1.The Arrival of the Su-25 Grach (NATO Reporting Name “Frogfoot”)
“The shootdown of the Su-24 Fencer near Turkish territory demonstrated the vulnerability of the unescorted attack aircraft to modern jet fighters,” reads Farley’s article for The National Interest magazine.
#SYRIA #FOOTAGE S-400 AA missile system deployed at #Hmeymim airbase https://t.co/CAeRBRl4JJ pic.twitter.com/zjOBLVdXAP— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 26 ноября 2015
“The S-400 gives Russia a practical veto over any Western action against Assad.”
The author however acknowledged that the S-400 Triumf (NATO codename SA-21 Growler), an anti-aircraft and anti-missile system, which is capable of intercepting all types of modern air weaponry, including fifth-generation warplanes, as well as ballistic and cruise missiles at a maximum range of nearly 250 miles, has already been “delivered, deployed and put on air defense combat duty at Russia’s Hmeymim airbase in Syria.”
#SYRIA S-400 AA missile system delivered, deployed and put on air defence combat duty at #Hmeymim airbase pic.twitter.com/JXZ3hky5Wm— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 26 ноября 2015
3. Diplomacy
“The most important weapon that Russia can use to save the Assad regime is its diplomatic corps,” the author claims neglecting to mention that Russia has been using this “tool” since the very start of the conflict in Syria.
Among its latest proposals is a Russia-initiated counter-terrorism declaration already adopted by the foreign ministers of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Belgrade earlier in December.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has long called for the creation of a broad international coalition in the fight against terrorism, particularly targeted towards Daesh. Putin stressed the need for global anti-terrorism efforts, conducted within a legal framework, at the UN General Assembly in September.
4.Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
The author somewhat laments that “Russia does not now, and has never had the kinds of ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) assets that the United States takes for granted.”
However “Russian assets in this regard include not only recon aircraft and drones, but also electronic warfare units that can analyze rebel communications,” he acknowledges.
Earlier in October the very same magazine made a special report on “Russia’s electronic spies which have become a key part of Moscow’s surge into Syria.”
5.Spetsnaz (Russian Special Forces)
“Russia has a lot of war left to fight in Syria,” the author predicts. “The first weeks of US intervention in Afghanistan, and of NATO intervention in Libya, showed few obvious fruits of progress. In both cases air attacks had weakened and fragmented the resistance, however, eventually allowing major ground offensives to roll up the country.”
“Two or three months from now, the international community could be celebrating the successful efforts of the Russian military to defeat ISIS, and the Assad regime could be cheering the destruction of rebel factions in the west of the country.,” he therefore suggests.
