Russian Tanks Versus Russian Anti-Tank Missiles
Russian Kornet E Anti-Tank Missile
"We now have supplies from Saudi Arabia. We have been told more weapons are on their way, even higher-end missiles.In the wake of the failure of the G-8 to come to a meaningful conclusion that all could agree with, to pressure Syrian President Bashar al Assad to remove himself from office so that the Syrian National Coalition might see fit to meet with regime representatives to enable both to hammer out a possible cooperative mission to end the brutal sectarian war that is ripping Syrian apart, seven of the group agreed to provide weapons to the Free Syrian Army and one of them will get on with its provision of advanced weaponry to the Alawite regime.
"We have one or two left but my unit has run out already. We were given five. We fired four, and took out four regime tanks, and one was a dud."
Abdullah Da'ass, Free Men of Syria brigade
With the White House finally agreeing that the evidence amassed by France and Britain and its own investigators conclude accurately enough that chemical weapons have been used by the regime, (though accusations of their use by the rebels have also surfaced), the way has been cleared for the provision of anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles that the FSA so craves, to be forwarded to them. President Obama has agreed, however reluctantly, that Western military should support the Syrian official opposition.
In so doing, giving the green light to its primary Gulf allies to send along the Russian-made "Konkurs" anti-tank missiles to the Free Syrian Army. A tidbit of information that is beyond droll. Those Russian-produced missiles have already been in use to fulsome destructive effect. Their use, in fact, successfully knocking out of commission Russian-made T72s tanks has succeeded in holding up the regime's planned assault on Aleppo.
The rebels had taken possession of some of those extremely valuable, absolutely effective Konkurs even before greater numbers were made available through a Saudi conduit, by having looted them from captured regime bases. And now more of them have arrived and more even are anticipated to be made available to the rebel army. The Konkurs are wonderfully deadly devices, capable of penetrating those most advanced of tanks, the Russian T72s.
At the very same time that Russian President Vladimir Putin hotly condemned the West's intention to supply superior arms to the rebels based on what he felt was uncorroborated evidence of sarin gas use by the regime, the Kremlin was preparing to honour its contract with the Syrians in the provision of advanced missiles capable of shooting down any aircraft, including Israeli or American warplanes.
An aide to Vladimir Putin, insisted claims of Syrian regime chemicals use "doesn't look convincing to us." And, said Yuri Ushakov, the White House announcement that it is prepared to now arm the rebels "will certainly not help the preparations for the international conference, if the United States really decides to in fact render larger-scale assistance to the rebels."
Well, the conference met with Russia's balking at the other seven members' positions, and President Putin reiterated his government's decision to proceed with fulfilling its obligation to complete a signed contract to deliver the advanced air defense system of Russian S-300 missiles to Syria. Although the Kremlin prefers to remain vague about precisely when they will be delivered.
In case of a no-fly zone, there is always a danger that an American plane could be shot down. In the case of the S-300 missiles' delivery, the presence of Russian instructors teaching the Syrians the technical details of the missiles' use might place them in harm's way should American or Israeli warplanes choose to bomb those arms depots where the missiles would be stored, along with their Russian technicians.
For the meanwhile, the regime is well provisioned with heavy weapons, including hundreds of those T72 tanks which have been used in a number of sallies to test rebel lines in the last week or so. And each time the rebels claim to have driven the tanks back. When the Syrian military with the invaluable assistance of Hezbollah took Qusayr from the rebels, their plan was to take the initiative further and speedily secure Aleppo.
The regime hoped to link two loyalist Shia towns, Nobbul and Zahra with their several thousand-strong local militias alongside Hezbollah reinforcements to take Aleppo. The Free Men of Syria brigade is close by, defending Kafra Hamra about five kilometres from those Shia towns. Relief of the Minegh airbase under rebel siege the past year was the goal in mind, to squeeze the rebels out and surround Aleppo.
Opposite where the rebels operate in Kafra Hamra, is the regime's forward advance post -- "full of Iranians", a rebel sub-commander, Abu Staif Aloush, explained. Exuding confidence with the knowledge of fresh arms provisions from the West now confirmed.
Labels: Conflict, G-8, Hezbollah, Munitions, Revolution, Russia, Syria
posted by Pieface @ Friday, June 21, 2013
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