SyAAF Mig-29M/M2 ?!?

A photo has been recently revealed for a Mig-29M/M2 thought to be one of 24 units ordered by SyAAF.

According to "Take Off" magazine (issue June 2011), the contract was signed in 2007.

Mig-29M/M2 that are close enough to the MiG-29SMT in terms of avionics, weapons and combat capabilities, but are, actually, newly-built aircraft, with the airframe, powerplant and avionics fit being the same as those of the Generation 4++ MiG-35.

(diagram extracted from Take Off magazine)

(diagram extracted from Take Off magazine)

Some sources reported that the single-seaters of (MiG-29K/KUB, MiG-29M/M2, MiG-35) were manufactured by the MiG Corp.’s production facility in Moscow and the twinseaters by the Sokol plant in Nizhny Novgorod.

SyAAF Conducts Live Fire Maneuvers

A new VIDEO extracted from Syrian TV shows live fire maneuvers conducted yesterday Dec.20 - 2011 by the SyAAF and Syrian Navy.

The maneuvers show participation of many aircraft:
- Mig-23 (looks to be ML)
- Mig-23BN
- Mig-29 (performing dog-fighting with pair of Mig-23's)
- Su-24 releasing free-fall bombs
- Gazelle's
- Mi-25
- Mi-17


Unfortunately, the resolution of the published here is not as good as seen on TV.

Updated AFB's on Google Earth - Dec.7th 2011

On Dec. 7th, GE has updated many areas in which there were few air bases.

Starting from Syria, Swaida AB (32°42'16.28"N 36°24'43.65"E).

This update confirms that this base has been abandoned in late 2004 (Mi-25's were last seen here in mid 2004).

Libya, Umm Aitiqah AB - Wheelus formerly - (32°53'35.74"N 13°17'10.22"E).

This updated image shows that this base wasn't targeted by NATO air strikes..may be because no military aircraft are operated from here anymore.

Qatar, Al Ubeid AB (25° 7'4.69"N 51°19'9.65"E).

Veeeery rich inventory of B1-B's..!!

Saudi Arabia, Dhahran AB (26°15'30.14"N 50° 9'18.27"E).

Iran, Shiraz AB (29°32'16.58"N 52°35'24.20"E).

Few Su-24's can be seen here.

Again from Iran, Kerman AB (30°16'38.15"N 56°57'25.37"E).

Many helis with two rotary wings...are they AH-1 Cobra's?

Pakistan, Peshawar AB (33°59'39.67"N 71°30'51.98"E).

Russia, Ivanovo North (57° 3'22.78"N 40°58'48.53"E).

Are these Beriev A-50 with rotodomes??

Updated AFB's on Google Earth - Nov.25th 2011

Few interesting air force bases were updated on Google Earth on Nov. 25th.
Starting from the Middle East from Libya, Sirt AB (31° 3'38.69"N 16°35'45.72"E).

Of course this imagery was taken during the revolution showing that all HAS's were targeted and bombed by NATO's LGB's.

You can clearly notice that all sliding gates are thrown sometimes 50 meters away from HAS due to the explosion of bombs inside.

Egypt, Kom Awshim AB (29°33'20.35"N 30°53'38.71"E).

This base looks to be the home base of CH-47 Chinook's.

Yemen, Sanaa' AB (15°28'37.04"N 44°13'11.71"E).

What's new...few shelters in the main yard are built for Mig-29's.

Turkey, Konya AB (37°58'46.33"N 32°33'44.80"E).

Inventory includes large number of F-5's, few F-16's in addition to the yard of Turkish Stars (aerobatic team F-5's).

Russia, Buturlinovka AB (50°47'32.59"N 40°36'33.74"E).

Mig-29's are operated from this base.

Another base in Russia, Kursk East (51°45'2.48"N 36°17'47.90"E).

North Korea, Pukchang AB (39°30'9.48"N 125°57'52.20"E).

Many Mig-23's can be seen here, also this base looks to have under ground tunnels for aircraft.

Another North Korean base, Pukchang (39°24'48.57"N 125°53'23.54"E).

Many Mig-29's and Su-25's look as stored in the forest way!?!?

China, Dandong Langtou base (40° 1'39.40"N 124°17'8.75"E).
Inventory includes J-6, J-7 and between those few J-8's !?!? (looks to be the first generation of J-8 which comes with the frontal air intake hole same as Su-7).

Onboard SyAAF Su-24 !!

A very rare video if not the first of a kind to be published on the net, thanks to "SyrianDevileyez" from ACIG whom drew our attention to this great video (which i couldn't resist posting it here again in this blog), showing 3 Su-24M2's during the air show which accompany the celebration of airmen graduation in Rasm Al Abboud (the main training AB in Syria).

This video was taken in October this year or the last one, details of this video are as below:

- in 0:00 till 0:20 the three Su's are over Aleppo.
- in 0:21 you can see the runway of Neyrab AB on horizon exactly under the belly of the right Su.
- in 0:22 till 2:35 they are on the way approaching Rasm Al Abboud AB.
- in 2:36 they enter the fence of that AB and running exactly over the runway.
- in 2:49 wreckage of newly added Mig-21's in front, behind 1 Meteor + 1 Flamingo + 2 L-29's + 1 Mi-8 + 2 Mig-17.
- in 2:56 they exit the AB.
- Till the end...the three cavaliers continue their way to the home base in T4.

I can't tell it is a courage from the pilot (especially in this critical period) to upload such video on web !!