Russia sending thousands of troops, dozens of jets to Syria

Sukhoi-24 aircraft trailing an Ilyushin Il-78 in a photo taken in 2009. (CC BY-SA Dmitry Terekhov, Flickr)

 

Russia has deployed 28 combat planes in Syria, US officials said Monday, and a source in Moscow said 2,000 Russian military personnel would be sent to an airbase near the main port city of Latakia, as fears grow over Moscow’s increasing military presence in the war-torn nation.

Washington in recent weeks has expressed growing concern over Russia’s moves to support Syrian President Bashar Assad and warned that militarily backing his regime risks further hampering efforts at bringing peace.

Experts said the buildup is likely a prelude to military action.

Camouflage Skill: Russian Armed Forces Made Airfield Disappear for Hours

During exercises of the chemical and biological corps in the Samara region, army forces managed to make a highly critical facility invisible for a long time period. It was made invisible against visual intelligence and missile detection systems.

The ‘critical facility’ is a term used by specialists to describe a large military airfield, army headquarters and control bases, bridges of strategic importance, electric stations and other vital military infrastructure.

German Typhoons have intercepted 7 Russian Air Force combat planes over the Baltic Sea today

 

NATO Baltic Air Policing mission is quite busy these days….

According to the Latvian military, on Oct. 28, the German Air Force Eurofighter jets on QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) at Amari, Estonia, to provide NATO Baltic Air Policing were scrambled to intercept seven Russian Air Force planes flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.

Russia reactivates military airfield in the Arctic Region after 20 years

Earlier in October, Putin stated strongly that Russia would never “surrender” its Arctic area. Indeed, Temp airfield located on Kotelny Island, the largest of Russian islands in Novosiberian region, is being reactivated.

The airfield has been operational beginning in 1949 then, 20 years ago, its activity was suspended, and the infrastructures preserved for future use. Since then, Russian policy towards Arctic has become more aggressive and one of the elements of that policy is to reinstate the aforementioned airfield for Russian Air Force planes.