Soviet/Russian SAM/ABM systems have always been the best.
For example, in the Yom Kippur War the SA-6 totally dominated the IAF
and made mincemeat out of the IAF.
Sure the IAF made mincemeat out of the SAF and EAF, but that still
doesn't change the fact that the SA-6 made mincemeat out of the IAF.
The Israeli Air Force was afraid to face the SA-6, and most of the
SA-6 batteries that were destroyed were destroyed by IDF GROUND
forces, and BTW the VAST majority of SA-6 Sam Batteries were still
intact at the end of the war.
I was reading some where that Egyptian SA-6 batteries fired like 95
missiles during the Yom Kippur war and as a result 64 IAF aircraft
were shot down by those missiles, so considering that sometimes 2
missiles might be fired at the same aircraft, that's a VERY impressive
performance against the IAF by the SA-6.
I was also reading that even a weak little country like Syria was able
to shoot down 36 IAF aircraft in a single day largely because of the
SA-6.
Later during the 80s in Lebanon when the SA-6 was OLD and Israel had
newer aircraft and using UAVs to fool the SA-6, the IAF was able to do
great against the SA-6.
However, the moral of the story still remains, NEW Top of the Line
Russian SAMs and ABM systems are the BEST IN THE WORLD and always have
been and I'm sure that the Russian S-400 would give the IAF or any
airforce even more trouble than the SA-6 gave to the IAF in the Yom
Kippur War.

Hmmm then what happened in 1982 to the Syrian air defense systems?

It wasnt just age of the SA-6 that caused it defeat, it was tactics and lessons
learned from 73.

IAF was caught unprepared to deal with those SAMs in 73. They have not made
that mistake since.



Ron
Pilot/Wildland Firefighter