The Syrian Army successfully uses unique strike units, consisting of tanks, anti-aircraft guns and engineering vehicles, in its fighting against international terrorism.
Photo: arabic-army.com
Some units of the Syrian Arab Army demonstrates an innovative approach in fighting well-equiped militant groups across Syria.
Fighters of the elite 4th Armored Division took measures on radical protection of their armored vehicles and worked over their actions in the framework of the unique combat unit. As the Vestnik Mordovii informational website reported, the combat unit includes T-72M1 main battle tanks with powerful shaped-charge protection armor, as well as the well protected ZSU-23-4 Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and 14.5 mm anti-aircraft machine guns, mounted on the chassis of the T-72 tanks. Recently, the IMR-2 combat engineering vehicles, also equipped with additional armor, joined the military unit.
Judging by video footages, this combat unit operates as a smooth-running mechanism: IMR-2 vehicles clear passages, T-72 tanks attack the enemy, and Shilka anti-aircraft guns support tanks and vehicles with fire, eliminating manpower.
In fact, we can see a massive implementation of combat modules in condiction of the Syrian war.
The Syrian Army and Russia have rewritten all the Armor Warfare Teory in this conflict. And to go deeper, Air and Sea Warfare as well !! Just see the Aircraft Carriers sit idle in the East and West Coast of the USA !! Just see Israel trying to play friends with Putin !! Maybe the US Special Forces should star instructing NATO, the US Army and MARINES in Guerrilla Warfare….Because if III World War develops, that is about all the response they are capable, as of now, to provide.
What are you trying to say? Because its not that clear? If I go by whats written you believe that Syria’s army along with a small group of Russians who have yet to control their own country after five years of war have changed the face of warfare. Specific to armored warfare? On top of that US carriers who are in home port who are not at war nor have they been at war are only in their home port because they fear the SAA and a dozen SU 24’s! Because that’s what I am getting from your post?
Then you are not aware of the Apaches and M1B Abrams wrecks in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, Syria and Irak….That is what I’m getting from your answer. And what is clear to me is your desolation induced by what I wrote above. Previous to 2011… All the Aircraft Carriers where permanetly at sea. The task forces where deployed in all the Oceans and THAT IS NO MORE… A few Russian and Chinese cruise missiles ruined your dreams Ted. I Want to console you my friend. 5 years wasted in Syria and more in Irak, Afghanistan and Yemen !! Perhaps if you join some reenactment group and get yourself some late fashion cammies, knee and elbow pads, you would be happy again !!
Your argument would carry more weight if you left the homo erotic out of it and used facts to support your argument. There really is no need for it. This is not you tube. I simply asked a clarifying question about your comments. The fact you take offense is on you. You have nothing here that would support any of your wildly ignorant claims, If you have nothing to contribute simply don’t! If you take such offense with me, say so I would be happy to clarify what my comments mean if miss understood. Lastly leave the key board warrior stuff out, its not in the least bit intimidating. If you wish to convey this type of message man up, deliver this type of message face to face, you don’t type it on a anonymous forum it just does not convey the tuff guy thing your going for.
Ted is now Shaken Ted !! So deseperate that sees homo eroticism where there is none !! Is that what you are looking for ???? Blind Shaken Ted : The Ted that doesn’t want to see !!
The Syrian army have involuntarily rewritten some part of “Armored Warfare Theory”, because it is pretty clear by now that tanks no longer have the role they used to
Tanks are instead reduced to hugely expensive field artillery and it’s only the cost and a higher caliber that separate them from a cheap, worn-out Toyota Pickup with a rusty medium gun on top
I dont think the fighting in Syria reflects anything more then the realities on the ground in Syria. I would say its been well known since the advent of the tank that it works best with support. History is full of examples. I do not see the tank any different today then five years ago. It is a weapon in an arsenal of weapons. It has never been an end all. I would agree that in Syria they are used as mobile artillery or pill boxes.The fact that Toyotas are being used is most likely due to the fact they have no tanks. I would say I could agree with this maybe on the day soldiers choose the toyota over the T90. But I am not so sure this is the case today. To draw a similar conclusion one could say that the days of a modern air force have also ended. Because in Syria the rebels have none and Syria well they have at best an out dated minimal one. Why have an SU34 when you can have an L39? Or is it that they simply dont have a choice? I think all you see in Syria is simply reflection of the reality on the ground in Syria. Nothing more. The tactics and weapons used in Syria may or may not work else where as they develop based on the threats faced on the battlefield at the time. This story of Syrian hodgepodge armor is the perfect example.
I don’t think it’s ever been the case that one man could take out a tank a mile away as in Syria today
It’s true that tanks are being deployed without infantry support as originally envisioned but infantry have a range much shorter than a modern ATGM so they’re not of much use anyway
i think most nations have tested their latest warfare equipment in syria, some with success and alot with dissapointment.especially the tanks
The Yemenites are cooking American Abrams M4 regularly. Just search YouTube for “Abrams M4 cook off” https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=abrams+m4+cook+off
Horrible footage for tank producers all over the World
and on the other hand, you have the cheap basic T-55’s which are with some DIY welding resisting the ATGMs. world is unfair, right?
Correction, great news for tank producers, terrible for tank crews :P
actually, the only new tank in syrian war is T-90, and it’s holding up pretty good so far. plus, russians are upgrading them from recent experiences. secondly, it turned out that the supposedly obsolete T-55 is still a viable weapon on a modern battlefield if properly DIY up-armoured. so, i guess the tank side is anything but disappointing.
To go beyond survival a system must use innovation to solved long term problems. Innovation in hardware is part of that. Addressing unnecessary kills is also part of defeating insurgency that needs injustice to thrive. US soldier Callie perpetrated My Lai Massacre killing hundreds of civilians. The US was defeated in Vietnam because excess murder upset locals and GI killed unnecessarily. In Syria its critical for unnecessary kills and injuries to stop. Unnecessary kills cause the resistance to grow . Unnecessary kills encourage the Sunni population to seek ISIS protection . Of coarse in units that are Shia the real unnecessary kills are covered up. Video of kills of Sunni should be taken and reviewed by independent government review staffed largely by Sunni officers outside the kill group. Kills should be ranked one to ten on scale of unnecessary. SAA soldiers who get highest score of unnecessary kills should be sent for reeducation or permanently removed. The Sunni population of Syria must know that independent Sunni will review deaths to prevent unnecessary deaths of Sunni.
The Sunni population of Syria must have power within the Sunni of SAA to protect Sunni population from reckless death as well as islamic terrorist. The Sunni officers of SAA must take pride in protecting rights of other Sunni .
Lmao… please do some research before you post your gibberish. 70% of the SAA is SUNNI dumb ass !
please, in order to keep this site clean and serious, be respectful and post references, not personal agressions
That is normal response. If you ask CIA drone strike crews whether the drone strike kills are always necessary you will get a yes. The reality is that unnecessary kills promote resistance.The CIA drone strikes are never reviewed by those sympathetic to target. When people re killed their friends and sympathizers should have a voice in whether the death was necessary. The SAA should implement video and review of battlefield action by parties not influenced by battle crew. They should seek independent review.Note that US in Vietnam never had independent review . US Callie massacred civilians and as usual never had penalties. Within the fighting crew the loyalty is to always cover up unnecessary deaths. Likely a small 5 to 10 percent are responsible for 70-90 percent of unnecessary deaths. The US and Russia in Afghanistan never gave voice or opportunity for those sympathetic to victims to be heard. It is not possible to wipe out religious extremism. Religious extremism thrives where there is lack of justice. Give people a better system and protect rights and fewer will support outside system. Part of insurgency and terrorism is to promote unjust backlash that promotes recruitment of more fighters. Yes Sunni SAA is involved in killing other Sunni. But kills should be reviewed by someone outside local force with motivation to remove the trigger happy killers. Resistance resolves when injustice is reduced . Justice is every mans concerned . Justice is not handed out by men fearful of death with a lethal weapon. Justice comes from measured rational responses to violence . Everyone who kills whether soldier or not must be accountable. Accountability can not come from praise for kills by your squad.
The SAA is a majority Sunni army , therefore Christians , Shi ah , Druze and all ,are well aware that if there were any un- justified killings of civilians , the retribution would fall on them immediately , or friends or family. The Sunni Syrians are just as offended by the jihadists as anyone else , even if the Wahhabis are from a branch of Sunni Islam . The jihadists are not local Syrians , regardless of American claims that they are “rebels” . 80% Saudi and Tunisian , the balance Euro-Asians I am sure they are easy for a Syrian to spot. This was a problem in Iraq , where Sunnis got everything under Saddam , but the carpet pulled out from them by Bush . When Bush dismissed Saddam’s army , ISIS was born . Freshly trained by 8 years of war with Iran , intact command structure , and knowing where every gun, rocket, tank , and truck was stored , because they put them there .
Because Sunnis reviewing kills of Sunnis are completely unbiased…
No its not unbiased . But when those with empathy for victims review kills they can point to worst offenders. Take the long term view. You only defeat insurgency when that give up and accept they they will be valued members of the society they opposed. The US had far better weapons and financing than Sunni resistance in Iraq. But the Sunni resistance came back in form of ISIS. Insurgency can not be defeated by military hardware alone. It must assure opposition that they will be treated fairly and that those they fight for not not need protection from occupiers. Anyone who kills unnecessarily promotes retaliation. All military thinks insurgency is same as conventional war but insurgency can only be defeated by military power in combination with program for social justice. The US occupation of Iraq failed ecause total lack of social justice for Sunni. Sunni were unjustly imprisoned tortured and killed by Shia. Likely 5 percent of trigger happy people do 90 percent of unnecessary kills but are protected by local command force.No consequences for unnecessary kills exist because review outside local command is impossible. Yes CIA drone strikes are video taped but they are not sent to committee that represent victims for review. The reviewing committee can focus on rights of victims. All those killed need a voice.
It’s all well an good to talk about empathy and the long term view but if you have biased people reviewing crimes then you’re only going to further divide people.
It is simply impossible to stabilise a community after war by imposing foreign laws on them, that will only serve to turn the population against you, even if they were initially in favour of your operations, that is where the US occupation of Iraq failed on a local level, on the national level they failed to account for ideological divides amoung Arabs and imposed a government on the country that didn’t represent it’s differences.
Those factors weren’t the only ones the lead to the current state of Iraq, the main factor in the country’s loss of territory as oppose to rebellion was the transition from an armed foreign occupation to ill-prepared police at a local level and a disorganised, poorly trained and disciplined army at the national level in a very short period of time with a three way proxy war being fought in the neighbouring country. It’s a wonder the Iraqi forces managed to hold the line at Baghdad, since then they had to structure a capable military force while at war, again, far from ideal.
As to your desire to record everything that happens on the battlefield, with all the stray projectiles, shocks from explosions, radio and radar usage you’d spend more time repositioning cameras than fighting and more money replacing them than buying supplies for use on the battlefield, all for video that either can’t be used or if you’re forced to retreat video that may be in enemy hands and/or destroyed, besides, there is far more evidence of mass killing of civilians by the terrorists than by SAA aligned forces.
In order for us to take your claims as serious can you provide any instance where this Shea on Sunni unnecessary kills have taken place? Do you have any facts to back this claim besides the My Lai incident from another war taking place in 1968. Which you only know about due to the fact that the country and soldiers responsible for that prosecuted those involved? Almost all of the “unnecessary killing” has come from Sunni extremist from what I have seen. I make this claim with no link simply due to the fact that the number of well documented stories of isis and al nusra murders is well known. Unless there is factual proof I am with Sean, its gibberish!
There were hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians killed in Vietnam .It drove civilians to support VC. Even though US weapons vastly superior to Viet Cong, the US killed massive amounts VC but kept them motivated to keep fighting. Once a military or police unit reviews its own kills , it always justifies them. Kills by police or military should be reviewed independently by judge sympathetic to victims. Its in the SAA army best interest to eliminate those 5 percent who do 90 percent of unnecessary kills. Yet US Army protected Callie whose murder of civilians inspired thousands of Viet Cong. To win hearts and minds justice must be supported. The US lost in Iraq not due to failure of weapon systems but a failure of justice for the Sunni.
Again wrong war. We are talking about Syria? While I have no doubt there is killing of so called innocent people, I have seen no information that would support your above claims. That Shia are killing Sunni on a level that causes the civilian population of Syria to seek “isis protection” This is pure hogwash! Talking about a war that ended some 40 odd years ago does nothing to prove this. Even in that you say the “US Army protected” The man was given a life sentence, and yes while that was changed and he was later pardoned none of that has anything to do with your claim that the SAA kills so many Sunni that the population seeks ISIS help. People die in wars. That’s the way war works. Call them innocent call them collateral damage it makes no diff, they die the same. War is a ugly, nasty thing. People who like to think they can put rules around it, judges etc have not a damn clue. Maybe the idea that everyone is at risk in a war is a good thing, as it may give pause to idiots who think that in war there are some sort of moral rule book when it comes to killing. Because simply put when push come to shove there is not. There are no innocents and the killing will continue. Maybe its this reality that you should consider the next time you ask for a killing review board.
There were a lot of My Lai massacres in Vietnam, Most were never reported. William Callie exist by the hundred on every battlefield. Modern armies cover up rape as well as murder. Even police departments in USA use qualified immunity and lying testimony to hide misconduct. Body cams video evidence is best way to identify hot heads. A responsible internal affairs department is essential in counter terrorism war.The war for hearts and minds includes tracking how many civilians are under ISIS control or FSA control . Accurate information about why civilians remain in anti government areas is essential . Interviews with escapees from ISIS control. The real conflict can not be won with only bullets or technology.
Sweetie. People in Syria should go back to seeing one another as SYRIAN before anything else. Sectarianism promoted by western and gulf influences , divides the people from the start.
right out the gate, people are going to view every thing happen , goid or bed, through the lense of Sunni, Shiite, Etc.
before anyone issues 1-10 scales , reeducation this n that, and has any discussion on unessary violence or force of any kind, people need to return to the system of pluralism/secularism. Syrians > Anything Else.
Dividing, on sectarian lines is barbaric. these people arent barbarians. Theyre Syrians. ?
Saddam was an expert at treating those of other races including Shia justly .How could people see themselves as Syrian when Bathe Party included both Iraq and Syria. The Syrians government cooperated and did not interfere with USA when it unjustly invaded Iraq to remove Bathe party in US invasion. That betrayal is what haunts Assad. Yes they should be Syrians but they are always people. To defeat an insurgency you must win hearts and minds. Hearts and minds are not won with bullets but programs of justice.
The SAA is going to win this some day and those militants who didnt die or surrender/beg for forgiveness will scatter into the western world. Angry, bitter, and feeling betrayed above being defeated.
The Gulf monarchies will also be pissed and will turn a blind eye as thrir embittered minions melt into the western populace only to seek revenge in the form of terrorism or to wreak havoc in general.
the real piece of ‘technology’ The SAA will posses is Experience. Experience and lessons taught, shared and learned with a wonderful military ally – The России Армия и ВВС
The SAA will be well endowed with combat experience and rich – *rich* beyond the dreams of admirates – with lessons learned and wisdom gained. The SAA will have an army and airforce that, even if outdated, will be MORE than a match for any of Syria’s neighbors. Especially Turkey.
If leaderdhip in turkey or israel or jordan , KSA etc arent worried noe, they should be!
actually, it’s not only SAA who’s getting loaded on experience, it’s also Hezbollah. now THERE’S something about which both Israelis and Gulf countries with oppressed shia populations should be worried about.
OH YES THE SAA EXPERIENCE IS HUGE THEY LEARN ALOT LIKE VIETNAMESE ARMY SAA WILL BE GOOD SCHOOL FOR OTHER ARMIES TO LEARN
Every soldier wants to increase his chances of survival . The stap on armor is a positive experiment if nothing else. As weight is not a factor , no swamps or rivers to cross, “necessity , is the mother of invention” .
That’s how the tanks are supposed to be deployed…