43rd Memorial Day of Teshreen War

A video published by Syrian MoD on 6th Oct. 2016 showing some units in Seen AB; Among them are:
- 3436 MiG-29S
- 3508 Su-24M2
- 3504 Su-24M2

It is amazing to see and for the first time in the history of SyAAF a MiG-29S armed with R-77 air-to-air missile as can be seen at 02:19.

SyAAF MiG-23BN Crashed (2016-06-27)

On 27th July, a MiG-23 operating from Seen AB and piloted by Lt. Colonel Nader Ramadan "المقدم نادر رمضان" is reported crashed in Qalamoun mounts area resulting in the death of the pilot.

It's good to mention that Seen AB and in addition to the MiG-29 and Su-24M2, it houses a squadron of MiG-23BN which made me conclude the crashed MiG is a BN bomber/attack variant.

SyAAF Su-24M2 Shot Down (2015-06-11)

Today, 11th June 2015, a SyAAF Su-24M2 operating from Seen AB crashed in the eastern countryside of Dar'a near Nahta village.
Eye-witnesses stated that the pilot ejected safely, which means that the navigator did not and apparently KIA.
The Fencer is reported to be downed by 23mm AA gun which does not sound logic. Causing such damage to a heavy bomber is not that easy using such weapon, although taking into consideration it must receive many shots in the same area, instead, the reason behind the crash of this aircraft remains unclear but it is thought that mid-air ordnance detonation caused the massive damage to the fuselage which resulted in halving the aircraft as seen.

Above, the wreckage of the SyAAF Fencer can be also seen in this VIDEO. Newly published walk-around the wreckage can be seen here in this VIDEO and this VIDEO.

The coverage of this incident was good as the aircraft could be seen while in fire prior to hit the ground, in this VIDEO and this VIDEO.

Photos of SyAAF MiG-29s - UPDATED II

Stunning photos I liked to share here for the SyAAF agile MiG-29 which most of Syrian sources prefers to name it the MiG-29S or SM, as the fleet has received partial SMT package modernization in 'The Factory' overhaul facility located at Neyrab airbase (Aleppo IAP).
The photo above is extracted from a Syrian media published on the anniversary of Syrian Air Force recently in October 2014. It represent a footage of pair of MiG-29S preparing to take off on the Seen AFB runway (from east to west).
The one on left is serialed 3421, while the right one carries the serial 3425. The latter is very interesting with its R-27 air-to-air missile launch rail fitted on the pylon inboard.

The 3421 MiG-29S inside a HAS the moment it runs engines.

We can see here the same Fulcrum with its air intakes been closed preparing to taxi out.

This 3421 MiG-29S which started taxiing out looks in its newly applied camo.

Rolling out...

Close shot for the SyAAF MiG-29S serialed 3425.

This MiG-29S which serial is sadly hidden by photographer represent what looks to be the original camo with more contrasted Dark/Light Bluish Gray as can be clearly observed by comparing this shot with the one above.
Another difference is the absence of the third Black tinted cover under the fixed frontal cockpit shield.

What we are eager for...is a single shot at the cockpit of this MiG-29S glorious fighter!

Photos of SyAAF MiG-29s - UPDATED

Few photo of SyAAF MiG-29 came to public those I like to share with our audiences.
I would start with this truly rare photo of a Syrian MiG-29 on the main tarmac of Seen AFB with a very special thanks to our great friend 'pfc-joker' for providing me it. The serial is not that clear but may read 3423... 

Another MiG-29 photographed on the same tarmac with a MiG-23ML or MLD behind...I'm not sure whether should we read the serial 3453!?!?

A photo of a Syrian Fulcrum taxiing out of its HAS, came to public days before the latest presidential election. Sadly, both serial and armament are blurred.

So far, Syrian Fulcrums been seen fitted with out dated B-8 unguided rocket launchers.

Climbing onto a MiG-29 cockpit...

I'm awaiting impatiently for any photo for this fighter in which I will see the HMS system 'Helmet Mounted Weapons Sight' available in Syria.

SyAAF MiG-29 in Action

Let's say that March 2014 would be a turning point for the SyAAF in terms of appearance and utilization of its units in the current uprising!
We saw the first appearance of the MiG-25's over the eastern county of Hama, also the intensive use of MiG-29's over the northern county of Damascus, and to the eastern side of Seen AFB.
Spotting Fulcrum's over Rhaibeh (just 15km to the north of Dhmair AFB and 25km to the southern west of Nasriyeh AFB) gives some kind of impression that the bomber fleet is over-tired (Su-22M & MiG-23BN).

Above is one of the MiG-29's those attacked seven times Rhaibeh town on 24th March 2014 (boringly fitted with B-8 pods) !! The serial is unclear but might be read 3436 or 3439.
This is the most valuable photo of a Syrian MiG-29 as it shows the camo pattern on the upper surfaces which will be helpful for modellers and artwork renderers ;)

 
Another shot for the same MiG-29 opening its gun fire which we saw in the famous video when this attacked the cameraman (below).

Some videos I collected showing this fighter carrying out ground attack sorties in the area to the east of Seen AFB which is known as Al-Tanf, that when FSyA attacked the 559 tank brigade on 20th March.

Photos of SyAAF Su-24MKs

Back!! to all fans, sorry for this gap as I was abroad for a couple of weeks. Anyway, I came back with a load of new and rare images will be posted here shortly!
Starting posts of December from the point I stopped, as you all know it will be for the SyAAF Su-24MK.

Very nice shot for a unit in flight, I am not sure when it was taken and where...was it during the live fire maneuvers? or been taken by a ground staff of some airbase (either T4 or Seen) ?!?!
The airframe here carries the serial 2508, also all the pylons are fitted to the wings and fuselage.

The second interesting photo is for another Syrian Su-24MK photographed in the T4 airbase on 16th Oct. 2013. The serial is readable here and it is 2514.
The group here are called the 'Slavonic Corps' operating in Syria, for more info you should not miss reading Oryx's post about them HERE.

Another airframe with serial 2502 was photographed on ground. It is just abnormal to see this aircraft stationed with 45 degrees oriented on tarmac, so this imagery might be taken near/at the back yard of a HAS.

(Photo from: The Aviationist)

The famous Su-24MK videoed by a co-pilot on 15th Oct. 2011 passing over Aleppo city in their way to Rasm Al Abboud airbase (Kweres) in training just one day before the air personnel graduation ceremony held in that base.
The serial of this aircraft could be read 2509.

A shot for a Syrian Su-24MK just after taking off appeared in media in the state channel during the live fire maneuvers took place on July 2012. 

In action: the SyAAF relied a lot on this machine in ground attack sorties over Aleppo, Idelb, Homs and recently Dar'a with very few times seen over Eastern Ghouta in Damascus.
This one was spotted over the northern county of Aleppo (towns of Hayyan and Hreitan) loaded with Eight free fall bombs FAB's.

It turned back after it carried out its attack sortie.
The fleet of Syrian Su-24MK's is based mainly in T4 AFB with some units in Seen AFB.

Over Idelb and specifically over Jabal Azzawiyah area the Su-24MK's are flying almost daily like this one spotted there on 18 Sep. 2013.

I would advise readers to have a look on Oryx's article about the same HERE with much details about the recent upgrade some of the SyAAF Su-24MK's have received.

Photos of SyAAF MiG's - MISC

New update for the series of stills of the MiG aircraft family serving for the SyAAF. I would start here with a real treasure came to public this week: SyAAF MiG-29's!! This photo shows a pair of Syrian MiG-29's just before seconds of taking off from their home base: SEEN AFB -note the other two MiG's inside the double shelter.
Two things would make this photo Exceptional: If the serials were readable, and if air-to-air missiles were fitted to the pylons!!

This is a key map for the SEEN AFB: the Red dot represents the location of the camera -targeting little to the right of the double HAS as shown-, white the Greed two dots represent the location of the MiG's on the runway preparing to take off.

Another great still is for a SyAAF MiG-23ML with serial 2797 taking off (could be from Dmeyr or SEEN AFB).
Two things to mention about this ML: Note the locally developed flare dispensers fitted on both sides of the tail fin, and: this is the same ML which was spotted in Krasnodar overhaul facility on June 2008!! (refer to this POST for further details).

MiG-23BN spotted maneuvering over Darayya after an attack sortie on 15 Oct. 2013.

The very famous and the ever poorest SyAAF MiG-17 which was in display in the campus of the university of Aleppo photographed in 1996. The serial 1228 is painted roughly and could be written by the students themselves, but sounds plausible since a batch of SyAAF MiG-17's used to carry the serial 12XX.
This MiG-17 was shifted somewhere out in 2001 or 2002.

SyAAF MiG-15UTI photographed in the Military Museum of Damascus, carrying the serial 273.
Note that the drop tank fitted under wing belongs to another airframe with serial 254.

THE 'SEEN' AS NEVER SEEN BEFORE!!

Yes, true, as never seen before!! Again the SyAAF SEEN AFB is updated on the electronic maps, but this time BING did it, and did it perfectly!!
You can refer to the previous POST in order to get more info about this base and for better comparison about the novelties of aircraft and layout and the most important this is the SyAADF newly deployed in this base.
As always, I would start this post with a key map for the air field which indicated the enlarged crops I list below:

View 1: Three MiG-29's on main tarmac. Note that the camo of the unit at the bottom looks almost plain, which confirms that there is not unified camo for all SyAAF MiG-29's.

View 2: Another MiG-29 can be seen on the pad where maintenance team test engines after being overhauled.

View 3: A new MiG-23 is added -first from the bottom- to the phased out units of this type.

View 4: Six phased out MiG-21's. Note the scrapped wingless fuselage of a Su-7.

View 5: The MiG-25RB continues its rest in the same place after its accident some time in early 2000's.

View 6: As mentioned above, these are the major novelties seen in this air base: the new SyAADF systems deployed here and there all around the airfield.
I'm not an expert with types of SAM's, I may tell that these trucks are supposed to be carrying SA-2 or even the S-200 missiles. I would prefer to leave it for experts to indicate the type of SAM system deployed in this spot. 

View 7: The trucks at the bottom which carries two missiles, look SA-3.

View 8: These are for sure launchers of SA-3.

View 9: Another batch of trucks carrying SA-2.

View 10: Launchers of SA-2.

View 11: Launchers of SA-3.
As I said, these systems are newly deployed around the base, as you can see clearly they were just laid in place even without ground preparations.

The SEEN is finally seen !!!

Finally, after years of the emergence of electronic maps (Google, Bing and Apple), Apple maps did it and revealed the never seen before, the SEEN AIR FORCE BASE !!
This base in known also as "Sayqal" as per the Google Earth, but it's not called like this in Syria at all.
The importance of this AFB comes from being the home base of the SyAAF MiG-29 fleet.

Seen is the only Syrian AFB which didn't have clear aerial view or satellite image in any map before, sadly it was provided in gray scale tones but it's better than nothing !!
Above is a key map for the partial views below (North is always to the top).

View 1: phased-out two MiG-21s.

View 2: another two MiG-21s phased-out.

View 3: the upper aircraft is a MiG-23, the below is MiG-29, since both are exposed in the yard then both should be training variants.

View 4: This look to be the maintenence and testing facility, two MiG-29s appears here.

View 5: again...another two MiG-21s phased-out.

View 6: a MiG-25RB had an accident in early 2000s, withdrawn immediately and been kept in its place.

View 7: the lower aircraft looks like a fin-less MiG-23, while the one to the north of the double HAS is a Su-24MK.

View 8: withdrawn MiG-21s are everywhere in this AFB !!, here are six airframes phased-out; Also note the two scraped wing-less Su-7s or Su-20s.

View 9: OK, here are the last two phased-out MiG-21s been towed into the desert.

Simultaneously, Bing maps revealed this AFB, I'm not sure of the time gap between Apple's and Bing's, but Bing's still blurry and in low definition.
Only two important partial views here, the eastern one shows a MiG-29 been parked behind the HAS, while the western one shows three MiG-23s side by side.