How good is the Syrian Military?

Turkey has really upped it's rhetoric. The Prime Minister's weekend comments were almost apologetic for the F-4 flying into Syrian air space to now he considers it an act of war. I wonder what has changed or if the Prime Minister was just that unprepared to respond to what happened this past weekend?
 
like all Arabic militaries.

shit probably

They would say that they're not Arabs, they're Turks ;)

I would have to pick Turkey to win this one, especially against a country who pretty much everyone seems to hate, and already has a civil war going on.
 
Interesting article.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...ning/2012/06/26/gJQAlYNy4V_story.html?hpid=z3
Syrian downing of Turkish jet serves as warning

At least on paper, U.S. military officials said, the Syrian air defenses appear to be far more robust than those encountered by NATO in Libya and stronger than even Iran.
“I can name you worse [systems], but they are in places like China,” said an Air Force official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Concerns about the capability of the Syrian military are only one reason that the international community has refused to intervene in President Bashar al-Assad’s bloody crackdown on opposition groups.
But defense officials and military analysts say defeating Syria’s air defenses would require a sustained U.S. military effort, which would probably lead to civilian casualties.

In the wake of the 2007 raid by Israel on the al-Kibar nuclear reactor, Syria spent billions of dollars to upgrade its 1960s- and 1970s-era missile defenses. Among those purchases was the SA-22 Pantsir armored rocket system, which some defense officials speculated may have been used against the Turkish jet.
 
Yep. Clapper can investigate inside the IC all he likes, but there are some major issues in the political realm that he can not control.

Just like DHS: semblance of security. Gotta do something so we can tell Congress "See, I did something about the leaks!"
 
Syria would love a war against Turkey right now, something to rally the people around their murderous gov't.
 
Nah, Bashir's on his way out. He's just making sure his stuff is deposited into the right accounts and preparing his loyalists (wanna guess which political party they belong to?) for a long protracted insurgency.
 
You're probably right, but human nature being what it is I thought I'd mention it. It isn't like a nation has ever trumped up a war to rally the locals...
 
At one time the Syrian military was probably the best of Arab armies. This was due largely I believe to the large Soviet MAAG in Syrian that worked with their Army and Air Force. They actually have the best track record against their primary competition IDF. In the 1973 meeting, Syrian forces got to within 12 miles of the Israeli coast, but "choked" instead of executing a first string (T-62) play against a reserve defense (a Battalion of M-4 Shermans with 105MM guns). Their next match up in 1982 went much worse as the IAF completely outclassed the then start of the art air defense that Syrian had brought in. Then in 1984 a possible ground rematch was postponed indefinitely. So after the 2007 non-match up, there was probably an upgrade put in place. Unlike any place else since 1991, any new festivities will require a well planned and executed SEAD at kickoff.
 
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