Rusted Sky

Here's the part that intrigues me:

And guess what happened with the Russian super-hyper-sophisticated cutting edge antiaircraft missile batteries when [the Israeli's deep, deep] penetration took place on September 6th. Nothing.

El blanko. Silence. The systems didn't even light up, gave no indication whatever of any detection of enemy aircraft invading Syrian airspace, zip, zero, nada. The Israelis (with a little techie assistance from us) blinded the Russkie antiaircraft systems so completely the Syrians didn't even know they were blinded.

Checking around on Google I found some more information on the raid itself:

[T]he Sunday Observer explained: “Far from being a minor incursion, the Israeli overflight of Syrian airspace through its ally Turkey, was a far more major affair involving as many as eight aircraft, including Israel’s most ultra-modern F-15s and F-16s equipped with Maverick missiles and 500lb bombs. Flying among the Israeli fighters at great height, the Observer can reveal, was an ELINT—an electronic intelligence gathering aircraft.”

F-16s and F-15s aren’t particularly stealthy aircraft and it’s very difficult to keep a well sited and interlocked radar grid from detecting one of them, much less an entire squadron of them.

The ELINT bird has to be a major factor here but I don’t think its purpose was ‘intelligence gathering’. If the Syrian radars had been spoofed so badly that the radar operators themselves didn't know they were being blinded that ELINT bird had to be doing something unprecedented.

If that ELINT bird was undetectably blinding the Syrian radar system to the presence of not only itself but the whole attacking squadron, the Israelis and the U.S. were demonstrating a level of technological capability way beyond simple stealth. This was something a whole lot closer to what has so far been considered science fiction, full electromagnetic cloaking.

Otpu

Took a look at some of the Syrian conventional weapons purchases and such a bit ago and come away unimpressed.

Israel knows the terrain better, overflies it with impunity (remember the Bekaa valley was supposed to be 'the most heavily defended air corridor on the planet'? remember the number of bombing runs and commando ops done in it by the Israelis in 2006?), conducts a black-ops raid far into Syrian territory, bombs some buildings associated with the nuclear design team and Syria does....? Doodley and *squat*. Embarassed enough that they actually shut up about it and stop complaining, leaving Iran and North Korea to complain for them.

When was the last time the Syrian air force took to the sky?

Their tank corps was great for the 1970's and almost upgraded to 1980's Soviet standards... today? Against a few CBU-97s most of it is scrap because their air defenses are garbage.

Syria relies on its CW, long-range missiles and unannounced bio capability to protect itself. They have hundreds if not thousands of tons of Vx and Sarin and other fine nerve agents weaponized. Mostly with artillery but almost the entire SCUD force can handle them, too.

The Israelis have demonstrated that local knowledge, high technology and precision targeting allow them to do what they need to so as to operate over Syria. And the moment Syria turns on its radar systems, the HARMS will fly. The Syrian Army is demoralized from the start, their tanks unable to take modern warfare of the 1970's brand, their point defense air systems from Russia look nice, but don't seem to be all that effective, the air force is unskilled, unproven and flying older airframes... The only threat from Syria is: Hezbollah and non-conventional weapons. They bet the place on that in the early 1980's and have continually worked towards those two things.

As far as I can tell from the available information, Syria is taking a 'poor man's' approach to WMDs.

Apparently the Syrian government, with the posthumous help of Saddam Hussein, was concentrating on the chemical and biological legs of the WMD triad. Recent events that lead up to the Israeli attack point to a possible trial of a shortened nuclear leg with the radiological components imported from North Korea.

I think the Syrian government has been developing its WMD arsenal in the irrational belief that international opinion would prevent Israel from responding in kind if the Arab states attack with chemical, nuclear, or biological weapons.

If that's true, the raid on Dayr az-Zawr had to be one hell of a wake-up call for the Syrians and the Iranians.

The raid against Syria's nuclear stockpiles showed the Arab nations that, when it comes to protecting Israel itself, the IDF doesn't give a flying pig's ass about international opinion and will respond to a threat of imminent attack whenever, wherever, and with whatever means seems appropriate. What's even worse, from the Arab's viewpoint, was the silence from their usual allies in the UN and the international media regarding Israel and the U.S.'s participation in the raid. That amazing lack of international opprobrium directed toward Israel's flagrant violation of Syria and Turkey's international borders and the customary rules of armed conflict, showed the Arab nations that they couldn't rely on their normal allies in Europe and the UN to protect them from a devastating Israeli response.

It all goes to show just how much trouble you can get into when you start believing your own propaganda.

otpu

Related info...

http://theredhunter.com/2007/10/chinese_threat_update_the_window_of_vulnerability.php