The Syrian Air Force: What Is Left?

[rangerrebew]

The Syrian Air Force: What Is Left?


Just how much remains of the Syrian Arab Air Force? The Pentagon is claiming that the U.S. Navy’s Tomahawk cruise missile strike on April 7 destroyed some 20 percent of the Assad regime’s remaining operational aircraft.

The U.S. Navy launched some 61 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Syrian airbase at al-Shayrat in response to an Assad regime Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter strike aircraft dropping chemical weapons—thought to be Sarin—on civilians on April 4. One of the cruise missiles failed to launch while another crashed into the sea—which means a total of 59 Tomahawks hit their targets according to the Pentagon.
 
Source URL (retrieved on April 13, 2017): http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-syrian-air-force-what-left-20135

[geronl]

The ones sitting on the ground were likely being cannibalized for parts or in need of maintenance. Plus they were old Su-22 and Su-23 types, not their newest or best aircraft.