The President of Syria is commander in chief of the Syrian armed forces, comprising some 320,000 troops upon mobilization. The military is a conscripted force; males serve 24 months in the military upon reaching the age of 18. About 14,000 Syrian soldiers were deployed in Lebanon until April 27, 2005, when the last of Syria's troops left the country after three decades. [1] It has been suggested that List of countries by size of armed forces be merged into this article or section. ... This page lists presidents and other Heads of State of Syria. ... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The breakup of the Soviet Union — long the principal source of training, material, and credit for the Syrian forces — may have slowed Syria's ability to acquire modern military equipment. It has an arsenal of surface-to-surface missiles capable of reaching most of the populated areas of Israel, Syria's longstanding enemy in the region. In the early 1990s, Scud-C missiles with a 500-kilometer range were procured from North Korea, and Scud-D, with a range of up to 700 kilometers, is allegedly being developed by Syria with the help of North Korea and Iran, according to Zisser. [2] Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Scud (disambiguation). ...

Syria received significant financial aid from Persian Gulf Arab states as a result of its participation in the Persian Gulf War, with a sizable portion of these funds earmarked for military spending. In addition, Syria is trying to develop defensive weapons to limit the Israeli abilities to attack it. See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... A military budget of an entity, most often a nation or a state is the budget and financial resources dedicated to raising and maintaining armed forces for that entity. ...

Military branches: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force, Syrian Arab Air Defense Forces, Police and Security Force The President of Syria is commander in chief of the Syrian armed forces, comprising some 320,000 troops upon mobilization. ...

Involvement in military conflict

• The 1948 Arab-Israeli War (against Israel)
• The Six Day War (against Israel)
• The Yom Kippur War (against Israel)
• The Lebanese Civil War, 1982 Lebanon War (against Lebanese militias, the PLO and Israel)
• The Persian Gulf War (against Iraq)

The Syrian armed forces has also been involved in keeping the order in Syria, for example by fighting a Muslim Brotherhood insurrection in the 1980s (most notable for the Hama Massacre, in which the Syrian Army played a part). Combatants  Israel Egypt, Syria, Transjordan,  Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Holy War Army, Arab Liberation Army Commanders Yaakov Dori, Yigael Yadin Glubb Pasha, Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni, Hasan Salama, Fawzi Al-Qawuqji Strength  Israel: 29,677 initially rising to 115,000 by March 1949 Egypt: 10,000 initially rising... The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War or June War, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. ... Combatants Israel Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq Aided By Saudi Arabia Pakistan Cuba Uganda Libya, Commanders Moshe Dayan, David Elazar, Ariel Sharon, Shmuel Gonen, Benjamin Peled, Israel Tal, Rehavam Zeevi, Aharon Yariv, Yitzhak Hofi, Rafael Eitan, Abraham Adan, Yanush Ben Gal Saad El Shazly, Ahmad Ismail Ali, Hosni Mubarak, Mohammed Aly... Combatants Lebanese Front Syria LNM PLO Commanders Bachir Gemayel Dany Chamoun Kamal Jumblatt Yasser Arafat The multi-sided Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) had its origin in the conflicts and political compromises after the end of Lebanons administration by the Ottoman Empire and was exacerbated by the nations... Combatants Israel South Lebanon Army LF (nominally neutral) PLO Syria Amal LCP Commanders Menachem Begin (Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon, (Ministry of Defence) Rafael Eitan, (CoS) Yasser Arafat Strength 76,000 37,000 Casualties 670 17,825 The 1982 Lebanon War (Hebrew: , Milkhemet Levanon), (Arabic: ), called by Israel the Operation Peace... The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (Arabic Munazzamat al-Tahrir Filastiniyyah منظمة تحرير فلسطينية ) is a political and paramilitary organization of Palestinian Arabs dedicated to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state to consist of the... See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

International disputes

Since 1967, part of the Golan Heights territory of South West Syria is under Israeli military occupation. Since 1973, the cease-fire line has generally been respected by both sides, with very few incidents. Syria does not recognize the State of Israel. Syria also considers the Hatay Province of Southern Turkey to be Syrian territory and under occupation, but there has been no fighting over this issue. The Golan Heights (Hebrew: Ramat HaGolan, Arabic: Habat al-ūlān) or Golan is a plateau on the border of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. ... Belligerent military occupation occurs when one nations military occupies all or part of the territory of another nation or recognized belligerent. ... An armistice is the effective end of a war, when the warring parties agree to stop fighting. ... Hatay is a province of southern Turkey, situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the west and Syria to the south and east. ...

The Syrian military is also believed by some to be actively supporting Lebanese and Palestinian militias such as Hezbollah, Hamas, PFLP-GC and Islamic Jihad. Until the 1990s, Syria supported the Kurdish PKK movement in the Turkish parts of Kurdistan. The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... For other uses, see Hezbollah (disambiguation). ... Hamas (Arabic: ; acronym: Arabic: , or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement,[1]) is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist organization. ... The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command is a left-wing Palestinian nationalist organization. ... Islamic Jihad (Arabic: ‎, Harakat al-Jihad al-Islami) is a terrorist Islamist group based in the Syrian capital, Damascus. ... Kurds are one of the Iranian peoples and speak Kurdish, a north-Western Iranian language related to Persian. ... The Congress for Freedom and Democracy in Kurdistan (Kadek), formerly known as the Kurdistan Workers Party (Kurdish: Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan, PKK ) was one of several militant groups fighting for the creation of an independent Kurdish state in southern Turkey, northern Iraq, Northern Syria and western Iran. ... Kurdistan (Kurdish: Kurdistan/كوردستان, literally meaning the land of Kurds[2]; Ancient: Corduene, old: Koordistan, Curdistan, Kurdia or Kurdiya, also Kurdish: ) is the name of a geographic and cultural region in the Middle East, inhabited predominantly by the Kurds. ...

Syrian Army

Current Structure and Organization of the Syrian Army

• 200,000 personnel plus 280,000 conscripts, total 480,000^[1]
• 3 Corps HQ (1st, 2nd, and 3rd)
• 7 armoured divisions (apparently 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 11th^[2])
• 3 understrength mechanised divisions (4th, 7th, and 10th)
• 4 independent infantry brigades
• 14th Special Forces Division with 3 SF regiments; ten independent regiments
• 2 independent artillery brigades
• 2 independent anti-tank brigades
• Three Surface-to-surface missile brigades (each three battalions)(one brigade with FROG-7, one brigade with SS-21 Scarab, one brigade with Scud-B/C/D)
• Two coastal defence missile brigades (one with 12 SS-C-1B Sepal launchers, one with 12 P-15 Termit launchers, alternative designation SS-C-3 'Styx'). Also they are strong rumors that Syria received C-802 systems and 100 missiles from Iran.
• One border guard brigade
• One Republican Guard division (one artillery regiment, one mechanised brigade, three armoured brigades)

A corps (plural same as singular; a word that migrated from the French language, pronounced IPA: (cor), but originating in the Latin corpus, corporis meaning body) is either a large military unit or formation, an administrative grouping of troops within an army with a common function (such as artillery or... Symbol of the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division in NATO code A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to twenty thousand soldiers. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, bicycles, or other means. ... In military science a brigade is a military unit that is part of a division and includes regiments (where that level exists), or (in modern armies) is composed of several battalions (typically two to four) and directly attached supporting units. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... British regiment A regiment is a military unit, consisting of a variable number of battalions - commanded by a colonel. ... Artillery with Gabion fortification Cannons on display at Fort Point Continental Artillery crew from the American Revolution Firing of an 18-pound gun, Louis-Philippe Crepin, (1772 – 1851) A forge-welded Iron Cannon in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. ... A surface-to-surface missile (SSM) is a guided projectile launched from a hand-held, vehicle mounted, trailer mounted or fixed installation or from a ship. ... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols A battalion is a military unit usually consisting of between two and six companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. ... FROG-7B (Luna M) FROG-7B (Luna M) FROG-7B (Luna M) FROG-7B (Luna M) The FROG-7 is the final version of the FROG family of unguided, spin-stabilized, short-range artillery rockets. ... SS-21 (NATO reporting name Scarab, Russian designation 9K79, or OTR-21) was a Soviet short-ranged tactical ballistic missile. ... For other uses, see Scud (disambiguation). ... The P-15 Termit (Russian: ; English: ) was a type of missile developed by the Soviet Unions Raduga design bureau in the 1950s. ... The Yingji-82 or YJ-82 (Chinese: 鹰击-82, literally Eagle Strike; NATO reporting name: CSS-N-8 Saccade) is a Chinese anti-ship missile first unveiled in 1989 by the China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy (CHETA), also known as the Third Academy. ... Border Guard (Polish Straż Graniczna, SG) is a Polish military unit tasked with patrol of the Polish border. ... The Syrian Republican Guard is a 10,000 man bodyguard of the Syrian Army. ...

Eguipment

-Tanks-

• 1.600 T-72 , 1.000 T-62 , 200 T-55MV , 900 T-54/T-55

-APC/IFV- The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1971. ... The T-62 Soviet main battle tank is a further development of the T-54/55 series. ... The T-54 and T-55 tank series was the Soviet Unions front-line main battle tank from 1947 until 1962, and remains in service throughout the world to this day, especially by former client states of the Soviet Union. ... The T-55 and T-54 main battle tanks were the Soviet Unions replacements for the World War II era T-34 tank. ... The T-54 and T-55 tank series was the Soviet Unions front-line main battle tank from 1947 until 1962, and remains in service throughout the world to this day, especially by former client states of the Soviet Union. ...

• 2.450 BMP-1 , 560 BTR-152 , 100 BMP-2 , 1.000 BTR-50/BTR-60/BTR-70 , 950 BRDM-2

- Artillery- The BMP-1 is a Soviet infantry fighting vehicle which was first introduced in the early 1960s. ... The BTR-152 was the Soviet armored personnel carrier. ... The BMP-1 is a Soviet infantry fighting vehicle which was first introduced in the early 1960s. ... BTR-50P/PK recognition plate. ... The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers. ... BTR-70 The BTR-70 is an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier originally developed during the late 1970s and fielded by the Warsaw Pact and allies beginning in the early 1980s. ... The BRDM-2 (Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina, Боевая Разведывательная Дозорная Машина, literally Combat Reconnaissance/Patrol Vehicle †) is an armoured scout car used by Russia and the former Soviet Union. ...

• 50 2S3 Akatsiya , 400 2S1 , 536 D-30 , 10 S-23 , 50 M-1937 , 20 M-1955, 800 M-1954, 150 M-1938,

- Rocket Launchers- The 2S3 Akatsiya (Russian: ; English: ) is a 152 mm self-propelled artillery produced by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. ... The 2S1 Gvozdika (Russian: ; English: ) is a Soviet 122-mm self-propelled howitzer that resembles the PT-76 but is essentially a version of the MT-LB APC. 2S1 is its GRAU designation. ... D-30 howitzer on display. ... The 152 mm howitzer M1954, also known as the D-20 is a manually loaded, towed 152 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet during the 1950s. ... The 130 mm towed field gun M1954, also known as the M-46 is a manually loaded, towed 130 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet in the 1950s. ...

• 250 BM-21 , 200 Type-63

-Surface to Surface missiles- BM-21 battery. ...

• 18 FROG-7 , 26 Scud-B/C ( 280 missiles) , Scud-D , 18 SS-21,

- Anti Tank- FROG-7B (Luna M) FROG-7B (Luna M) FROG-7B (Luna M) FROG-7B (Luna M) The FROG-7 is the final version of the FROG family of unguided, spin-stabilized, short-range artillery rockets. ... For other uses, see Scud (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Scud (disambiguation). ... SS-21 (NATO reporting name Scarab, Russian designation 9K79, or OTR-21) was a Soviet short-ranged tactical ballistic missile. ...

• 130 AT-3 , 150 AT-4 , 40 AT-5 , 50 AT-14 ( 1500 missiles), 200 Milan

- Air Defence- MATH-MATIC is an alternate name for AT-3. ... AT-4 may refer to: AT4, a unguided anti-tank rocket. ... AT-5 Spandrel missile The AT-5 Spandrel is the NATO reporting name for the 9M113 Konkurs (Contest) SACLOS wire-guided Anti-tank missile of the Soviet Union. ... The 9M133 Kornet (Russian for Cornet) is a Russian anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). ... This article is about the city in Italy. ...

• 50 SA-6 , SA-7 , 56 SA-8b , 20 SA-9 , 35 SA-13 , SA-14 , 50 SA-18 Strelets , 50 SA-22 ( On order) , 350 ZSU-23-4

A 3M9 TEL in desert camoflage. ... A soldier posing with a Strela launcher The 9K32 Strela-2 (Russian 9К32 стрела-2 - arrow, NATO reporting name SA-7 Grail) is a man-portable, shoulder-fired, low-altitude surface-to-air missile (SAM) system similar to the US Army REDEYE, with... An SA-8 9K33M3 TELAR w/Land Roll radars. ... A 9K31 transporter erector launcher. ... An SA-13 TELAR. Photo by GulfLINK. The ZRK-BD 9K35 Strela-10 (Russian 9К35 Стрела-10 - arrow, NATO reporting name SA-13 GOPHER) is a highly mobile, visually aimed, optical/infra-red guided, low-altitude, short-range surface to air missile system. ... The 9K34 Strela-3 (Russian 9К34 Стрела-3 - arrow, NATO reporting name SA-14 Gremlin) man-portable air defence missile system (MANPADS) was developed in Soviet Union as a response to the poor performance of the earlier 9K32 Strela-2 (NATO reporting name... 9K38 Igla The 9K38 Igla (Russian 9К38 Игла́ - needle) is a Russian/Soviet man-portable infra-red homing surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. ... Pantsir-S1 (NATO reporting name SA-22) is a surface-to-air missile system produced by KBP of Tula, Russia. ... The ZSU-23-4 Shilka is a lightly armoured, self-propelled, radar guided anti-aircraft weapon system (SPAAG). ...

Syrian Navy

Equipment:

• Frigates:
  

2 Petya II

• Missile Boats:
  

2 Osa I

8 Osa II

• Amphibious warfare vessels:
  

3 Polnocny B

• Mine Warfare vessels :

1 Sonya

3 Yevgenya

• Naval aviation:
  

11 Mil Mi-14PL

2 Kamov Ka-28PL

The Petya Class was the Nato reporting name for a class of light frigates built for the Soviet Navy in the 1960s. ... Osa I (Project 205) craft The Osa class is the Nato reporting name for a group of Fast attack craft, developed for the Soviet Navy in the early 1960s. ... Osa I (Project 205) craft The Osa class is the Nato reporting name for a group of Fast attack craft, developed for the Soviet Navy in the early 1960s. ... The Polnocny (or Polnochny)-class ships are amphibious warfare vessels. ... The Mil Mi-14 (NATO reporting name Haze) was a Soviet military transport helicopter, derived from the earlier Mi-8. ... The Kamov Ka-27 (NATO reporting name Helix) is a military helicopter developed for the Soviet Navy and currently in service in Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, South Korea, China and India. ...

Syrian Air Force

Main article: Syrian Air Force

The Syrian Air Force (Al Quwwat al-Jawwiya al Arabiya as-Souriya in Arabic) is the Aviation branch of the Syrian armed forces. The Syrian Air Force (Arabic: , Al Quwwat al-Jawwiya al Arabiya as-Souriya) is the Aviation branch of the Syrian armed forces. ... Syrian Air Force Logo Copyright Scramble. ... Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... Look up aircraft in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

See also

• Syria
• History of Syria
• Politics of Syria

This does not cite any references or sources. ... Officially, Syria is a republic. ...

References and Sources and Further Reading

1. ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance 2006, p.208-9)
2. ^ Richard Bennett, http://www.meib.org/articles/0108_s1.htm

External links

• Syrian Air Force Overview at Scramble
• Syrian Arab Airforce at Globalsecurity.org

• Richard Bennett, http://www.meib.org/articles/0108_s1.htm
• "Last Syrian troops leave Lebanon", CNN, April 27, 2005
• "Syria's embrace of WMD" by Eyal Zisser, Globe and Mail, September 28, 2004 (link leads only to abstract; purchase necessary for full article)