Tuesday 29 September 2015

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By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans
 

The arrival of the Su-34 'Fullback' fighter bomber to Syria could be seen as imminent since the initial deployment of the first combat assets to Syria, and has now finally confirmed to have occurred in recent days. Up to six Su-34s are now believed to have joined the four Su-30SMs, twelve Su-24M(2)s and twelve Su-25s already present at Hmeemeem/Bassel al-Assad IAP, Lattakia Governorate.

Monday 28 September 2015

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By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans


With Russian military support to the Syrian government having been brought to an entirely new level in the past month and international media focussed on the influx of aircraft and armoured vehicles to Syria, little has yet been uncovered about the extent of new small arms deliveries to the regime. However, the Russian Vesti state-owned news channel aired footage of Syrian soldiers equipped with British-made Accuracy International Arctic Warfare Magnum (AWM) sniper rifles on the 27th of September, revealing a wider procurement policy than previously thought.

Monday 21 September 2015

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By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

 

After the sighting of Su-30MS' and Su-24M2s over Syrian airspace just days ago, new satellite imagery acquired by Stratfor and AllSource Analysis dating from the 20th of September has now revealed the presence of twelve Su-25 'Frogfoots' being assembled at Hmeemeem/Bassel al-Assad IAP for a total of twenty Russian combat aircraft now confirmed to be deployed in Syria. Around the same time, U.S. officials claimed that no less than twenty-eight combat aircraft and up to twenty helicopters have now been stationed in Syria as part of wider Russian deployment of military personnel in Syria.

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By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

 

Amid a range of reports of sightings of Russian military personnel and equipment used in combat in Syria, Russia's role in the conflict escalated sharply with the confirmation of Russian aircraft and armoured vehicles being flown in by the dozens. Coinciding with the renovation of Hmeemeem/Bassel al-Assad IAP for use as a Russian military base, Il-76 strategic airlifters or (more likely) Il-78 aerial refuelling planes have been sighted escorting military aircraft such as the Su-30SM and Su-24M(2) over Syria, together with An-124 strategic airlifters reportedly carrying at least two Mi-17 and two Mi-24/35 helicopters amongst a range of other weaponry.

Sunday 20 September 2015

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By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans
 

This list only includes vehicles and equipment in service with the Yemeni Army before the Houthi takeover of Yemen in 2014 and 2015. Vehicles and equipment acquired and produced during the ongoing conflict are not included in this list. The goal of this list is to comprehensively catalogue the pre-war inventory of the Yemeni Army, list the country's esoteric AFV designs as well as clarify what military equipment is currently available to Yemeni parties on the battlefield. Civilian trucks towing military trailers are not included in the list.

Wednesday 16 September 2015

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By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

The past few days have seen a steep increase of evidence revealing the true extent of direct military involvement by the Russian military on the ground in Syria. The sighting of recently delivered Russian UAVs and Russian BTR-82A infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) in addition to sound fragments confirming Russian military personnel directly participated in one of regime's offensives in the Lattakia Governorate all proved Russia was deeper involved in the Syrian Civil War than many previously thought.

Thursday 10 September 2015

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By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

After having been beleaguered for close to three years, Abu ad-Duhor airbase has finally been captured by rebels, mainly of the al-Nusra Front, on the 9th of September 2015. Battling the longest siege of the Syrian Civil War, the fall of the airbase ultimately proved to be inevitable. Abu ad-Duhor is now the eight airbase to have been lost to the numerous factions opposing the government, and leaves the Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) with fifteen operational airbase to conduct sorties from.