Russian weapons against Turkish: what are they fighting in Idlib

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The war in Syria provided an opportunity to test the advantages and disadvantages of Russian (Soviet and Russian) and foreign weapons. Now, during the battles in Idlib, the parties are actively using weapon Russian and Turkish production.

Historically, Syria, which during the Cold War was in the orbit of the Soviet Union's influence, and after the collapse of Russia, armed its army with Soviet and Russian weapons. The Syrian leadership has always focused on the organization of air defense and tank troops. These two types of troops turned out to be the most well-armed and trained.



By the number of tanks, Syria was once in sixth place in the world. But the outbreak of civil war led to enormous losses of armored vehicles and personnel of the tank troops. Thousands of tanks destroyed, thousands of dead tankers. As a result, a powerful blow was dealt to the tank power of the Syrian Arab army and now, of course, it cannot be compared with the pre-war. But even in the offensive on Idlib, tank units play a major role.

The T-72 and not so long ago delivered by Russia T-90 are in the arsenal of government troops. The latter entered service with the famous 25th Special Forces Division, also known as the Tigers Division. The Syrian army uses tanks as a very effective weapon of battles on the streets of cities and towns: Tank guns suppress enemy firing points, then tanks break through openings in the walls of buildings and soldiers of infantry assault groups rush there.


In addition to tanks, the Syrian Arab army is armed with Soviet and Russian-made armored vehicles. These are BMP-1 and BMP-2, BTR-50, BTR-152 and recently delivered BTR-80. Artillery weapons are also Soviet and Russian-made. And it shows impressive success in battles with militants.


Now about the latter. Militants, as a rule, are armed with both Soviet-made weapons that they managed to capture in the military depots of the Syrian army, as well as Western and Turkish-made weapons. One of the main striking forces of the militants is SUVs with heavy machine guns mounted on them. However, in the battles near Idlib, militants are increasingly using modern Turkish and Western weapons.


Padded Turkish combat vehicle

It is known that ACV-15 infantry fighting vehicles were transferred to jihadists. This is one of the main infantry fighting vehicles used by the Turkish ground forces and manufactured in Turkey by the FNSS Savunma Sistemleri under the project of the American BAE Systems. BMPs are armed with a 25 mm gun and 7,62 mm machine gun, capable of speeds up to 65 km / h. As the practice of recent months has shown, Turkish infantry fighting vehicles are easily knocked out by ATGMs by both Syrian government forces and Kurdish formations.

Syrian Arab Army soldiers, capturing caches and militant bases, often find Turkish-made shells and weapons. This indicates that Turkey is providing comprehensive support to radical groups operating in Idlib. Without Turkish help, their confrontation with Damascus forces would have been far less productive.


By the way, Turkey itself ranks 11th in the Global Firepower ranking of military power - 2020. The Turkish army is the second largest in NATO after the American - 355 thousand people. In service - 3200 tanks, 1120 self-propelled guns, 300 attack aircraft and helicopters.

In Syria, the Turkish army uses the M60 and Leopard-2A4 tanks. It was these military vehicles that crossed the Turkish-Syrian border in 2016 and continue to be flown to the north of Syria until the present. On February 12, the Turkish army’s use of M60 in a joint attack with the militants on the positions of the Syrian government forces in the western part of Aleppo province was recorded. But the M60, as the results of the fighting in Syria show, is very vulnerable to ATGMs and the Syrian government forces, and the Kurds.

In just over three years, several dozen Turkish M60 tanks were shot down in Syria, which forced the Turkish command to proceed with the partial replacement of the M60 with the Leopard-2A4. But they are also beaten up quite often: for example, one Leopard was hit by Kurdish women. From a missile hit, the tank was torn to pieces, the crew died.

The reason for the vulnerability of Turkish tanks is rooted, according to some experts, in the absence of additional protection against anti-tank missiles and hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers. The Turkish command was in such a hurry to indicate its presence in Idlib that it did not even bother to protect its armored vehicles.

Of course, the military potential of the armed forces of Turkey and the Syrian Arab army is not comparable, but the Russian (Russian and Soviet) weapons available to the latter allow the Syrians to quite successfully attack the pro-Turkish militants armed with Ankara and operate against the Turkish troops themselves.
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  1. +12
    15 February 2020 12: 45
    Rather, Soviet versus Turkish.
    And even then, actually there are very few Turkish developments.
    1. +4
      15 February 2020 13: 44
      Quote: Livonetc
      Rather, Soviet versus Turkish.

      NATO against the Soviet.
      Quote: Livonetc
      And even then, actually there are very few Turkish developments.

      Hussein then put up the elite divisions of the T-72 ....., but the enemy, having gained air supremacy, didn’t get involved in the ramming tank attacks / and did not impose them /. The death of the best Iraqi tank division debugged in open access. with turntables and ATGM extensions, they resolved the issue. And always there the EXPLORATION ordered the music, and not vice versa. Therefore, a lightning strike occurred in the best canons .... of our tank armies. when the mobile groups went very far into the echelons of enemy defense.
      1. +4
        16 February 2020 17: 53
        Saddam was sold by his generals. It was not just that at the peak of the war he shot two-thirds of air defense generals. And ours, the GDP, carried out purges following the war in Iraq and Libya and legally forbade civil servants to have accounts over the hill.
      2. +2
        16 February 2020 19: 45
        I completely agree with all of the above to a point, but there was a chance to win back when the Americans went under the Iraqi T-72 and the first shots for the Iraqis were a position, but everything was in milk, and as a result, the mattresses were again gouged clean. Crew training is important as the tank itself and the cover, even more. because now give my grandmother the most any tank, and against her the usual crew on the T-34, and even on the MC-1, will win the MC-1 because he will do something, and the grandmother will not be able to start or even climb into the merkava for example. Learning to study and study, well, there must be a darling, where can you live without it
    2. +10
      15 February 2020 15: 19
      And even then, actually there are very few Turkish developments.

      Indeed - there are few purely Turkish weapons. And is it really that important?
      War is won not by weapons, but by soldiers.
      In 1941, our weapons were in many ways superior to German. We had better tanks, artillery, even multiple launch rocket systems. With aviation, of course, it was more difficult - but in terms of numbers we were not inferior to invaders in planes ...
      We had to retreat from the border day after day, week after week, month after month.
      The German soldier was well trained, equipped, motivated by Nazi ideology. He has recently submitted to all of Europe.
      At the cost of tremendous effort and sacrifice, we turned the tide of World War II. They were able to create, educate, supply their invincible Soviet soldier ...
      We managed to implement something similar in Syria.
      At the edge of the abyss, we managed to keep the Syrian army, re-equip, train, breathe faith in victory into it.
      And Russian weapons in her hands will not fail. Tested by time and war.
      And our advisers will tell you - we won’t win in the first one! smile
      1. 0
        15 February 2020 16: 06
        Quote: Paul Siebert
        Of course, it was more difficult with aviation

        It was aviation that decided and decides the fate of any military campaign. What in the Second World War, what in modern wars.
        1. +9
          15 February 2020 18: 39
          Quote: kiril1246
          Quote: Paul Siebert
          Of course, it was more difficult with aviation

          It was aviation that decided and decides the fate of any military campaign. What in the Second World War, what in modern wars.

          Bullshit, I'm sorry. Only the interaction of all genera and species. And he sets the point / foot of the infantryman’s boot / boot. Learn the history of martial art.
          1. 0
            15 February 2020 20: 18
            Quote: Doliva63
            Bullshit, I'm sorry. Only the interaction of all genera and species. And he sets the point / foot of the infantryman’s boot / boot. Learn the history of martial art.

            Without the interaction of the combat arms, without stable horizontal and vertical ties, there is no army at all. However, all other things being equal, the army with stronger aircraft wins. Unless of course we are talking about a regular army, and not about rebels such as Vietnam or Afghanistan.

            Quote: Doliva63
            And he sets the point / foot of the infantryman’s boot / boot.

            Right. However, without the support of aviation, infantry and other ground units will simply be destroyed at distant approaches.
            1. +1
              19 February 2020 21: 39
              Quote: kiril1246
              Quote: Doliva63
              Bullshit, I'm sorry. Only the interaction of all genera and species. And he sets the point / foot of the infantryman’s boot / boot. Learn the history of martial art.

              Without the interaction of the combat arms, without stable horizontal and vertical ties, there is no army at all. However, all other things being equal, the army with stronger aircraft wins. Unless of course we are talking about a regular army, and not about rebels such as Vietnam or Afghanistan.

              Quote: Doliva63
              And he sets the point / foot of the infantryman’s boot / boot.

              Right. However, without the support of aviation, infantry and other ground units will simply be destroyed at distant approaches.

              However, no infantry army has won without infantry laughing
              Although it’s not Friday, the question is: poor infantry has an awesome multilevel air defense, and good infantry has great aviation. Who will win? laughing drinks
          2. 0
            19 February 2020 16: 34
            Read Zhukov.
      2. +4
        15 February 2020 17: 06
        Blah blah blah. Arabs are not warriors,
      3. +2
        15 February 2020 17: 12
        Well, you compared .. Our grandfathers and Syrians .. Russian Soldier and Arab .. And about the fact that mostly soldiers win, it’s Iraqis who were burned from afar by Yankers, but tell the Yugoslavs .. and in Syria how are we? similar to the Second World War succeeded, if only the Syrians .. Although .. the Syrians were dying but did not give up? No step back? If it’s similar, it’s the way all wars look like .. But in general, of course, they wrote beautifully, if you don’t look at the essence, they are allies, but not Russian ..
        1. +12
          15 February 2020 18: 35
          Well, you compared .. Our grandfathers and Syrians.

          Yes, I agree - there can be no comparison.
          Where did the formidable Arabian warrior in scaled armor go, who with his army walked through North Africa in the Middle Ages with a hurricane.
          He defeated the European monarchs in Spain. He built his strongholds in Seville and Granada. Turned the Mediterranean into his lake.
          Under his arrogant gaze, the hearts of the crusaders trembled. Baldwin and Richard the Lionheart humbledly begged him for peace under the walls of Jerusalem ...
          But something broke in the Arab house ... Withered ...
          The huge Caliphate fell apart into small shtetl emirates. Where every Arab tribe, headed by a local prince, was slaughtered with neighbors because of border wells ...
          The greatest human association, which gave mankind advanced medicine, algebra, astronomy, philosophy, Arabic numerals and the concept of zero, finally ordered a long life.
          Now the Arab world is still the same kaleidoscope of local princes, only oil wells instead of wells.
          And here we are - all the same! Over the thousand-year history of our country, little has changed in our character and actions.
          We seized and lost territories. They fought in civil wars. Hungry for hunger years.
          But one thing remained unshakable - we were for the Truth. For our Russian Truth.
          For it they fought and died. We won and we will win!
          After all, whoever has the Truth is stronger! fellow
          1. +1
            15 February 2020 19: 00
            What can I tell you Paul .. T - talent hi
          2. 0
            15 February 2020 21: 13
            Yeah, there’s practically nothing to add !! Absolutely agree!!
          3. -2
            21 February 2020 07: 39
            And there were no such Russian victories not sold by the capital.
  2. +1
    15 February 2020 12: 48
    However, in the battles near Idlib, militants are increasingly using modern Turkish and Western weapons.

    Here is the answer to the question of what Turkey is doing in Syria. Together with the Americans, oil is being stolen.
    1. -1
      15 February 2020 16: 08
      Quote: Good
      Here is the answer to the question of what Turkey is doing in Syria.

      Any nation has the right to self-determination. Turkoman are no exception. They want to be independent of the Alawites led by Assad. Turkey helps them, just as Russia helps Russians in LDN.
      1. +2
        15 February 2020 18: 50
        Any nation has the right to self-determination. Turkoman are no exception. They want to be independent of the Alawites led by Assad. Turkey helps them, just as Russia helps Russians in LDN.

        However, the Russians, unlike the Turks, do not rob LDNR, but help. And there are no Russian troops in LDNR.
        1. -3
          15 February 2020 20: 19
          Quote: Good
          And there are no Russian troops in LDNR.

          Of course, they won't.
      2. 0
        15 February 2020 20: 58
        Tell me whether Karabakh has the right to self-determination as well as Turkomans?
        1. 0
          15 February 2020 22: 13
          Quote: finish
          Tell me whether Karabakh has the right to self-determination as well as Turkomans?

          But is he not de facto independent? Or do you mean his separation from Armenia?
          1. +2
            15 February 2020 22: 26
            This is in the context of the fact that Turkey pleases for the Turkoman and Idlib, but refuses Armenia to do so. And yes, de facto won independence.
            1. 0
              16 February 2020 10: 02
              Quote: finish
              This is in the context of the fact that Turkey pleases for the Turkoman and Idlib, but refuses Armenia to do so. And yes, de facto won independence.

              So Turkey supports Azerbaijan, which is in conflict with Armenia. First, Azerbaijan and Armenia need to streamline their relations. In general, it is a well-known fact that in the East only power is respected, any signed agreements are valid only as long as it is beneficial to both parties. However, in Europe the situation is not much better.
      3. ANB
        +4
        15 February 2020 22: 33
        Well then, the Turkish Kurds have their own share. And there, the Armenians are waiting for their homeland, which is half of Turkey.
        1. +4
          16 February 2020 10: 03
          Quote: ANB
          Well then, the Turkish Kurds have their own share. And there, the Armenians are waiting for their homeland, which is half of Turkey.

          As soon as Turkey weakens, like Syria, then this will inevitably happen. This is the main danger of multinational states in comparison with unitary ones.
      4. 0
        21 February 2020 07: 42
        If Russia helped LDNR, there wouldn’t be a war at all, it’s nonsense-Russians kill Russians, and TV gives out war with Bandera, aha PMCs from Galicia, but their cat cried on TV, the rest of the Russian sea is betrayed and sold by Moscow. Listen to Kopatko and Bagdasarova.
    2. The comment was deleted.
  3. +4
    15 February 2020 12: 50
    It is necessary for the Kurds to help, to plant ATGMs and other weapons and help intelligence, and not to play up to the Turks in their friendship against the Kurds. All the same, the Turks do not understand good, only power. Even the Americans began to refer to Russia, telling the Syrians that they also want the Russians them peace. The US military patrol tried to cross the government forces checkpoint, but was stopped.
    The American military says, "We are here to bring peace just like the Russians."
    Syrian officer: "Wherever you come, it brings death and destruction, you are not expected here" ..https: //twitter.com/i/status/1228570424335896576
    1. +3
      15 February 2020 14: 26
      I agree with you. Erdogan is now very puffed up and bulls, but there is a very strong lever of pressure on him that we have not yet applied - these are the Kurds. He is very afraid of this and therefore vulnerable. One has only to seriously begin to help the Kurds, and not only the Syrian, but also the Turkish, he will be blown away, not before that.
      1. -1
        15 February 2020 18: 02
        the Americans provided the Kurds with mountains of weapons, so far this has not helped.
        1. 0
          19 February 2020 17: 20
          Which Kurds? The whole song began with the Kurds asking Turkey for autonomy.
  4. 0
    15 February 2020 12: 55
    Polonsky should be prohibited from writing review and analytical articles. He gets better prose. Or rather, the prose of milking children.
  5. +5
    15 February 2020 12: 57
    "But the outbreak of civil war led to colossal losses of both armored vehicles and personnel of tank forces." What to do, a civil war takes time to define friend or foe, then every breath of a Syrian soldier was discussed by the Western media, the same was in Chechen in Russia. Syria, I hope cleared of traitors, their army received combat experience.
    While the Turks howl at the hands of terrorists dirty to the Syrian military, it’s a matter of time before the Turks have to make a decision whether they are ready for the military losses of hundreds of their soldiers or not, are they ready for losses and destruction on their territory or not.
    They think Russian air defense systems will protect them, ours will prompt and help to get around it.
  6. +1
    15 February 2020 13: 32
    Now, except in Syria, there is an opportunity to test our new military developments, including the KAZ. Life gives our specialists a rare case when it is possible to obtain accurate information, and not fairy tales, about this or that type of NATO weapon in service with the Turks and their own designs. From the category of unlikely, this is a battle of the T90A, against the "Altai", a Turkish design tank.
  7. +1
    15 February 2020 13: 35
    Without Turkish help, their confrontation with Damascus forces would have been far less productive.
    More precisely, it would be impossible.
    1. +3
      16 February 2020 02: 55
      Similarly, without the help of the Russian Federation, the Syrian army did not shine with effectiveness. If we don’t intervene in the Syrian conflict, there wouldn’t exist
      1. -1
        22 February 2020 05: 06
        The Soviet Army "intervened" and the USSR did not become, but perhaps only the USSR.
        1. 0
          22 February 2020 06: 49
          Gg from 1956 to 1991 in Syria visited about 17 thousand people and over the past 5 years 50 thousand. So the USSR did not particularly intervene, unlike Russia
  8. +3
    15 February 2020 13: 54
    As for the Syrian army, Assad Jr. made a mistake. The officers who were educated in the USSR and the Russian Federation were dismissed, and graduates from Saudi, Turkish, and European schools took their places. the former were offended, and the latter simply betrayed. The army has to learn again.
    Turkish army. The experience of fighting ONLY in the Kurdish partisans. The cleaning among the officers and generals also lowered their combat readiness. It was not for nothing that the "mustachioed weather vane" turned to the NATO allies.
    Assad is simply obliged to appeal to the people with an appeal to protect the country from Turkish aggression.
    As for weapons, a lot depends on those who use it, who teach .. Yes, it seems that the instructors among the Turks are also not very.
    1. +3
      15 February 2020 14: 26
      Assad is simply obliged to appeal to the people with an appeal to protect the country from Turkish aggression.


      He has no other choice, but so many years the war has been going on ...
    2. +2
      16 February 2020 02: 58
      By the way, you're right. Many of Assad's officers whom he dispersed and who studied in the USSR, then very successfully led the opposition and (banned in the Russian Federation) detachments, which nearly cost Assad
  9. +3
    15 February 2020 14: 43
    Quote: knn54
    Assad is simply obliged to appeal to the people with an appeal to protect the country from Turkish aggression.

    There are a lot of aggressors there and from all sides. Turkey is the first, the next most dangerous, is Israel, and whales are without them. It is not by chance that our command in Syria created the TSPVS. Here they are engaged in the mobilization and peaceful transition of beviks of all stripes to the side of the SAR. By the way, footage of the stopped militant attack appeared on ANNA NEWS. So, the Turkish equipment that was circulated in all the media going to Syria already began to be disposed of. 3 Turkish infantry fighting vehicles were destroyed yesterday, and one of them is pictured.
  10. 0
    15 February 2020 16: 28
    Long live Turkish tomatoes !!!! Well, I do not believe our hydrant. There is a lot of verbiage, but in fact, zilch!
  11. +5
    15 February 2020 18: 04
    There are a lot of good and different grenade launchers for the Syrian army to successfully thin out the adversary technique.
  12. Eug
    0
    16 February 2020 10: 55
    "by the American BAE Systems" - so in the article. Always considered BAE Systems a UK company - or am I missing something?
  13. The comment was deleted.
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  15. 0
    16 February 2020 13: 35
    One of the main striking forces of the militants is SUVs with heavy machine guns mounted on them.

    https://vk.com/video288688309_456239413
  16. +1
    16 February 2020 18: 06
    In general, it’s understandable, the NATO weapon is expensive and complex, it doesn’t show itself well in the field in the hands of a technically illiterate soldier. Actually, it’s American. There is nothing to gloat about armored vehicles. Against modern RPGs and ATGMs, any armored vehicles are not important who is the manufacturer is just a target. The main thing is that the calculation would at least know the basics. Events in Syria lish prove that the Soviet-Russian military school is better than the western one.
  17. +1
    16 February 2020 23: 41
    Quote: bandabas
    Long live Turkish tomatoes !!!! Well, I do not believe our hydrant. There is a lot of verbiage, but in fact, zilch!

    Is it pan pan-chairman Zelts Shole?
    That we also do not believe your hydrant in Crimea laughing
  18. +1
    18 February 2020 12: 27
    In a protracted war, Erdogan has a great advantage; only huge losses inflicted in a short period can stop him.
  19. The comment was deleted.

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