadron)

Unknown location

Ground attack

Primary role

Air defence

Airbases under Syrian government control (as of September 2013)

© 2013 IHS: 1459782Source: IHS

SYRIA

TiyasSu-24MK (1 squadron)

© 2013 IHS 3 September 2013

IHS Jane’s Capabilities Briefing | Syria in focus

MiG-21 ‘Fishbed’

Bis/MF

Air defence/attack

AA-2 ‘Atoll’, AA-8 ‘Aphid’

1,098 km*

Variants

Role

Armament

Range * internal fuel only

Source: IHS © 2013 IHS: 1459783

Su-24 ‘Fencer’

MK

Attack

AA-8 ‘Aphid’, AA-11 ‘Archer’

2,092 km*

Variants

Role

Armament

Range

* max fuel high altitude

Source: IHS © 2013 IHS: 1459787

MiG-23 ‘Flogger’

MS/BN/MLD/MF

Air defence

AA-8 ‘Aphid’, AA-7 ‘Apex’, AA-2 ‘Atoll’ AA-11 ‘Archer’ AA-6 ‘Acrid’

1,944 km*

Variants

Role

Armament

Range * max internal use

Source: IHS © 2013 IHS: 1459784

MiG-25 ‘Foxbat’

PD

Air defence

AA-6 ‘Acrid’, AA-8 ‘Aphid’

1,863 km*

Variants

Role

Armament

Range * with max internal fuel

Source: IHS © 2013 IHS: 1459788

Aero L-39 ‘Albatros’

ZO

Trainer/light attack

Cannon

1,352 km*

Variants

Role

Armament

Range* internal fuel, 10% reserves, L-139

Source: IHS © 2013 IHS: 1459789

Mi-24 ‘Hind’

A

Attack helicopter

SA-7 ‘Grail’, SA-14 ‘Gremlin’

450 km*

Variants

Role

Armament

Range* standard internal fuel, Mi-24P

Source: IHS © 2013 IHS: 1459790

MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum’

MiG-29

Air defence/attack

AA-8 ‘Aphid’, AA-10 ‘Alamo’, AA-8 ‘Aphid’

1,500 km*

Variants

Role

Armament

Range * with max internal fuel

Source: IHS © 2013 IHS: 1459785

Su-22 ‘Fitter’

M3/M4

Attack

AA-2 ‘Atoll’, AA-8 ‘Aphid’, A-11 ‘Archer’

2,296 km*

Variants

Role

Armament

Range

* max fuel high altitude

Source: IHS © 2013 IHS: 1459786

© 2013 IHS 4 September 2013

IHS Jane’s Capabilities Briefing | Syria in focus

• Syria operates an integrated air-defence system (IADS) that provides interlaced surface-to-air missile positions backed by numerous anti-aircraft artillery emplacements. As such, the IADS potentially represents a significant risk to low-altitude operations by co-operative targets, helicopters, and cruise missiles prior to network degradation.

• The IADS is highlighted by a limited number of modern, survivable surface-to-air missile assets, specifically the Pantsir-S1 (SA-22 ‘Greyhound’), Buk-M2E (SA-17 ‘Grizzly’), and Pechora-2M. These have not yet been encountered in combat by Western air forces and are likely deployed to protect Syria’s most sensitive military and political infrastructure.

• However, there is a notable overreliance on ageing Soviet-era technology that has already been encountered and exploited by Western air arms. As such, the bulk of the network does not represent a significant threat to modern combat aircraft, although any threat system should be regarded as potentially dangerous.

Land-based air defence assets

Equipment name Buk-M2E (SA-17 ‘Grizzly’)

Role Self-propelled surface-to-air missile system

Effective against Fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, cruise, ballistic and air-launched missiles

Simultaneous target engagement capability 4

Weaponry 4 x 9M317 missiles

Missile warhead weight 50-70 kg

Missile effective range (general) 45 km

Missile effective altitude (maximum) 25 km

Gun effective range (general) n/a

Gun effective altitude (maximum) n/a

First developed Mid-2000s

Key Syrian land-based air-defence assets

Equipment name Pechora-2M

Role Surface-to-air missile system

Effective against Fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles

Simultaneous target engagement capability 1

Weaponry 2 x 5V27DE missiles

Missile warhead weight Unknown

Missile effective range (general) 32 km

Missile effective altitude (maximum) 20 km +

Gun effective range (general) n/a

Gun effective altitude (maximum) n/a

First developed Late 1990s

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Source: IHS © 2013 IHS

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© 2013 IHS 5 September 2013

IHS Jane’s Capabilities Briefing | Syria in focus

Army and air force equipment in serviceSystem Variant Manufacturer Primary Role (General) First Developed

9K38 Igla (SA-18 'Grouse') Konstruktorskoe Bjuro Mashinostroenia Surface-to-air missile system (self-propelled) 1970s

9K35 Strela-10 (SA-13 'Gopher') Soviet state factories Surface-to-air missile system (self-propelled) 1970s

9K37 Buk (SA-11 'Gadfly') Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant Surface-to-air missile system (self-propelled) 1970s

9K31 Strela-1 (SA-9 'Gaskin') Soviet state factories Surface-to-air missile system (self-propelled) 1960s

2K12 Kub (SA-6 'Gainful') Soviet state factories Surface-to-air missile system (self-propelled) 1960s

9K33 Osa (SA-8 'Gecko') Almaz / Antei Surface-to-air missile system (self-propelled) 1960s

S-125 (SA-3 'Goa') Almaz / Antei Surface-to-air missile system (static and towed) 1950s

S-75 Dvina (SA-2 'Guideline') Almaz / Antei Surface-to-air missile system (static) 1950s

S-200 (SA-5 'Gammon') Almaz / Antei Surface-to-air missile system (static) 1950s

9K32/9K32M Strela-2/2M (SA-7a/b 'Grail') Konstruktorskoe Bjuro Mashinostroenia Surface-to-air missile system (man-portable) 1960s

9K36 Strela-3 (SA-14 'Gremlin') Konstruktorskoe Bjuro Mashinostroenia Surface-to-air missile system (man-portable) 1970s

9K310 Igla-1 (SA-16 'Gimlet') Konstruktorskoe Bjuro Mashinostroenia Surface-to-air missile system (man-portable) 1970s

23 mm ZSU-23-4 (Quad) Soviet state factories Anti-aircraft gun (self-propelled) 1950s

57 mm ZSU-57-2 (Twin) Muromskiy Mashinostroitelnyy Anti-aircraft gun (self-propelled) 1950s

12.7 mm M53 (Quad) Soviet state factories Anti-aircraft gun (towed) 1950s

14.5 mm ZPU-2 (Twin) Soviet state factories Anti-aircraft gun (towed) 1940s

14.5 mm ZPU-4 (Quad) Soviet state factories Anti-aircraft gun (towed) 1940s

20 mm Hispano-Suiza Anti-aircraft gun (towed) 1970s

20 mm (Twin) Hispano-Suiza Anti-aircraft gun (towed) 1970s

23 mm ZU-23-2 (Twin) Soviet state factories Anti-aircraft gun (towed) 1950s

30 mm HS-661 Hispano-Suiza Anti-aircraft gun (towed) n/a

37 mm M1939 Soviet state factories Anti-aircraft gun (towed) 1930s

57 mm S-60 Aleksinskiy Khimicheskiy Kombinat Anti-aircraft gun (towed) 1950s

85 mm KS-12 Soviet state factories Anti-aircraft gun (towed) 1930s

100 mm KS-19 Soviet state factories Anti-aircraft gun (towed) 1940sSource: IHS Jane’s © 2013 IHS

Equipment Name Pantsir-S1 (SA-22 ‘Greyhound’)

Role Self-propelled gun/surface-to-air missile system

Effective against: Fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, air-launched missiles

Simultaneous target engagement capability: 3

Weaponry:12 x 9M335 missiles 2 x 30 mm 2A38 guns

Missile Warhead Weight: 16 kg

Missile Effective Range (general): 12 km

Missile Effective Altitude (maximum): 5 km

Gun Effective Range (general) 4 km

Gun Effective Altitude (maximum): 3 km

First Developed: Early 1990s

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Additional Syrian land-based air defence assets

Contributors: Alexander von Rosenbach, IHS Jane’s Armed Forces EditorSebastian Boe, IHS Jane’s AnalystNeil Gibson, IHS Jane’s Defence Researcher

This Capability Briefing draws on analysis and data from:• IHS Jane’s Military & Security Assessments (JMSA) Intelligence Centre. To learn more visit www.ihs.com/jmsa• IHS Jane’s Defence, Equipment & Technology (JDET) Intelligence Centre. To learn more, visit www.ihs.com/jdet

Source: IHS © 2013 IHS