Tanks in Syrian Revolt

[bojan]

What Russian support, other then political?

[Simon Tan]

Nothing direct I suspect. If anything it will be replacement of Iranian bits and bobs they don't manufacture. Most of the stuff was already front loaded.

[EchoFiveMike]

The "Alley ambush" is a common technique. Big reason why you need infantry support. S/F....Ken M

[shep854]

The "Alley ambush" is a common technique. Big reason why you need infantry support. S/F....Ken M

 

If the enemy cooperates, why not? Perhaps the BMP was counting on speed for protection; it seemed to be moving at a pretty good clip.

[RETAC21]

I recon that the guys at acig are doing a great job tracking things up:

 

http://www.acig.info/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=6902&start=180

 

I´ll quote Tom himself, who knows a fair bit of Syria:

 

"Ma'arat an-Numaan was originally attacked by the units of the FSyA's Idlib Military Council, who are supported by the Islamists. They attacked the place alone, but were then reinforced by fighters of the Shuhada Suriya Brigade (one of most powerful and capable FSyA units, which emerged out of the Shuhada Jabel az-Zawiyah Battalion, and meanwhile operates two captured T-55s), who are not supported by the Islamists. The help provided by the Shuhada Suriya Brigade was very important, then they include a number of professional military officers, who proved crucial in helping the Council secure Ma'arat and then also a longer stretch of the M5 highway.

 

Together, they then attacked the Wadi ad-Dayf Army Base (east of the highway), which was evetually put under a siege. During the following days, the regime launched at least four major counterattacks, deploying mechanized troops supported by MBTs and vicious air raids to reach Wadi ad-Dayf. All of these efforts - most of which were launched along the M5 - failed. Still, the rebels suffered heavy losses, and then the (meanwhile usual) quarrel over supplies began: the Council was well-supplied (by Moslem Brotherhood), but would not share any supplies with the Shuhada Suriya Brigade. Thus, the latter run out of ammo while attacking Wadi ad-Dayf, and eventually withdrew most of its units (only the Shuhada Ma'arat an-Numaan Battalion was left behind).

 

Without full-scale support from the Shuhada Suriya Brigade, the Council failed to take Wadi ad-Dayf, and then failed to keep the M5 secured. In the course of its fifth attack in that direction, the regime eventually managed to reach Wadi ad-Dayf. That said: the regime is still unable to push any convoys along M5 towards Aleppo.

 

In summary, this is once again showing how important it is to understand that Syrian rebels are no 'Islamist nut jobs', but that there is a wide diversity of them; that some are supported by the Islamists (the influence of whom continues to increase, no doubt), but that this is - still - by far not the case with all of them (indeed, strongest FSyA units are still those run by 'moderates', even though these continue losing fighters to Islamists, who can pay their fighters); that the influence of extremists is only increasing because 'moderates' are left down by nearly everybody who should be supporting them (also because the Islamists can pay their fighters while moderates cannot); and, at least as important, that a) the Islamists can't win this war on their own, at least not without full-scale support of moderates, while the sooner the moderates get the support they deserve, the better for everybody involved (and all of us in the West)."

 

My take is that this war is pitting an incompetent army agains an incompetent militia.

 

A guy is even counting lost AFVs out of the videos coming out:

 

Between 19 november and 25 november 2012, according to different videos and photos, Assad lost:

- 1 BMP destroyed and 0 captured by FSA = 1 BMP lost

- 6 tanks destroyed and 0 captured by FSA = 6 tanks lost

- 3 ZSU-23-4 destroyed and 0 captured by FSA =3 ZSU-23-4 lost

= 10 AFV lost

 

Between 9 May and 25 november, according to different videos and photos, Assad lost:

- 151 BMP destroyed and 52 captured by FSA =203 BMP lost

- 158 tanks destroyed and 69 captured by FSA = 227 tanks lost

- 6 ZSU-23-4 destroyed and 8 captured by FSA =14 ZSU-23-4 lost

- 1 2S1 destroyed and 0 captured=1 2S1 lost

= 445 AFV lost

[alejandro_]

T-72 hit by IED. The ammunition burns fiercely but no detonation. Note melted tracks.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=N6KAanjYrIc#!

[DavidDCM]

The bearded guy in front of the tank, starting from ~1:30, is he drunken or something?

 

I mean, watch him, but simultanously listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFmO4u6Aa5Y#t=176

[Max H]

Note melted tracks.

 

That's the remains of the roadwheels, the left tracks were removed by the blast - you see them at 1:20

[Przezdzieblo]

Around 1:28 there could be seen, I guess, the belly hatch and some MG rounds.

[Nikolas93TS]

For me the greatest mystery of recent Arab insurgencies are cameras.

 

Why they have such weird,twisted image?

[rmgill]

They're holding them with the left hand?

[Max H]

Computer applied video smoothing, for those without a steadycam handy

[Nikolas93TS]

Computer applied video smoothing, for those without a steadycam handy

 

Thank you for explanation.It's seems they take visual propaganda seriously.

[Tomi Sarvanko]

Under tank fire

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWp17Lo3-WU

[Stefan Kotsch]

Distance about 500 meters...

[DavidDCM]

Is that a BMP-1?

[Mr King]

Awesome video, and it even lacks a bunch of jagoffs shouting allah snackbar over and over.

[shep854]

'Inshallah' would be more appropriate for incoming mail...Then there's the old RN invocation; "Dear Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly grateful".

[Daan]

Charging T-72 hit by a RPG:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=826_1354750972

[shep854]

Charging T-72 hit by a RPG:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=826_1354750972

Good video; was the RPG a squib? It looks to have hit the front idler, but the tread appeared undamaged in the second between clearing dust and video ending.

[mnm]

I wonder what the renowned LIC would have made of this Allahu Akhbar.

[EchoFiveMike]

Good video; was the RPG a squib? It looks to have hit the front idler, but the tread appeared undamaged in the second between clearing dust and video ending.

 

Light case HEAT doesn't do much to steel. I once was on a training shoot where we pounded a fresh broadside M60 target tank for several hundred SMAW HE rds and didn't do much external damage. The tracks may have failed if torque was put to them, but they were visually intact at the end of the shoot. S/F.....Ken M

[Rod]

Sham II: New fighting machine of Syria rebels

http://www.google.co...dc49028a723.691

 

http://www.liveleak....=14b_1355082445

 

It even has a remotely operated 7.62mm MG........via a PlayStation joystick?

 

Using off-the-shelf items. Short-Development process. Low-Cost.

The DoD procurement process could learn a thing or two from the Syrian Rebels

[ShotMagnet]

I am going to market a product I plan to call 'The Arabic Alarm Clock'. You set it for a certain time, and at that time it starts squawking 'Allahu Ackbar!'.

 

 

Shot

[mnm]

Here's your prototype.