Article

2018-09-26 Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Giving Syria S-300 Surface To Air Missile Systems Won't Halt Israeli Strikes

[TheDrive]

Shoigu’s remarks are significant and worth taking seriously. The delivery of S-300s to Assad’s regime would be a “significant escalation” of the situation in Syria, U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton said at a press conference to mark the beginning of the annual U.N. Nations General Assembly gathering in New York on Sept. 24, 2018. He added that he hoped Russia would reconsider.

"[Israeli] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu said that transferring advanced weapons systems into irresponsible hands will increase the dangers in the region, and added that Israel will continue to defend its security and its interests," in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to an official Israel government statement. Putin, who had earlier downplayed the seriousness of the Il-20 shoot down, said the plan was “compliant with [the] current situation and aimed at eliminating any potential threat to life of Russian servicemen,” according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

However, this is not the first time Russia has threatened to give Assad S-300s. After the massive U.S., U.K., and French cruise missile barrage against various targets in Syria in April 2018, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that his country would reconsider a long-stalled sale of the surface-to-air missile systems to the Syrian regime. There were rumors later that month, and again in May 2018, that the Kremlin had made good on this threat, but there has not been any evidence to substantiate those claims. Russia has its own S-300s in Syria.

In addition, Shoigu was very careful to stress that Russia would only jam aircraft that appeared to be inbound for attacks on areas of Syria that are situated along or near the country's Mediterranean coastline, which just so happens to be where the Kremlin's Khmeimim air base and Tartus naval base are located. Israel has conducted hundreds of air and missile strikes in Syria since the country’s civil war began and routinely sends aircraft across Lebanon, where they then release standoff weapons and often never actually enter Syrian airspace.

More importantly, Israel had made it clear, both rhetorically and with its actions, that it will not sit idly by and allow Iran and Iranian-backed groups, such as the Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah, to exploit the situation in Syria to expand their military capabilities and spread their influence. In particular, strikes against weapons shipments to Hezbollah are seen as an existential threat to the country and are non-negotiable.

The Israeli Air Force’s loss of an F-16I Sufa multi-role combat jet to a Syrian SA-5 in February 2018 has done nothing to slow their operational tempo – if anything, the opposite has occurred. In addition, the country has a squadron of F-35I Adir stealth fighters for missions it deems high-risk, but absolutely necessary and says that it has already sent them into combat, but to what extent remains unclear. Israel's increasingly broad menu of standoff weapons and their highly advanced electronic warfare and cyber capabilities also make the news of S-300s being supplied to Syria less of an issue than some want to believe.

Furthermore, Israel routinely targets Assad's air defenses to clear the way for further strikes and is likely to destroy any Syrian-operated S-300s. There is no indication that Russia would be inclined to continue supplying replacement systems to Syria or to engage in any direct conflict with Israeli forces – risking a potential broader conflict with a nuclear-armed opponent.

Posted by 3dc 2018-09-26 00:00|| || Front Page|| [2 views ] Top

#1 And after every strike Syrians will down a Russian plane?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2018-09-26 03:32|| 2018-09-26 03:32|| Front Page Top

#2 I'm amazed anyone buys it. But I guess it can take out Eastern Bloc stuff. American and Israeli jets seem to have no problem pimp slapping the system and hitting their targets.

Posted by Silentbrick 2018-09-26 07:38|| 2018-09-26 07:38|| Front Page Top

#3 The bullet doesn't matter when the shooter's blind.

(And a guy hired just because he's from the fight tribe, and never trained, because if he knew more than his commander that would bring disgrace to his commander.)

Posted by Rob Crawford 2018-09-26 08:16|| 2018-09-26 08:16|| Front Page Top

#4 Will the S-300s be protected by a political Russian tripwire, i.e. will there be a token presence of Russian military personnel who would come to harm if the S-300s were attacked and neutralized?

In a broader sense will Russia set up such a tripwire to protect Iran's forces in Syria and perhaps Iran's nuclear assets?

Posted by Elmerert Hupens2660 2018-09-26 12:11|| 2018-09-26 12:11|| Front Page Top

#5 Assuming the Russians and the Israelis don't make 'arrangements'...

Posted by SteveS 2018-09-26 12:43|| 2018-09-26 12:43|| Front Page Top

#6 Will the S-300s be protected by a political Russian tripwire, i.e. will there be a token presence of Russian military personnel who would come to harm if the S-300s were attacked and neutralized?

Russians learned the hard way in Afghanistan not to mix their troops with natives.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2018-09-26 13:37|| 2018-09-26 13:37|| Front Page Top

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