Sander Smeets / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

 

 

Turkey just demonstrated a new level of military sophistication in Syria. As part of its retaliatory strikes against Russian-backed Syrian forces for their attacks last week that killed 33 Turkish soldiers, Turkish forces launched coordinated waves of killer drones against their targets. These medium-altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), similar to U.S. Air Force Reaper drones, struck Syrian forces around the city of Idlib.

The National Interest notes that the Turkish military operates about “130 armed drones of several types, including five versions of the Anka plus the Karayel and the Bayraktar TB2. All can carry small, precision-guided missiles.”

As reported by the South China Morning Post, Turkish military sources claimed dozens of remotely controlled drones targeted Syrian bases and chemical warfare depots, and Russian-made Syrian anti-aircraft missile batteries. Turkey deployed electronic jammers before it launched the drone strikes as part of its “Spring Shield” campaign.

The Turkish Defense Ministry posted a series of videos on Twitter showing Syrian tanks and artillery being destroyed in apparent drone attacks. “That’s something only Israel had been recorded publicly to have done until now,” said Charles Lister at the Middle East Institute, referring to video footage taken by a Turkish drone allegedly showing the destruction of a Syrian army air-defense system. In a combined arms, coordinated strategy, Turkey is waging an “air campaign run entirely by armed drones backed up” by heavy rocket artillery, he added.

David Axe of The National Interest adds that Russian forces arrived in Syria in 2015 to bolster Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and have “deployed sophisticated defenses against rebels’ drones, including radars, short-range guns and missiles and radio-jammers that can disrupt drones’ command signals and data-links.”

These Russian air defenses have proved effective against small, commercial drones deployed by Syrian rebels, but these drone strikes are raising doubts about their effectiveness against Turkey’s larger, faster, and more heavily armed drones. Ironically, NATO member Turkey provoked a conflict with the United States by insisting on purchasing advanced Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missiles last year from Russia, over strong US objections.

Meanwhile, the possibility of direct conflict between Turkey and Russia in Syria grows.

Paul Crespo is a national security expert and communications consultant. As an officer in the US Marine Corps, he served as a military attaché with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at several US embassies worldwide. Paul was also an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Miami and a member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. He holds degrees from Georgetown, London, and Cambridge Universities. Paul is CEO of SPECTRE Global Risk, a security consultancy, and a Contributor to American Defense News.



Comments

  1. Under President Trump, best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks,Hispanics,Asians EVER (women in 15years)lowest unemployment ever. With full transparency and honesty! Which you never saw with pass Presidents. Excluding 1 or two. The list is endless. Best president ever, President! Keep America Great! The unstoppable KAG train full steam ahead to 2020 and beyond!

    1. But you missed why Democrats, RINOs and the ELITE hate him. They WANT our economy to collapse so the ONE WORLD ORDER can take charge. And yes, Democrats, RINOs and part of the SCOTUS are working for these ELITE ONE WORLD ORDER guys.

  2. You forgot one very important THING…….THIS PRESIDENT RECOGNIZES ISRAEL AS A SOVEREIGN JEWISH STATE WITH THE GOLAN HEIGHTS AND JERUSALEM…. THE TEMPLE IS NEXT ……………THEN THE MESSIAH COMES HOME BEFORE THE 1948 GENERATION (FIG TREE IN MATTHEW 24) PASSES

      1. In your opinion NotDispy. Your language tells us you are not of the Christian Faith. Messiah has NOT YET returned.
        Israel (“this generation”) will be present when Messiah returns…at a time known only by God. He did not return in 70 AD!

    1. Before the Temple can be built, the muslims have to “ACCIDENTLY” destroy the Dome of the Rock. Then while they are screaming and crying about it, (even though they did not revere it or respect it as they play soccer on the grounds) they will go NUTS after they have destroyed it. And they will claim that Israel did it. Can’t admit just how stupid they are. Just like shooting down their own airliner in Tehran.

  3. Au contraire. Mat 24:1-2 was fulfilled in 70 AD. Note that after Jesus said this, He went and sat on the Mount of Olives and His disciples came and asked Him what would be the sign of His coming. The ensuing discourse was hardly fulfilled by the Romans.

    1. Correct jbfl. What Jesus said in Matthew 24: 1-2 WAS fulfilled in 70 AD by the Romans. I think the Emperor was Titus. The rest of the discourse remains to be fulfilled at a time known only by the Father (God). We seem now to be in the “Age of Apostasy” (a falling away from faith matters) evidenced by a dwindling of interest in church and synagogue regular attendance. Atheism has become somewhat of a form of worship in itself. Anti-Jew and anti-Christian activities worldwide are ramping up. The political scene in the USA now seems to be a faction that hates everything associated with the concept of a Creator God versus
      people who adhere to traditional Scriptural teachings.

  4. Is Turkey our friend???? I DON’T THINK SO. And yet, here they are attacking Syria and Russian forces. Will they be friends with Israel? I don’t think so. Just consolidating their positions in opposition to Kurds in the region. Do you believe Turkey is to be trusted as a NATO ally? OF COURSE NOT.

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