Syrian rebels seize 200 tanks and planes, pressure mounts on Assad
Syrian fighters from the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) faction are swiftly taking over territory, acquiring a significant amount of military equipment. Here's a breakdown of what's been captured, including nearly 200 planes and tanks.
HTS fighters are reportedly advancing towards Homs. This progress follows the capture of Aleppo and Hama, where substantial military equipment was seized. If Homs falls, the Assad regime will face isolation from the sea and lose Russian support from the port in Tartus and the Hmeimim airbase.
The Assad regime lost nearly 200 tanks and planes in a week
Syrian government forces fled from Aleppo and later from Hama, leaving behind significant equipment. Some OSINT analysts have meticulously catalogued the belongings now in HTS fighters' hands, revealing that their armoured forces may be able to utilize at least some of the 145 captured tanks. Additionally, 35 planes and helicopters have been taken by the rebels.
Among the tanks, most (84 units) are older T-54/55 and T-62 models, yet they are still vastly superior to a pickup truck armed with a heavy machine gun or a ZU-23-2 gun (23 mm) mounted in the back. Notably, there is a considerable number of more recent T-72 family machines (51 units) and the rare T-90A (five units).
These represent an advanced modernization of the T-72B model, equipped with a modern fire control system featuring thermal imaging and night vision, enabling effective operation at night and in adverse weather conditions.
The T-90A also comes factory-equipped with Kontakt-5 reactive armour, uncommon in the Syrian arsenal. This kind of armour is typically found on the newer versions of T-72B and B3 tanks, with just over 300 units delivered from Russia since 2015. The majority of T-72M1 tanks in service lacked reactive armour blocks entirely.
The second category includes planes and helicopters. Although fighters are unlikely to be able to utilize them immediately, there may still be efforts to get them operational. The video below shows them attempting to start a Mi-8/17 helicopter using online manuals. It's probable that some fighters will continue attempting to use simulators, like Digital Combat Simulator World.
The fighters captured 35 aircraft, with 24 being Czechoslovak Aero L-39 Albatros. These are light training-combat machines capable of carrying up to 1,000 kg of payload on four pylons, such as pods with unguided rockets or 23 mm cannons. It's noteworthy that Syria possessed about 60 planes before the conflict, so losing a third of its fleet is disastrous. However, the condition of the captured aircraft is unknown, as they might have been non-operational and used as spare parts depots.
Other captured aircraft include nine MiG-23 planes, one Mi-8/17 helicopter, and one HESA Ababil-3 reconnaissance drone. The most potentially useful for the fighters could be the helicopter and reconnaissance drone, if a control station was also captured. These assets could be invaluable if they can deploy pilots to operate them.
Mi-8/17 helicopters can transport up to 24 troops, which could be crucial for conducting raids deep into enemy territory. Meanwhile, the Iranian Ababil-3 drone can provide early warning of Syrian army counterattacks. Additionally, there are examples of highly valuable self-propelled anti-aircraft systems or entire batteries of stationary S-125 Neva or S-75 Dvina systems, which could serve as sources of improvised ballistic missiles.
