Following up on last night’s surprise attempt to attak the Russian airbase at Hmeimim by a drone belonging to a Syrian Islamist faction, a whole flurry of additional armed drones have made attempted runs at Russian bases along the Syrian coast on Monday.
The drones came from about 30 miles away, guided by GPS units, and made runs against both Hmeimim, and the Tartus naval base on the Mediterranean. None managed to successful reach their targets.
According to a statement from the Russians, seven were shot down with anti-aircraft missiles, while the other six crashed and otherwise landed outside of the bases without doing any damage at all.
Hmeimim base was successfully attacked by rebels last week with artillery strikes, damaging several Russian planes. The drones so far haven’t done anything, but underscore the rebels’ willingness to keep trying to strike such targets.
Ok. So now US (israel) knows that Russian bases are well protected (and that any command centre, with or without US and Israeli presence, were these US provided drones came from will receive a direct hit by Kalibr missiles), now what? A flurry of fighter jets and SIGINT provocations perhaps?
Again Keith we’re dealing with FACTS in the last 2 days you’ve accused the USA of killing a Russian diplomat that had a heart attack and now you’re saying there providing drones to the Syrian rebels with No evidence. If I’m not mistaken this type of improvised weaponry has been used on the brave men and women fighting on behalf of the American people in that region for years. If we wanted to do major damage to the Russians we would’ve provided SAMS along time ago but, it’s to risky knowing you can’t trust really anyone and those weapons you provide maybe used on you at some point. I know you hate America but, get it together conspiracy theories are for crazy people and belong nowhere on a fact based forum like this one.Wink wink…
It’s always good to be skeptical of claims by any state, Russia included. As far as “no evidence” is concerned, though, here’s a Newsweek article that includes photos of the explosives the Russians claim to have taken off of the drones their ECM units brought to ground.
It’s hard to tell the size of those. They appear to have sheets of paper under them.
If those sheets of paper are 8.5×11″, those munitions are US 60mm mortar HE rounds , the M49A2 or A3 (9.61 inches in length). If those sheets of paper are 11×17″, those munitions are US 81mm mortar HE rounds, M43A1 , modified with a plastic wrap fin assembly and a hook to drop them from drones.
From the look of them, I’m guessing 60mm (which I have limited experience with, maybe 100 rounds dropped — the 81s, I dropped thousands of over my decade as a mortar ammo man, a-gunner, gunner, squad leader, section leader and fire direction center chief).
Could the Russians have got hold of some US mortar rounds and faked the whole thing up? Sure. Is there any particular reason to believe they did? Only that, like the US government, the Russian government lies constantly.
That was actually a largely useful contribution to the conversation cowboy.
No one is “fighting on behalf of the American people” unless the American people you are talking about are the shareholders of Raytheon, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and the other businesses that profit off perpetual war.
Or have 2 passports.