Syria bolster its anti ship missile capabilities to defend itself from US attack

Syria has bolstered its missile capabilities in response to repeated threats of a US military to launch a pre-emptive strike against that country. 

This includes the delivery of Yakhont supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles from Russia.

The Yakhont supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles have been supplied as part of Bastion mobile coastal missile systems,"the source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Submariners World.

However, delivery of the weapons systems is just the first part of the process, and now “more time is needed to complete Syrian personnel training," the source said, adding that the missile system will “enable Syria to protect its entire coast from a possible seaborne attack."

Damascus is expecting to receive at least two Bastion systems with 36 Yakhont missiles per each system for a total of 72 anti-ship missiles. More shipments of missiles are on it way to help protect Syria from US military aggression and the possibility of a US led invasion of that country.

“These missiles represent a serious threat to US warships and aircraft carriers sulking around the coast of Syria” says one Charlotte, N.C. defense expert who declined being named in this report. “If launched they could cause damage or even sink a US warships within its range”, the expert said.

The capabilities are real as a recent missile test by the Indonesian Navy shows – see: Yakhont Missile Tested by Indonesian Navy TNI-AL.flv http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKGg1faRuxU See also the launch of a Yakhout supersonic ruby missile http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNztSsjmLYU

 2.5 TIMES THE SPEED OF SOUND

Due to the Yakhont's short flying time (its speed is 2.5 times greater than the speed of sound) and the long effective range of its seeker head, the targeting of the missile need not be very accurate.

The ability of Syria to observe the entire target area from a high altitude, augmented by the enhanced capabilities of the antiship missile control system, make it possible to cue missiles to hostile ships in a group and discriminate false targets.

After launch, Yakhont's early descent to a low altitude, combined with its supersonic speed and seaskimming flight mode in the homing phase, make it possible to avoid detection and tracking of the missile by even the target's most sophisticated air defense systems.

The missiles's compactness and maintainability on board its platform are not the least important factors determining its appearance. First of all it can be explained by the missiles's unique construction unrivaled in terms of the degree of integration of components. Basically, the entire missile - from the nose air intake to the nozzle exit section - is a propulsion plant arranged in an airframe. Except for the intake bullet, where the control system and warhead are arranged, all of the missile's internal spaces, including the ramjet motor air duct, are filled with sustainer motor propellant and accommodate the built-in solid-propellant booster stage. The missile is enclosed in a sealed launch-container. The fact that there is almost no clearance between the missile's fuselage and internal surfaces of the launch-container indicates that the degree of integration of components is very high. The missile size provides for a two- or three-fold increase in the number of the missiles carried on board a platform.

US Defense shield no defense against missiles

The US also has a missile defense shield radar system in place which threatens Russia, Syria and Iran that is based in Turkey. The distance from the station to Syria, for example, is a bit more than 200 kilometers. Assad's generals are certain that hundreds of Syrian short-range missiles would guarantee no aggression against Syria.

Syrian officials earlier stated that their country would "shower Turkey", which hosts a number of US military bases with missiles in the event of a pre-emptive US military attack against civilian and/or military targets in that country.

THE US WOULD HAVE TO TARGET HUNDREDS OF MISSILE SITES BEFORE BOMBING CIVILIAN TARGETS IN SYRIA

“The US would have to take out hundreds of these sites before it could focus on bombing cities in Syria”, said one former US Air Force major, speaking on the condition of absolute secrecy. US military personnel can be punished for speaking on military matters while in uniform or active duty and the Pentagon ruthlessly hunts down and prosecutes military personnel who dare speak against US foreign policy, even if those policies are unethical and violated international laws or could prove fatal for US military personnel. “Attacking Syria is a huge mistake because it also violates Just War theory, which states that you should not attack a country that hasn’t attacked you first. All that is thrown out the window by US military and Defense leaders who advocate a policy of military intervention in places like the Middle East which is a powder keg waiting to go off”, the expert suggested.

WE WILL SUPPLY SYRIA, RUSSIA SAYS

Speaking on the missile delivery to Syria, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov told reporters earlier this year that Russia intended to fulfill the 2007 contract.

"We are going to supply Yakhonts to Syria. We are going to fulfill the contract,"he said.

Russia rejects assertions that the missiles could fail into the hands of terrorists. One Russian defense expert said “It’s the US who is supporting al-Qaeda terrorists in Syria with logistics and communications equipment, not Russia”, the official said.

Al-Qaeda in videos has urged Muslims to rise up against President Assad in Syria. Despite warnings Washington has decided to back a Saudi effort to arm and finance the terrorists in Syria (see: Al-Qaeda infiltrating Syrian opposition, U.S. officials say See: Al-Qaeda urges regime change in Syria

SUPERSONIC ANTI-SHIP CRUISE MISSILES A THREAT TO US NAVY SHIPS

The Yakhont 3M55E supersonic anti-ship cruise missile is capable of hitting targets at ranges of up to 300 km and carrying a warhead weighing more than 200 kg and can combat single surface ships or groups of ships under heavy fire and electronic counteraction.

The completion of the deal comes at a time of increasing political uncertainty for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is struggling to hold Syria together in the face of a nine-month conflict with foreign backed anti-government protesters. The US has maintained that the protesters are "peaceful", but pictures and videos show that some of the protesters are armed to the teeth with weapons including those misappropriated and stolen from the Iraqi army and paid for by US tax dollars...

With the situation in Syria appearing to be teetering on civil war, many observers fear another “Libyan-scenario” will occur complete with another US sponsored and led NATO military operation. The resulting casualties of civilians in Syria could be enormous!