SyAAF Mil Mi-25

New HD photos were published on web particularly in facebook under the book called "Syrian Military Encyclopedia".
These photos were expertly extracted from the videos of live fire maneuvers conducted by Syrian Amry, Air Force, Air Defense and Naval Force last month.
In this part I'm posting few photos for SyAAF Mil Mi-25; the above one is for pair dispensing flares.

Formation of four Mi-25s firing AT-2 Swatter anti-tank guided missiles.

Mi-25 winding while dispensing flares, the serial is 28xx.

Close shot for Mi-25 reg. 2802, not the left AT-2 Swatter on its rail.

Another clear and amazing shot for the same Hind.

SyAAF Hinds used to be based in Blai and Mazze ABs, previously few numbers were based in Swaida AB before it was completely disbanded 2004.

Recently, these Hinds are used widely against civilians and rebels in the current uprising in Syria against dictatorship.

Pair of Mi-25 reg. 2802 and 2837.

Mi-25 reg. 2830, note that this one is fitted with unguided missiles pods.

Mi-25s reg. 2831 and 2846 winding and dispensing flares.

Experts state that camo of SyAAF Hinds is renewed to match the camo of SyAAF Gazelles; Unfortunately these are the first colored photos of Mi-25 over years of secrecy.

Videos of Hinds in actions nowadays are widely available on web these days, this photo was extracted as well from one of them showing a Hind in Swaida AB (after few units were deployed there beginning of this year).

This should be the first photo of a SyAAF Hind published on web few years ago.
Open sources state that SyAAF flies 36~48 units, in Blai AB itself around 33 units can be counted on GE 2011.

Syrian Navy Helicopters

Few valuable photos collected from web -with full respect to owners- showing helicopters used in Syrian Navy.

The above photo is Mil Mi-14PS Haze-C (search & rescue variant) reg. 1475, colors of camo are still in good saturation while date of this photo is unknown.

A photo by Teemu Tuuri dated April 2006 for Mi-14PL Haze A reg. 1478.

Another photo by Teemu shows two Syrian Mi-14PL reg. 1483 and 1486.

Photo shows at least five Mi-14PL's with one readable reg. 2382 with one Kamov Ka-25 on the right.

This Mi-14 looks in good operational status with reg. 2396, note the torpedo fitted at the rear of fuselage.

According to open sources, Syrian Navy used to acquire 11 Mi-14's, all based in Lattakia airport; an observation through Google Earth clarify that around six units might be in good condition while four fuselages are razor-less !!

Nice shot for the Kamov Ka-27 during the latest maneuvers took place early last month; Serial number is in white but unreadable.

It looks that Syrian Navy operates around 4~5 units of Ka-25/27, all of them are based in Lattakia airport while one phased-out fuselage of Ka-25 is transferred to Rasm Al Abboud AB (the air academy near Aleppo) for training purposes.

In this video of the live maneuvers last July, one Mi-14 appears in 0:15.

SyAAF From The Archive - Part IV

One of the rarest videos I could discover in YouTube !!!

An amazing video been taken in Rasm Al Abboud main air force academy (to the east of Aleppo) in the days prior the graduation parade (looks in early 1980s).

The ever first appearance in media for a Syrian Air Force Mil Mi-2 which I have never seen before !!

It will be a valuable record for camo useful for modellers.

The same for MBB 223 Flamingo which was never seen before.

I saw many Flamingos in live in plain colors but never saw such one in camo same as jet fighters !!

L-29 Dolphine starting from the main yard, this aircraft was scrapped in this air base and in more numbers in Kshesh.

Formation of 4x9 L-39's during the air show.

Line of L-39's in which we can notice the closest with reg. 2065.

Another L-39 reg. 2072 with trainer Najdat Othman (RIP) stepping down for interview.

MISC July 2012

I was in NingBo in China when I could take a fast shot for this Su-30MK2 belongs to the 10th Air Regiment of the 4th Division taking off from Ningbo-ZhuangQiao air force base.

In Doha International Airportin Qatar, unfortunately I could not shoot 2 Mirage-2000's and one AlphaJet taking off at midnight for night flight training, when I arrived back again I shoot the main yard of Gulf Helicopters which contains 11 AgustaWestland AW139's with reg. A7-GHA, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, K, L in addition to one A7-HBT.

Note the red Bell 412 reg. A7-HBV on the left for emergency medical services.

Also there were two Bell 412 with reg. A7-HAV and A7-HBB.

Two Qatar Emiri Air Force Westland Commando's.

HAS's for Mirage-2000's sadly got their shelter panels closed, can not see treasures they hide inside !!

SyAAF L-39 Albatros

Nice and rare photos of SyAAF L-39 Albatros been taken some few days before the annual parade in Rasm Al Abboud training air base; The above reg. 2052.

Close shoot to an L-39 reg. 2090 looks locally repainted.

Syria used to operate around 100 L-39's, the majority is ZO variant.

Another photo for the same 2090.

These aircraft were distributed into 3 bases : Rasm Al Abboud, Ksheish and formerly Abu Dhhour.

The reg. number here is not readable, but looks 209x

Training for the aerobatic team which contains four aircraft with permanent plain color for each one extracted from the colors of Syrian flag...Black, White, Red and Green.

16 L-39's forming the word "Asad" in Arabic.

Amazing shoot shows an L-39 and Gazelle above, with one of the phased out Meteors Night Fighter Mk.13 in Rasm Al Abboud air base !!

Gear and flaps downed preparing for landing.

Three L-39's in the main yard in Rasm Al Abboud AB, note the furthest one has different camo pattern.

Syrian Air Force Live Fire Maneuvers July 2012

The forth day of live fire maneuvers conducted this time by the Syrian Air Force on July 10th 2012, it's realy one of the ever amazing videos showing some of the SyAAF units been shoot from very close distance (I'm talking about aircraft while taking off)

Details of this video are as below:

- 0:39 Four Mig-21's

- 0:48 Mig-23ML's dispensing flares

- 0:53 Mig-29's taking off

- 1:26 Two Mig-29's in pursuit with two Mig-23ML's

- 2:10 Su-24MK taking off

- 2:42 Mig-23BN's taking off

- 3:16 and 3:44 Su-24's releasing free-fall bombs

- 3:34 Mig-23BN's launching unguided missiles

- 4:01 Gazelles

- 4:25 Mil Mi-25's firing anti-tank missiles, are they the AT-2 Swatter?

- 5:36 Mil Mi-17's performing landing of special forces units

- 6:16 An-26 airdropping cargo

It's good to see that these great Mig-21's are still operational in SyAAF !!

It's the very first time in Syrian media to show Mig-29 from such close distance !!

Mig-23ML's, the first one's reg. number is not clear but can be read kinda like #397 !?!?

The Su-24MK was also and for the first time shoot from short distance; Unfortunately in these maneuvers they did not fit it with guided missiles or bombs, this tactical bomber wasn't built to pass over the target exposing itself to the ground fire to throw free-fall bombs !!

Gazelles launching AS-12 wire-guided anti-tank missiles, note that the Gazelle looks it must be in still status to be able to launch such missile?

Not like the Gazelle, the Mi-25 can fire its anti-tank missiles while in movement.

Turkish F-4 Downed !!

Al Manar TV stated that Syrian Air Defense Force shot down an F-4 Phantom of Turkish Air Force today.

A Turkish TV NTV confirmed that the aircraft took off today 10:30am from Erhac AFB in Malatya province south of Turkey and disappeared from Radar around 12 midday today; Moreover, the two crew were found alive 8 miles to the west of Ras Al Baseet (north of Lattakia).