Tanks in Syrian Revolt

[bojan]

...Not too many conventional munitions designed for cargo choppers....

 

Ugh, Mi-8 can carry two 500kg or four 250kg bombs w/o problem. I have seen phgotos from Afghanistan with ODAB, KMGU containers, RBK-250/500 CBUs, quad rack for 4 x 100kg, even ZB-500 napalm tank. So I don't get "drums with TNT" story.

Probably transported ammo and/or fuel.

Edited October 18, 2012 by bojan

[shep854]

What got him? The helo seemed too high for light AAA; there's an article in today's Wall Street Journal reporting that rebels are getting MANPADs. Videos are mentioned showing supposed missile shoot-downs, presumably this is one of those.

[Max H]

It looked very intact for a missile hit - maybe a lucky hit from one of those autocannon armed technicals?

[Simon Tan]

Loss of power to tail rotor, probably from a hit to the hydraulic system that also caused an internal fire that would eventually result in the catastrophic explosion. A Strela has a pretty puny warhead and the Mi-17 is a tough old bird. Likely result of a proximity detonation.

[crazyinsane105]

Looks like the rebels finally got their hands on some Kornet anti tank missiles. How many, who knows....

 

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2ed_1350602440

[demosthenes]

Looks like the rebels finally got their hands on some Kornet anti tank missiles. How many, who knows.... http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2ed_1350602440

 

That's clearly a Metis, not Kornet.

[Exel]

Not fuel tanks. That was a most unpleasant end.

 

At least they didn't have to suffer the inevitable crash. The way that bird was coming down, it wasn't going to be a soft landing...

[L.V.]

Good thing that seemed to be a HEAT round and not an ant-personnel fragmentation round of any kind. If it were, that reporter wouldn't have survived.

 

A 125 mm HEAT is an anti-personnel round of some kind as it produces a shit load of fragments. As with most shells, the vast majority of the fragments will project perpendicular to the projectile trajectory. I think that the guy kept his life by luck, sand bags and the fragmentation pattern.

[Yalmuk]

...Not too many conventional munitions designed for cargo choppers....

 

Ugh, Mi-8 can carry two 500kg or four 250kg bombs w/o problem. I have seen phgotos from Afghanistan with ODAB, KMGU containers, RBK-250/500 CBUs, quad rack for 4 x 100kg, even ZB-500 napalm tank. So I don't get "drums with TNT" story.

Probably transported ammo and/or fuel.

 

Here is some pictures and other footage of these "barrel bombs".

http://brown-moses.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-mystery-of-syrian-barrel-bombs.html

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQxvOObQRvQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEYu3L-WGds

[bojan]

Some of those are rear parts of OFAB-250ShL bombs:

"Chopped construction wire" is actually used in some Soviet frag bombs.- OFAB-250-270 among others.

[shep854]

Not fuel tanks. That was a most unpleasant end.

 

At least they didn't have to suffer the inevitable crash. The way that bird was coming down, it wasn't going to be a soft landing...

They might have made it to a survivable landing; it looked to me like the pilots had some control as it spiralled down.

Edited October 19, 2012 by shep854

[L.V.]

Here is some pictures and other footage of these "barrel bombs".

 

CBUs? I coudln't see any.

Edited October 20, 2012 by L.V.

[lucklucky]

Maybe there was a barrel bomb inside it jumped and detonated?

[Rod]

View from another angle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AGR7R3cVZA&feature=youtu.be

 

 

Looks like the rebels finally got their hands on some Kornet anti tank missiles. How many, who knows....

 

http://www.liveleak....=2ed_1350602440

[bojan]

Maybe there was a barrel bomb inside it jumped and detonated?

 

Even if they made a bombs there is nothing simpler then adding two attachment points to suspend it on external mounts.

[lucklucky]

Just speculating, maybe too big diameter/weight for external mounts.

 

Some more info:

http://brown-moses.blogspot.pt/2012/08/the-mystery-of-syrian-barrel-bombs.html

[Jim Warford]

A few more recent pics: a Syrian Army T-72 crew prior to FSA sniper fire and two vidcaps showing a burning T-55. In the first T-55 pic, you can see a small puff of white smoke coming out of one of the penetration holes in the side of the turret. There has been some speculation that this tank was captured by FSA forces and then set on fire for propaganda purposes...clearly there is at least one full turret penetration. I think this may be the first video that I have ever seen of smoke coming from inside a burning tank turret...through the hole in the penetrated armor.

 

 

 

Edited October 24, 2012 by Jim Warford

[crazyinsane105]

I did read in a statement by the FSA that most of their RPGs can't penetrate Assad's bigger tanks (most likely the upgraded T-55s and T-72s). And the Syrian military employs infantry quite well alongside their armor according to that same statement. The rebel commander said that snipers are employed to protect armor, so taking shots at armor is probably a lot riskier than shown on these propaganda videos.

[Burncycle360]

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8a0_1350964779 A fairly clear video of an encounter

[Rod]

Not always as per this blogger with video to confirm:

http://brown-moses.blogspot.com/

 

I did read in a statement by the FSA that most of their RPGs can't penetrate Assad's bigger tanks (most likely the upgraded T-55s and T-72s). And the Syrian military employs infantry quite well alongside their armor according to that same statement. The rebel commander said that snipers are employed to protect armor, so taking shots at armor is probably a lot riskier than shown on these propaganda videos.

[Daan]

Rebels engaging T-62 (?) with RCL:

http://youtu.be/-ah43ui0LAo

[Simon Tan]

SPG-9 Kopye RCLish. It's a 73mm RCL with a rocket boosted projo. Neat little weapon. Nice keyhole shot with good rangefinding. Admittedly the target was compliant as it could be.

Edited November 1, 2012 by Simon Tan

[mnm]

Nice sofa too.

[Simon Tan]

For chillin while you observe the enemy.

[shep854]

Might as well be a comfortable as possible while you wait your shot.

The way those guys were wandering around w/o apparent thought of concealment was odd; but then, if that was a real engagement, the Syrian TC just might be eligible for a Darwin.