https://southfront.org/russian-pantsir-goes-hunting-syrian-skies/
Written and produced by SF Team: J.Hawk, Daniel Deiss, Edwin Watson
If you’re able, and if you like our content and approach, please support the project. Our work wouldn’t be possible without your help: PayPal: southfront@list.ru or via: http://southfront.org/donate/ or via: https://www.patreon.com/southfront
While the S-400 has captured the headlines, in part because the maps showing the system’s impressive engagement radius make good copy, in actuality the S-400 is the tip of the iceberg that is the integrated, multi-layer, air defense network that Russia has emplaced in Syria, mainly to protect its bases in Tartus and Hmeimim, but also forward airfields and own forces in the field.
The bottom, and also the most active, layer of that network is the Pantsir-S short-range air defense system which closes the gaps that will inevitably be left by the far more powerful S-400 and Buk-M2 weapons. The complex relief of Syria and of course the Earth’s curvature mean that the main effect of the long-range weapons is to force enemy aircraft to very low altitudes in order to stay out of the S-400 kill zones and to rely on GPS-guided stand-off munitions such as JASSM, JDAM, and SDB, possibly using toss-bombing techniques to extend the range of the gliding bombs.
While the S-400 can shoot down cruise missiles and even gliding bombs, it is gross overkill to use its powerful and also relatively scarce missiles against such puny targets. Instead, this is the mission for which the Pantsir-S was designed from the outset. Since each individual Pantsir-S vehicle carries 12 57E6 radio command guided, 20km range missiles and two 30mm 2A38 cannon with 700 rounds per gun and a rate of fire of 2500 shots per minute, it closes the low-altitude gaps of the S-400 and generates sufficient short-range missile and gun firepower to shoot down incoming missiles and munitions, thus allowing the S-400 to keep enemy manned aircraft at bay.
It is indeed a measure of the S-400’s effectiveness that kept it from having to fire a single missile in anger in Syria. So instead the aerial threats to Russian forces in theater have taken a different form, one which has kept the Pantsir-S vehicles quite busy. In 2017 alone Pantsir-S vehicles in Syria so far destroyed 12 aerial vehicles, all of them with missiles. Two of them were probably innocuous–drifting balloons, though given the nature of the conflict, and the fact they were both downed a few days apart in June over Tartus and Hmeimim, these balloons may have been fitted out with surveillance equipment to observe Russian military facilities. Both were destroyed at close to the missiles’ maximum range. Four of the targets were artillery rockets shot down over Hmeimim and Masyaf in Hama Province, all of them in March. The remainders are surveillance drones, including one Turkish-manufactured Bayraktar drone downed near Tartus on May 11, three Israeli-manufactured Heron drones downed near Tartus and Masyaf in April, May, and July of this year, one unspecified mini-drone over Masyaf and (drumroll please) a single RQ-21A Blackjack UAV downed near Tartus on May 27, 2017. That last downing is particularly interesting, since the Blackjack only entered service in 2016 and its sole confirmed users are Canada and…the United States Navy and Marine Corps. They are known to have been deployed by the USMC to Iraq in 2016, but can also be operated from naval vessels. Its 16-hour endurance presumably allows it to have been possibly launched from the British airbase in Cyprus.
These incidents indicate that there are still many parties unhappy with the course the war in Syria has taken, which leaves open the possibility of a serious escalation. They also show that the Russian air defenders are keeping their eyes and ears open, ready to bring down any violators of the Syrian airspace. As the proliferation of drones is only likely to increase in the coming years, the Tula-based KBT is already working on an improved version of the Pantsir, designated the Pantsir-SM, incorporating the experience gathered during its service in Syria. The improvements include a micro-missile specifically designed to defeat enemy drones, with four such weapons being carried within an individual 57E6 missile tube, thus reducing engagement cost and increasing the volume of fire against the drone swarms of the future.
BREAKING: US military attempts to block Syrian governments access to ISIS-held gas, oilfields in Deir Ezzor
September 20, 2017 – Fort Russ News – Paul Antonopoulos
“Reports have emerged that the US military are attempting to block the Syrian government from reaching ISIS-held gas and oilfields in Deir Ezzor’s countryside.
The US forces were reportedly airdropped on the Conoco Gas Plant to the northeast of Deir Ezzor city, as seen in the above map.
It has been confirmed however by Al-Masdar News CEO, Leith Fadel, that US troops were airdropped on the Taybeh Oil Field.
Reports claiming the Syrian Army conducted an airborne operation at Taybeh Oil Field is false; it was the US military.
This comes as only yesterday Fort Russ News reported with detailed maps on the race between Syrian government forces and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) race to reach Deir Ezzor’s rich oil and gas fields.
It is unclear at this moment if the SDF were involved in today’s airdrops. ”
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/09/breaking-us-military-attempts-to-block.html
WW3 is coming
Both sides are pushing for it. The US, because it needs to defend the status quo. The Russia China alliance, plus allies, because there has rarely been a better time. I believe we are going to see the US deliberately being drawn into intensifying their activity in 4 or 5 areas simultaneously. Ukraine, Syria, NK, Venezuela, Afghanistan and somewhere else. If they kick something off in any one of these, the RC alliance and friends are going to take the US at each corner and pull. If they don’t, sooner or later they are going to get wiped in turn.
“US military attempts to block Syrian governments access to ISIS-held gas, oilfields in Deir Ezzor”
Not totally surprised.
About three months ago reports started appearing saying the US had built a dozen or so bases in Syria and they weren’t planning to leave.
Now, in East-of-the-Euphrates Syria there is a concentration of the “kernel” forces wanting Damascus to fall.
Gathered here stand Israel, the US, any old terrorists willing to fight, western special forces, SDF, Kurds and remnants of ISIS, mercenaries left right and centre and a massive injection of new American weapons – and this is the opposition the SAA now faces – the hardcore engine of the whole war.
American troops? Not so much, but American support in every other way? – oh yes. One might say it looks like the US is running this part of the war. Perversely such an eventuality would almost certainly guarantee failure !
Here’s the nub of it –
Will the Syrian army shoot at US forces?
Please don’t promote videos from this agency under the Southfront news updates. Thx. Mod
various videos of latest in Syria
t’was me I pressed post button before putting in my name in my haste…….
JJ, Scott informed you some time ago to not post any links to that news agency. You are fully aware of this and there is nothing further to say. Mod
Excellent. Saker expounded on this topic several months back. Now we have SouthFront’s terrifically clear infographics and narrative.
https://www.rt.com/news/403980-syria-jihadists-idlib-russia/
The duplicitous US backing the terrorists in Idlib to try and capture Russian forces and get decimated. 850 terrorists killed plus destroyed 11 tanks and other assets.Only 29 military police fought for several hours to keep this filth at bay with no losses.
First, Dei-ez-zor last year giving terrorists a foothold in the hills and killing 100 SAA soldiers
Second, retaking Palmyra whilst Syrian army and its allies were finishing Aleppo op and
Now, whilst Syrian army and its allies are gaining in Deir-ez-zor – they have the terrorsits attack the de-escalation zones in Idlib.
They play the same game over and over. Time to stop giving them any information in Syria if they can’t behave. Lavrov had to remind Rex Tillerson yesterday that Al NF are terrorists – all making a bit of sense now…….
The question to ask too – how did these terrorists have all this heavy tanks/jeeps and equipmet in a zone where all the terrorists were only allowed to take light weapons?
Russia, Iran, please publish asap all intelligence regarding USA collusion with al nusrah, isis , cos surely Russian military would not state this without evidence, as soon as possible give usa 72 hours to totally vacate Syria, declare them to be supporters of international terrorism……..
If they killed over 800 terorists, at least twice that number is wounded, which is really nice score. I have feeling that game just got much tougher.
Southfront is a great and detailed body of informed observers. Thanks for the detail, chaps.
Title: ‘US Secret Services’ Tried to Nab 29 Russian Troops in Syria … and Got Their Butts Kicked – Russian Military (RI)
http://russia-insider.com/en/military/us-secret-services-tried-nab-29-russian-troops-syria-and-got-their-butts-kicked-russian
Of interest: comment by ziga chris chuba • 7 hours ago
“Check out video @Souria4Syrians’s Tweet: “Video showing SAA repelling Nusra offensive in North Hama & inflicting heavy losses. More dead, more armour losses than thought!!!”
Syrian Troops Shelled From Areas Controlled by SDF, US Military – Russian MoD
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201709211057571339-sdf-militants-daesh-orders/
“The Syrian governmental troops have been shelled twice from the areas on the western bank of the Euphrates controlled by the Syrian Democratoc Forces and the US military,” Konashenkov said.
“More than 85 percent of Deir ez-Zor’s territory is under full control of Syrian troops. Over the next week the city will be liberated completely,” he said.
“During the past 24 hours, the Syrian government troops continued their offensive operations to destroy the last Daesh bridgehead near the city of Deir ez-Zor. Over the past night, General Suhel’s assault detachments cleared about 16 square kilometers and two settlements on the western bank of the Euphrates of terrorists,” Konashenkov said.
Konashenkov said that against the backdrop of the Syrian troops’ success, the international coalition led by the United States and the Syrian Democratic Forces stopped the operation to liberate Raqqa.
“Russian control means the registered transfer of SDF militants from the province of Raqqa to the northern areas of Deir ez-Zor province,” he said.
The spokesman said SDF militants approaching Deir ez-Zor from the north were joining the battle unhindered on orders from the Daesh terrorists.
“Russian Special Operations Forces servicemen, jointly with Syrian troops, are carrying out combat tasks to destroy ISIL [Daesh] terrorists in those areas,” Konashenkov said, adding that a representative of the US Armed Forces command in Qatar had been told that attempts at shelling from areas where the SDF militants were would be stopped.”
And regarding zionazi assist of daesh in Afghanistan:
Russia Expresses Distrust to US Over ‘Helicopters Carrying Daesh’ in Afghanistan
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201709211057572844-russia-distrust-daesh-afghanistan-us-chopers/
“Russian presidential special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said Thursday that during a meeting in New York with his US counterpart Alice Wells, he expressed his distrust regarding the issue of “unidentified helicopters” in the north of Afghanistan that were transferring Daesh and their ammunition.
“Among the problems that we have, I identified the distrust that we have in connection with these mysterious helicopters transferring ISIL [Daesh] militants, their weapons, ammunition,” Kabulov said.
Kabulov, who heads the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Second Asian Department (2AD), met on Wednesday with US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs and Acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Alice Wells.”
RT provides more detail on the zionazi/sdf/daesh coordination:
US-backed forces approaching Deir ez-Zor from north ‘work to ISIS objectives’ – Russian MoD
https://www.rt.com/news/404040-russian-mod-sdf-syria/
“Russia had detected the transfer of SDF militants from Raqqa, stronghold of the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS/ISIL), to northern areas of Deir ez-Zor, the Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said in a statement.
“SDF militants work to the same objectives as IS terrorists. Russian drones and intelligence have not recorded any confrontations between IS and the ‘third force’, SDF,” Konashenkov said.
He added that the Syrian troops had been shelled at least twice from areas on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, where SDF militants are stationed together with US troops.
Russia is currently leading an offensive targeting IS terrorists in these areas, the ministry said.
“For this reason Russia unequivocally told the commanders of US forces in Al Udeid Air Base (Qatar) that it will not tolerate any shelling from the areas where SDF are stationed,” Konashenkov said.”
Related:
US security services behind Al Nusra offensive in Syria’s Idlib – Russian MoD
https://www.rt.com/news/404010-us-nusra-idlib-offensive/
“According to our intelligence data, the offensive was instigated by the US security services to stop the successful advance of the government forces to the east of the [city of] Deir ez-Zor,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, commenting on the incident.
The jihadists attacked the positions of government forces stationed to the north and northeast of the city of Hama on Tuesday in an attempt to break through the Syrian Army defenses into a designated de-escalation zone, the ministry said.
One of the major goals of the terrorists consisted in capturing a unit of the Russian military police monitoring the situation in the de-escalation zone, the ministry said.
The terrorists, however, failed to achieve their goals and their offensive was eventually repelled by government forces supported by Russian military aircraft.
Earlier, Russian officials already suspected the US of having links to some radical groups in Syria and even of attempts to let Al Nusra terrorists off the hook. On September 11, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the situation around the Al Nusra Front terrorist group remains “highly ambiguous” as it was repeatedly spared in the operations conducted by the US-led coalition and its allies.
Lavrov then condemned this situation by denouncing the actions of “some members of the US-led coalition that seek to spare Al Nusra” as “absolutely unacceptable.”
Time for some very precise special ops or air strikes again?
850 Jihadist Killed as Russuan Warplanes Help Syrian Army Repel Idlib Offensive
https://www.globalresearch.ca/850-jihadists-killed-as-russian-warplanes-help-syrian-army-repel-idlib-offensive-moscow/5609985