Military of Syria
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| Military of Syria | |
|---|---|
| Military manpower | |
| Military age | 18 years of age(2004) |
| Availability | males age 18-49: 4,356,413 (2005 est.) |
| Fit for military service | males age 18-49: 3,453,888 (2005 est.) |
| Reaching military age annually | 225,113 (2005 est.) |
| Active troops | 319,000 (Ranked 14th) |
| Main Battle Tanks | 4,700 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures | |
| Dollar figure | 858 million-1 billion (FY00 est.) |
| Percent of GDP | 5.9% (FY00) |
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]
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]
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.
Military branches: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force, Syrian Arab Air Defense Forces, Police and Security Force
Contents |
[edit] Involvement in military conflict
- The 1948 Arab-Israeli War (against Jewish militias)
- The Six Day War (against Israel)
- The October 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).
[edit] International disputes
Since 1967, part the Golan Heights territory of South West Syria is under Israeli military occupation or annexation. 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 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.
[edit] Syrian Army
[edit] 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 SS-C-1B Sepal, one with P-15 Termit, alternative designation SS-C-3 'Styx'.)
- one border guard brigade
- one Republican Guard division (one artillery regiment, one mechanised brigade, three armoured brigades)
[edit] Syrian Navy
Equipment:
- Frigates:
- 2 Petya II
- Missile Boats:
- Amphibious warfare vessels:
- Naval aviation:
- 20 Mil Mi-14
- 5 Kamov Ka-28
[edit] 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.
[edit] See also
[edit] References and Sources and Further Reading
- ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance 2006, p.208-9)
- ^ Richard Bennett, http://www.meib.org/articles/0108_s1.htm
[edit] External links
- 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)
