The USA suspect: to the aid of Assad go the Russian Su-25

The American investigation argues: soon on hastily equipped air base in the Syrian Latakia there can be Russian MiG-31 and Su-25 "Rook". There is at least one, but very indicative sign of that this version is true. Namely – type of planes which arrive from Russia to the airport of Latakia.

The Chicago Tribune newspaper referring to unnamed representatives in power structures of the USA reported on Friday: Barack Obama’s administration and reconnaissance services on the basis of the received data came to a conclusion – Russia is going to send fighting aircraft to Syria.

Affirms that it is a question of attack planes of Su-25 and fighters interceptors MiG-31. The edition writes that the Russian planes will take place on air base in a seaport Latakia. As notes "Interfax", the American newspaper referring to the same sources argues: on airfield of Latakia the Russian military equipment and providing systems, and also stocks for maintenance are already delivered.

Main "specialization" of Su-25 "Rook" – direct support of actions of land forces over a battlefield, and a supersonic all-weather interceptor of distant radius of action MiG-31 is optimum for interception and destruction of the air targets going at midget heights – to cruise missiles inclusive.

In Baghdad all are happy

The purposes of deliveries of such specific weapon as MiG-31, are not quite clear, but apropos Su-25 everything looks more than logically.

Even in the summer of last year Russia delivered more than 10 attack planes of Su-25 to the neighbor of Syria, Iraq that the Iraq prime minister Nouri al-Maliki confirmed. As then reported newspaper sources the LOOK, these planes were transferred to the Baghdad government from strategic stocks of the Ministry of Defence of Russia. Though, as affirmed, planes already visited the use in Afghanistan, to the Iraq Air Force they fell very opportunely at reflection of approach of IGIL on Baghdad.

If to assume that the version of the American sources is truthful, flights to base quite keep within it in Latakia the Russian strategic Ruslan An-124 military transport planes (and why these transport workers, instead of, for example, Il-76 are involved). Technical characteristics allow "Ruslan" to transport to three Su-25 – that the transport worker showed more than once in practice.

In particular, in a case with deliveries to Iraq: it was reported that "Rooks" to Baghdad were delivered to the country with the help of An-124-100 "Ruslan" from structure of the 224th Air Force aviagroup of Russia. Planes were delivered in partially disassembled condition to Al Mutann’s located in the suburb of the Iraq capital the air base.

As the newspaper the day before noted the LOOK, judging by adoptions of the American investigation, the complexes which are bearing a strong resemblance to control systems of flights and staff systems are rapidly erected to territories of Syria near Latakia. According to messages of the sources not connected with each other, to the port of Latakia already there arrived two Russian landing ships, and on Wednesday at the local airport two An-124 military transport planes landed. On Friday the American mass media referring to sources in power structures of the USA reported: The Pentagon fixed already seven flights of Russian An-124 to Latakia.

To resist or cooperate?

«Obama’s administration and prospecting community of the USA came to a conclusion that Russia intends to begin fighting departures with new air base in Syria», – affirms as the material The Bloomberg View published the day before. Observer Josh Rogin, referring to own sources («two American officials», referring to the intelligence data), also shows confidence that Russia plans to develop in the next few days in Latakia MiG-31 and Su-25.

On September 8 the Italian La Stampa noted: approach of insurgents of «Gain army» can split in two 25 % of the territory of Syria, while to under control Assad. «Insurgents can cut off the course connecting Homs and Latakia, otherwise, to cut off Damascus from Latakia on the alavitsky coast», – the observer of La Stampa Maurizio Molinari notes. Serious boyestolknoveniye in the province Deyr-ez-Zor in the country northeast where fighters of YOKES try to seize strategically the Air Force important base of Syria proceed. On Thursday the armed groups of fighters of group «Dzhebkhat an-Nusra» attacked positions of the Syrian army, trying to break to the city of Zabadani in 45 kilometers from Damascus.

«The situation in Syria remains inconsistent, – notes Murakhovsky. – For example, on border with Lebanon governmental armies have successes». «Actually Assad should battle on two fronts – to combat to opposition which still hopes that will manage to demolish a mode, and to struggle with fighters-dzhikhadistami of YOKES. I do not exclude that delivery of military-oriented cargoes by planes is connected with need of emergency deliveries», – Vladimir Sotnikov ascertains.

«Speech can go about means of near fight»

«That military products delivery by planes costs dearer is not subject to doubt, than transportation by sea», – noted in the comment to the newspaper the LOOK the military expert, the editor-in-chief of the magazine «Fatherland Arsenal», the colonel in resignation Victor Murakhovsky.

«It is known that Russia has certain rules how to count transportation costs – earlier always in cost 7 % were put. In a case with Syria it is possible to talk about force-majeur circumstances – not in contract, and in military sense», – assumed in conversation with the newspaper the LOOK the director of the project for conventional arms and MDTO the FEAST Center Vadim Kozyulin. According to him, «it is possible to assume that faster deliveries were necessary, owing to the developed military situation in Syria – needs for new types of arms» can open.

According to Victor Murakhovskogo, deliveries concern «first of all ammunition, instead of the arms». «Also there can be a speech about means of near fight, for example jet assault grenades, jet infantry flame throwers etc.», – the expert assumed.

Making comments on assumptions that more expensive way of deliveries is caused by certain emergency reasons, Murakhovsky also specifies that «the Syrian government now has some problems».

«Everything is learned in comparison»

Murakhovsky, in turn, assumes that, probably, the Syrian government applied about certain urgent deliveries. «However, whether it is possible to call it emergency deliveries – a question, – the interlocutor notices. – I have an experience the military expert during the conflict of Somalia and Ethiopia in the late seventies. Then emergency deliveries, for example, meant landing of two hundred planes literally in two weeks and transportation of several thousand tons not only ammunition, but also military equipment. So everything is learned in comparison».

According to Vladimir Sotnikov, Russia can quite count on the Iranian route as on reliable option of deliveries. «After Bulgaria at first closed air space, and then demanded certain checks, and the alternative route through Iran was chosen. While there are no difficulties of transit through air space of Iraq, considering that, as the Iraq government is interested in military deliveries from Russia – and the relevant contracts are already signed. But there is a danger from fighters of the YOKES having surface-to-air missile systems», – Sotnikov notes.

Mikhail Moshkin