How does Israel keep getting past Syria’s air defenses?

[Hakikat ve Hikmet]

How does Turkey destroys their AD systems while being ON!??

 

[MastanKhan]

The S-300 is a long-range missile defense system which acts as the outermost layer for a more complex air defense network. On paper at least, the S-300 compliments Syria’s already existing system of medium-to-short-range missile defense systems.

However, the S-300 has an inherent limitation, Sitki Egeli, an assistant professor at Izmir University of Economics and the former Director of International Affairs for Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, told Syria Direct.

“As a long-range system, the S-300 suffers from the problem of radar horizon, meaning targets cannot be detected if they’re lying low due to the curvature of the earth. Strike aircraft, such as F-16s fly relatively close to the surface of the earth, and by the time they’re detected, they have already launched their munitions, so it’s too late,” Egeli explained.

In the past, Israeli airstrikes are believed to have been conducted by low-flying F-16s and helicopters.

Typically, this blind spot is compensated by other components of an integrated air defense system, such as airborne early warning aircraft and passive ground-based sensors.

In the case of Syria, however, equipment is either too dilapidated to detect more advanced Israeli technology in time, or personnel is too thinly-stretched and poorly-trained to operate the necessary equipment. As a consequence, there has been an overreliance on the S-300 and Syrian air defense operators often use it for tasks for which it was not designed.

The results of such a policy have ranged from unsuccessful to catastrophic, such as in July 2019 when Syria shot an older S-200 missile at an attacking Israeli jet and instead hit Nicosia, Cyprus.

“It’s not a problem of the S-300 or S-400, it is a limitation of long-range air defense systems,” Egeli said. “They fit in a certain spot in a larger air defense architecture, on the outer fringes. They’re not built for aircraft coming low and launching standoff missiles.”

The fragmented structure and lack of professionalism of the Syrian air force further compounds equipment issues.

“There is no ‘layered air defense’ in Syria; there’s a big mess,” Tom Cooper, a warfare analyst and the editor of the Middle East at War book series, told Syria Direct.

“The Syrian Arab Air Defense is staffed by the last few professional officers one can find in Syria, and then a mass of 'VIP-sons.’ These are sons of Assad's favorites or chiefs of different intelligence agencies. Some of them can fight, the rest are useless,” Cooper explained.

Syria’s air defense batteries are split among seven divisions and regiments, with four divisions responsible for the long-range S-200 and S-300 systems and three regiments responsible for the medium-to-short-range systems, according to the Military Balance 2020report.

The distributed command structure of the air defense network could create problems in coordination, something which the Israeli air force would be eager to exploit to minimize risk to its aircraft.

“There is little doubt that [Israel] is using cyber attacks and electronic countermeasures in parallel with its airstrikes,” Egeli said.

“It’s always possible to jam and deceive [air defense] systems via decoys and fake targets. The Syrian air defender might think you are 50 kilometers from where you are or fire their missiles at targets that never actually existed,” he added.

All of these tactics could prevent Syria’s early detection systems from spotting incoming foreign aircraft or missiles, leaving little time for even short-range missile defense systems to respond.

As a result, the videos released by Syrian state media showing Syrian air defenses firing to meet Israeli missiles mid-air could actually just be fired at fabricated radar signals or decoys.

Is Beijing trying to cash in?

In addition to specifically naming the S-300 as “ineffective,” the Syrian military source noted that Chinese radars had “worked successfully” in detecting Israeli missiles.

This is an unusual statement to make, as it would mean that Syria is either using Chinese radars simultaneously, but separately from the S-300, or that it had integrated the radars into the S-300 system.
Both possibilities seem less than optimal. Chinese radars could provide the first warning for incoming targets, but the S-300 would still need to rely on its own radar for targeting and engagement purposes. In addition, further integration of Chinese radars into the Russian system would have to be done custom by the respective Chinese and Russian manufacturers, which would not be an easy feat, according to Egeli.

What was the purpose of the Syrian military source’s alleged comments then? Among other possibilities, it could be Chinese opportunism attempting to promote its own missile defense system at the expense of Russia.

The Chinese media outlet, Sina, republished the Syrian military source’s comments, part of a longer pattern of Chinese media openly criticizing Russian air defense technology.

In late February, for example, Sina published a report which urged Syria to replace the “failed” S-300 system with a Chinese air defense system, the HQ-9. The HQ-9 is a Chinese-produced medium-to-long-range missile defense system that performs a similar function to the Russian S-300 systems.

China has struggled to find buyers for the air defense system. A deal to sell the system to Turkey was scuttled in 2015, with Ankara instead opting to buy Russia’s S-400.

Syria has been used as both a testing groundand a showroom for Russian military technology and has been largely credited with spurring a boom in Russian defense exports to the developing world. China could be looking to use Syria to showcase its arms to a global market in much the same way.

The Syrian military source’s comments then, whether intentional or not, aid Beijing's attempt to nudge its way into Syria’s military imports and further promote the reputation of its military technology.

The comments also come after a highly-publicized series of articles in Russian newspapers which criticized the Assad government for endemic corruption and incompetence. The quote from the Syrian military source could be an attempt to publicly undermine Moscow’s military’s reputation as a form of under-the-table retaliation.

Hi,

Thank you for posting this article---.

Maybe readers with some sense would understand how important this ability of flying for a strike mission is and ability to fly low over longer distances can just totally bewilder the enemy---.

Actually the simple explanations is syrian army is already incompetent before the war and its even more incompetent after devastating 9 years of war. Human attrition losses of equipment etc.



Ps: for indonesian, russian military fanboys who happened to read this. There's your favourite russian mighty SAM system being "usefull" all over syria.

Hi,

Just the missile defense by itself is not the answer against an enemy who is being equipped with top notch aircraft from the world's #1 supremo super power---.

Syria lacks surveillance aircraft---. Without them---syrian assets are sitting ducks---.

The missile itself will only react to what is input into the system---.

 

[Pax Ottomana]

Simple. Because the Israelis have a DEAL in place with Russia who is letting them do whatever they want (up to a limit) in Syria.

 

[Brainsucker]

Actually the simple explanations is syrian army is already incompetent before the war and its even more incompetent after devastating 9 years of war. Human attrition losses of equipment etc.

Ps: for indonesian, russian military fanboys who happened to read this. There's your favourite russian mighty SAM system being "usefull" all over syria.

Is it? But at least we can use S-300 fully, while we have to get US permission to use their toys. A cowboy era revolver pistol still way more useful if you can use it without restrain than a newly M4 Carbine if you can only put it on a display.

 

[Foxtrot Delta]

Israeliz have f35 and advanced f16. Whole syria has nothing in its airforce that is how.

 

[Brainsucker]

As the article mentioned, syria doesnt have a very good layered air defense, and the Israelis have been practicing on the greek s-300 system. they fly low, use the terran well, and fire off several standoff missile, which themselves are low flying maneuverable cruise missiles, which overwhelms the syrian air defense system.

the only way to counter such a thing, is to neutralize the standoff range, which syria cannot do, as the israelis have been using lebanese air space, or firing from the Mediterranean, there have also been reports of them being allowed to use Jordanian and Saudi airspace to get close, and find blindspots in the air defense, and the US controls airspace over Iraq, so Im sure that option is also available to them.

edit: forgot to mention the SIGINT and reconnaissance intelligence provided by the US presence around dier ez zor and around al tanf.

No. The only advantage that Israel have compared to Syria is that Syria have already have their plate full. They can't stomach more enemies, thus they can't do anything to counter attack the Israel provocation. Because if Israel get a casus belli to mobilize their whole military, Syria can't do anything to fight them. Thus will resulted to total defeat for Syria.

The best defense against an attack is not by waiting for them to come, and then shield yourself with anti missile missile. Because SAM have only about 50 - 80% chance to counter an enemy attack. Whatever SAM / anti air defense that you have, you will always have to embrace damage. You can't beat the fact that being active can always beat passive opponent. It's like boxing. You can't respond your opponent jab and hook with only doing double cover in front of your face. You have to strike too.

To counter such an attack, you have also have the capability to strike the enemy's position. That is deterrent. So they have to calculate about the damage that they will suffer if they decide to attack you.

That's why the fate of Pakistan is different to Syria, when they got attacked by India airstrike. Because Pakistan have active defense that capable to counter India, and also cause damage to India's position.

Even if they have F-35, but if you bombard their airfield, those F-35 can also be destroyed. They can't fly forever.

But for Syria, they can only embrace the attack, without doing anything to counter strike Israel. Fighting against Zionist will only make ugly situation become much-much worse.

 

[striver44]

Is it?

yes

 

[Brainsucker]

yes

Nope.

 

[Globenim]

How does a country backed up with intelligence and some of the most sophisticated weapons a country can buy and not buy from superpowers and industry nations, get past the handful 80s and 90s era short and mid range export monkeymodel versions of airdefenses of a (once) developing country ravaged for years by US terrorism, US backed terrorism, US sanctions and blockades and even Turkish incoursions?

Even with Russian aid accounted for its impressive that Syrians have maintaind not just their freedom, but even maintain the upper hand agains low level terrorists attacks after this situation has lasted for a decade, forcing high level interventions to keep Syria weak and unstable. Syrians are resilent people if anything, but that doesnt mean they can create miracles and just engage in the absurd endavour of countering the Israeli aggressions which is just an invitation to intesify the attacks to the country with a clear numerical, material and logistic upperhand.

 

[Brainsucker]

How does a country backed up with some of the most sophisticated weapons a country can buy and not buy from US get past the handful 80s and 90s era short and mid range export monkeymodel versions of airdefenses of a country ravaged for years by US terrorism, US backed terrorism, US sanctions and blockades and even Turkish incoursions?

Even with Russian aid accounted for its impressive that Syrians have maintaind not just their freedom, but even maintain the upper hand agains low level terrorists attacks after this decade forcing high level interventions to keep Syria weak and unstable. Syrians are resilent people if anything.

Not as simple as that. Syria has it plate too full. They have to face rebels in their own country. The last thing they want to add is, an invasion from other countries. Even with the backup of Russia, that's still impossible to handle.

If you understand Weiqi chess, yes. They're surrounded, and besieged. If Israel has any justification to attack their country in full force, Damascus won't be able to handle. Assad government will surely be destroyed. Because they have suffer too much casualty and loss for the long civil war in their country. They're bleeding and tired. That's why they can only face the airstrike passively.

And OP is a blatant Israel worshiper. he wants to discredit Russian S-300 (which is I don't really care) and Indonesian fans (that's why I write this). And throwing US and Israel propaganda like they're gods on Earth in here.

 

[Aasimkhan]

F-35s arrived arrived before S300. Plus F35 decreases the detection range of S300 providing stand off capability to F35 payload. So F35 never gets in locking range of S300. Regarding the Payload S300 is not meant to take out projectiles. That job rests with S1 which is failing due to deployment as Israel has sat imagery their operatiomal planing helps them evade the Air defenses. To hit Israeli jets Syria needs to smuggle an anti Air system into Lebanon and hit F35 from there this way they will get range and confirm kill. Keep the Radar of the system off while in Lebanon. The system should have a missile with active seeker. detect the jet with a solo radar battey with Syria communicate with system in Lebanon and order a surprise hit. Similarly like serbs did with F117.

If you remember there were reports of an IAF F35 being hit by Syrian Air Defences 2 years back but it was able to land safely, IAF official version was it was a DOUBLE BIRD STRIKE. After that IAF has not suffered a hit. There could be 2 reasons :
a. IAF has improved its Counter Measures
b. IAF has reached an understanding with Russians not to engage them.
Two conclusions which can be drawn are :
a. The Russian systems are not as good as they advertise (good news for Pakistan as soon we have to encounter Indian S400).
b. F35s have matured enough to take on latest Air Defences.

 

[Globenim]

The last thing they want to add is, an invasion from other countries.

Unfortunately my edit appending the whole point I was trying to get to, but forgot in the end and your hit on reply barely missed each other. See the edit.

 

[Yaseen1]

the problem with Syrian regime is that they also have killed thousands of innocents people so ALLAH ALMIGHTY not help such people and as a punishment israel is imposed on them,it is better that current Syrian regime resign from govt and handover govt to good people who had no history of such crimes,then results will be different due to help from ALLAH ALMIGHTY to true people

 

[Naofumi]

Simple. Because the Israelis have a DEAL in place with Russia who is letting them do whatever they want (up to a limit) in Syria.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1258418143661260801