Russian Missile Defences Block Israeli Attack on Western Syria – Reports

The Russian Armed Forces have reportedly shot down 13 Israeli missiles over Syrian airspace, after the Israeli Air Force attempted to launch an attack on the city of Tartus in Western Syria on the Mediterranean coast. The report came from a number of Russian sources, but has yet to be confirmed. The <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/assad-russia-expand-presence-syria" target="_blank">Russian military presence</a> in Syria is heavily concentrated in the Western province of Latakia, primarily around Khmeimim Airbase and a naval facility in the city of Tartus. Both facilities have gained <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/the-significance-of-russian-tu-22m3-bombers-in-syria-hypersonic-missiles-on-natos-southern-flank" target="_blank">growing strategic importance</a> for Russia in recent years, with the former having been expanded to accommodate strategic bombers able to deploy nuclear capable missiles against NATO’s southern flank. Although Russia has refrained from deploying its air defence systems to intercept Israeli, Turkish and Western missile attacks in the past, the sensitivity of the city of Tartus and surrounding areas makes it highly plausible that the country’s air defence systems would be used to intervene.&nbsp;<img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2024/09/26/article_66f50012866d36_34757075.jpg" title="S-400 and Pantsir Batteries at Khmeimim Airbase">Russian air defence systems deployed at Khmeimim Airbase include the long range S-400 and S-300V4, the medium range BuK-M2 and the short range Pantsir-S, as well as various electronic warfare assets. Patnsir systems have been used extensively in the past to intercept <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/islamist-militants-attack-major-russian-airbase-in-syria-casualties-reported" target="_blank">attacks</a> from Islamist insurgent groups. Such groups have been supported extensively by Turkey, <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2019-02-03/ty-article-opinion/.premium/israel-just-admitted-arming-anti-assad-syrian-rebels-big-mistake/0000017f-dbb0-db5a-a57f-dbfa71380000" target="_blank">Israel</a> and countries across the Western world. While Israeli cruise missile attacks on Syria have consistently used subsonic missiles, the S-400 and S-300V4 have proven capable of intercepting targets travelling at hypersonic speeds of over Mach 8. Both can have engagement ranges of <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-combat-tests-s400-400km-pairing-a50" target="_blank">up to 400 kilometres</a>, depending on the missiles they are equipped with, allowing them to engage targets across Israeli airspace and beyond. If either of the systems did fire on Israeli missiles, it would likely be their first ever kinetic use in the Syria theatre. Russia depends very heavily on ground based air defence systems due to its<a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su57-by-2022-new-variants-export-early-plans" target="_blank"> lack of significant numbers</a> of modern fifth generation fighters, the relatively small size of its fourth generation fighter fleet, and in Syria in particular the limited number of fighters it deploys in the theatre opposing the much larger fleets of the Western Bloc states, Israel and Turkey. &nbsp;<img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2024/09/26/article_66f50131301ff3_43647687.png" title="Russian Air Force Su-35s Over Syria Armed For Air to Air Combat">Although Russian air defences have not fired on Israeli, Turkish and Western aircraft and missiles violating Syrian airspace in the past, targeting data from their sensors has been used extensively by Syrian air defences to shoot down incoming missiles. Supplies of modern BuK-M2 medium range air defence systems to Syria has further increased interoperability. The Russian Air Force has notably on multiple occasions also deployed Su-34 and Su-35 fighters from Khmeimim Airbase to <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/repelling-israeli-turkish-su35-syria" target="_blank">intercept</a> Western, Turkish and Israeli aircraft over Syrian territory. One such incident occurred on August&nbsp;26,&nbsp;2019, when two Su-35S intercepted Israeli fighters over the Mediterranean Sea which were preparing for attacks on Syrian targets, forcing them to retreat. On September&nbsp;10 that year Su-35s intercepted several Israeli aircraft over the Southern Syria and prevented them from launching airstrikes. Nine days later a pair of Su-35s prevented Israeli aircraft from attacking the suburbs of the Syrian capital Damascus. On November&nbsp;12&nbsp;Su-35s again intercepted an Israeli fighter to prevent airstrikes on Damascus, and on December 7 several Israeli aircraft were intercepted by Su-35s and forced to retreat during an attempt to bomb the Syrian Air Force’s primarily operational facility Tiyas Air Base. Incidents of interceptions after the 2010s in most cases remain unconfirmed.&nbsp;