This afternoon, the Syrian official TV channel broadcasted a video report from Tabqa AFB confirming the airbase is till safe despite the continues trials from ISIS/ISIL to overrun it.
The video contains a tour in the air field where we could see HAS's and few phased-out MiG-21's.
Also, it showed a MiG-21bis taxiing after landing (as the drogue parachute compartment is open aside as can be seen here above).
Many FB pages reported the intensive traffic of military transporters 'Ilyushin' from and to the airbase, the An-26 above was among.
The biggest surprise here is to see a Gazelle deployed in this base!! This one carries the serial 1343.
Mi-25 landing with one FAB fitted to its right wing pylon.
Later, more videos come to public over YouTube, among them:
The FIRST VIDEO, In which we can see clearly the serial of the Gazelle 1343, while in the SECOND VIDEO, we can see an Il-76 military transporter at 1:17.
This THIRD VIDEO, gives a better view to the air field and the phased out MiG-21's.
Interesting to see a Gazelle there...and it looks armed! Have the Syrians started to employ their Gazelles in combat?
ReplyDeleteTrue, it is so interesting, especially in the presence of the aggressive Mi-25 which at least has a machine gun effective against individuals and fast moving targets.
DeleteTo deploy Gazelles there, might mean it is the last measures of the regime to keep their hands on this airbase, in the lights of the impossibility to detach tanks and armor there.