Syria acquires the S-300PMU2 Favorit air defense system, supposedly able to down U.S. aircraft taking off from carriers in the Mediterranean

The Lebanon war and a fistful of Iranian petrodollars impel Syrian
president Bashar Asad to haul his armed forces into the present.
DEBKA-Net-Weekly 284 of Jan. 5, 207, revealed his latest acquisition:
the sophisticated Russian S-300PMU2 FAVORIT air defense system, which
is capable of downing Israel planes in Israeli air space and aircraft
taking off from US Mediterranean carriers. Two new mechanized divisions
are under construction raising the total to 12. Five will face Israel
on the Golan, joined by new elite units trained for cross-border
incursions.


The Syrian army has begun striking out in new directions for the first
time since Bashar Asad succeeded his father as president seven years
ago, DEBKA-Net-Weekly's military sources reveal.

Two new mechanized divisions are under construction. When they are
completed in the coming spring, the Syrian armed forces will consist of
12 divisions - five deployed opposite Israel on the Golan, of which 3
are in forward positions facing Israeli troops and tanks and 2 further
back on call as reinforcements should war erupt.

Two armored divisions are stationed outside the Syrian towns of Homs
and Der'a; the Republican Guard division 569 is permanently assigned
to securing the ruling Asad family in Damascus; an infantry division is
posted on the Syrian-Turkish border and another on the Syria-Iraq
frontier.

Hafez Asad's military doctrine was based on Syria being too poor in
money and technology to maintain modern air and naval forces; it must
therefore rely on a very strong anti-air defense system based on large
quantities of medium range missiles, mostly Soviet Scuds-B, -C and
-D, equipped with chemical and biological warheads. These missiles
are capable of reaching every densely-populated corner of Israel.

Asad senior also bought a huge fleet of tanks from Moscow.

Today, the Syrian army is one of the few in the world, outside Africa
and the Third World, to maintain in active service the anachronistic
T-54 and T-55 tanks. The later model, T-72, is obsolete too, and most
would be destroyed in combat with up-to-date tanks.

When Asad the younger assumed power in June 2000, he more or less
adhered to his father's military concept with two important
exceptions:

He signed a mutual defense pact with Iran binding each country to come
to the aid of the other against an external aggressor. The pact covered
a merger between the Syrian and Iranian military industries, including
Syria's missile factories (the biggest is an underground facility
near the northern town of Homs). Syria thus procured advanced missile
technology from Iran.

Asad's second project was to develop commando units for penetrating
Israel's home front in the even of a war with the Jewish state. Ten
of these battalions have been created.

But the Israel-Hizballah war of summer 2006 was the Syrian ruler's
real eye-opener.

He saw the legendary IDF fail to subdue the enemy; Hizballah pounding
northern Israel's towns and villages day after day and forcing one
million Israelis to abandon their homes. And he saw Hizballah using
anti-tank rockets with devastating effect against advancing Israeli
armored forces regardless of steady Israeli air bombardment.

The Syrian army has consequently undergone fundamental changes in
weaponry and self-perception:

1. Its high command has been freed of its long sense of military
inferiority to the IDF, despite Israel's considerable strength.

2. There will therefore be far less inhibitions in the way of
retaliating for Israeli military attacks, big or small, against Syrian
territory. This freedom from restraint could also apply to Israeli spy
planes penetrating Syrian air space.

3. Syria is preparing its army, especially the commando battalions, for
such reprisals to take the form of cross-border operations.

4. Since the second half of November, 2006, small special units of
10-12 men are in training as terrorist teams for strikes inside Israel,
starting with the Israeli Golan.

5. Anti-tank rockets have been introduced as standard equipment in all
units down to company level.

6. In Moscow last month, the Syrian president signed a big arms deal
with Russia.

7. He was taken round a base near Moscow for a display of the latest
Russian anti-air missiles. In particular, he examined the S-300PMU2
FAVORIT system, which is designed to defend strategic facilities and
armed forces against attack by modern aircraft, cruise missiles, and
ballistic missiles in heavy ECM environments.

This air defense system is equipped with 30N6E2 fire-control radar, a
96L6E target acquisition and designation radar, eight 5P85SE launchers
and 48N6E2 missiles with a range of 200km against aircraft and 40 km
against ballistic missiles.

The system can engage six targets simultaneously with 12 missiles.

DEBKA-Net-Weekly's military experts describe this as a highly
sophisticated, extremely expensive piece of hardware. Each battery
costs $600 million.

Our sources report that before he left, Asad clinched a deal with
Moscow to purchase this system on credit from Iran as part of
Tehran's arms transactions with the Russians. This is worrisome news
indeed. It will place in the radical Asad regime's hands a strategic
weapon capable not only of downing Israeli planes while still in
Israeli air space, but also US and European aircraft taking off from
carriers in the eastern Mediterranean.


http://debka.com/
http://debka.com/article.php?aid=1249

Perhaps this explains the deployment of a squadron of 16 to 24 U.S.
F-16s in southern Turkey,
for SEAD missions ....suppression of enemy air defences.

AirRaid wrote:
The Lebanon war and a fistful of Iranian petrodollars impel Syrian
president Bashar Asad to haul his armed forces into the present.
DEBKA-Net-Weekly 284 of Jan. 5, 207, revealed his latest acquisition:
the sophisticated Russian S-300PMU2 FAVORIT air defense system, which
is capable of downing Israel planes in Israeli air space and aircraft
taking off from US Mediterranean carriers. Two new mechanized divisions
are under construction raising the total to 12. Five will face Israel
on the Golan, joined by new elite units trained for cross-border
incursions.

Now, if we can convince an American aircraft carrier to get within 100
nm of the Syrian coast the Syrians are in business with this set up.
Which part goes the 10K kph, the missile or the target?

S-300PMU2 Favorit

The S-300PMU2 Favorit variant is a new missile with larger warhead and
better guidance with a range of 200 km, versus the 150 km of previous
versions. The S-300 PMU2 "FAVORIT" air defence missile system is
designed for defense of vital facilities of the state and its armed
forces against mass strikes by modem and future aircraft, strategic
cruise missiles, tactical and theatre ballistic missiles, and other air
attack weapons over a full range of altitudes and speeds in heavy ECM
environments. The universal mobile multichannel Favorit air defence
missile system is a follow-on of the S-300 PMU1 ADM system and 83M6E
command and control system and is distinguished by improved technical
and operational characteristics. The improvements were achieved by
introducing new engineering innovations in the S-300 PMU1, based on
experience gained during its operation, and perfection of software
support using state-of-the-art computer aids.

Unveiled at the MAKS'97 exhibition in August 1997, the S-300PMU2
Favorit represents a thorough modification of the S-300PMU1. The first
tests were performed on 10 August 1995 at the Kapustin Yar firing
range. One new element is the entirely new 96L6E autonomous mobile
radar, which works in conjunction with the 83M6E2 control post and
S-300MPU2 launchers. The new 48N6E2 missile, developed by MKB Fakel,
weighs 1,800 kg, and is 7.5 m long and 0.5 m in diameter. After a cold
start in the upright position with help of a catapult, the 48N6E2
accelerates up to 1,900 m/s in 12 sec time, and then approaches the
target from above. The 48N6E2 differs from the older 48N6E in having a
new warhead specially designed for destroying ballistic missiles, with
a warhead weight of 145 kg versus 70-100 kg.

The S-300PMU2 Favorit can engage targets flying from 10 m to 27 km
above the surface at a speed of up to 10,000 km/h. It is claimed that
it has a kill ratio ranging from 0.8 to 0.93 against aircraft and from
0.8 to 0.98 against Tomahawk-class cruise missiles.

more.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita.../s-300pmu2.htm

In article .com,
(Jack Linthicum) wrote:
AirRaid wrote:
the sophisticated Russian S-300PMU2 FAVORIT air defense system,
Now, if we can convince an American aircraft carrier to get within 100
nm of the Syrian coast the Syrians are in business with this set up.
Which part goes the 10K kph, the missile or the target?

They seem to be claiming that it stands a chance against targets making
10K kph - that is, moderately chunky ballistic missiles.

Actually, the thing this gives Syria is the ability to contest airspace
over the Golam Heights. And some way into Israel. The range of the thing
is quite noticeable; I first noticed it when Greek Cyprus bought some
and the Turks protested loudly, since it gave the GC the ability to
attack planes over some of mainland Turkey.

--
John Dallman, , HTML mail is treated as probable spam.

It may do well against Russian drones but what about against American
designed planes using American tactics for SEAD missions and the
assoicated counter-measures? The track record of Russian SAMs against
our planes is not impressive but in all fairness rarely if ever do our
SAMS go up against Russian aircraft. Let alone how often are the
abilities of a new weapons system far over-rated...we do it all the
time to secure funding from Congress. I'd like to see this system
against a F-22 or perhaps even a B-52 firing stealth cruise missiles
from far outside its range. Get falcons to fly in as a feint and then
once the SAM radar lights up highlighting its position the cruise
missiles are fired...memorize the rough location of the radar and
cluster bomb the area etc...no need to kill the missiles...just the
radar/command trailer.

The S-300PMU2 Favorit can engage targets flying from 10 m to 27 km
above the surface at a speed of up to 10,000 km/h. It is claimed that
it has a kill ratio ranging from 0.8 to 0.93 against aircraft and from
0.8 to 0.98 against Tomahawk-class cruise missiles.

more.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita.../s-300pmu2.htm

Very soon now turning on a radar will be even more like waving a red
rag to an angry bull. It is an inescapable fact that the radar set can
be detected far outside its own area of coverage. Any set's target
detection range is a function of the fourth root of its power; the
detectability of its transmissions correlates with the square root of
the range. (inverse square both ways) Wonder how many missiles he
bought? I see a good use for cheap decoys mixed with loitering killer
drones.
Walt BJ

Can they shoot down a Cruise Missle a hundred feet above the tree tops ?

The S-300, particularly with the 48N6 missile, is a very capable
system, but it really is not much, if any, of a threat to US aircraft
near their carriers. The best placement in Syria results in coverage
of maybe 70% of Israeli airspace. About the same amount of
Jordainian space is covered. There is pretty good potential to
reach into the western region of Iraq, even into the Mosul area,
but not as far as Fallujah. Al Asad is covered like a glove.

But out into the Med they only give coverage out to about the
eastern tip of Cyprus, I doubt many carrier groups would bottle
themselves up between Syria and Cyprus, even without the threat
of the Favorit.

Also, although the Favorit seems to be a very nice system, it has
been around for a while and does not have much of a combat
record. It remains to be seen how much of a threat it really is.
In particular, the advertisements claim a better probability of kill
against a cruise missile target than a non-maneuvering aircraft,
and that seems kind of wrong. Kind of throws the claimed
performance of the system in doubt to me.

C!

Colic wrote:
The S-300, particularly with the 48N6 missile, is a very capable
system, but it really is not much, if any, of a threat to US aircraft
near their carriers. The best placement in Syria results in coverage
of maybe 70% of Israeli airspace. About the same amount of
Jordainian space is covered. There is pretty good potential to
reach into the western region of Iraq, even into the Mosul area,
but not as far as Fallujah. Al Asad is covered like a glove.
I'm sure Israel's intelligence service and our sats track the movements
of those SAM batteries closely so we know where they are and which are
active as in set-up for combat at all times. SAM systems are relatively
fixed targets and once they are detected you can set-up attacks to take
them down in short order unless you mass many systems together and even
then you can thin them out. The best air defense remains to be a
credible air force b/c the planes are not static in the sky and can
attempt to evade when attacked.