MOSCOW -- Syria may soon take delivery of the S-300 surface-to-air missile system.
Speaking on September 24, 2018, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, "A modern S-300 air defense missile system will be supplied to the Syrian Armed Forces within two weeks. It is capable of intercepting air assault weapons at a distance of more than 250 kilometers and hit simultaneously several air targets."
He noted that Russia had previously sought to transfer the S-300 to Syria but had chosen not to do so over Israeli objections. "I will underscore - at the request of the Israeli side, in 2013 we suspended the delivery of S-300 systems that were ready for the dispatch, while the Syrian military had undergone training. Now the situation has changed, and we are not to blame," he said.
Defense Minister Shoigu's reference to a changing situation follows the downing of a Russian Il-20M aircraft in Syria. Syrian air-defenses shot the friendly aircraft down after mistaking it for an Israeli jet after Israel conducted airstrikes in northwestern Syrian provinces. The Russian government has publicly blamed Israel for the circumstances that led to the Il-20M's downing.
The Russian government, according to the defense minister, is preparing to upgrade Syria's air-defense network further to ensure that it does not misidentify Russian aircraft. He said, "The command posts of Syrian air defense forces and units will be equipped with automated control systems only supplied to the Russian armed forces. This will facilitate centralized control over all forces and resources of the Syrian air defense, monitor the situation in the air, and ensure operative issuance of orders.
"Most importantly, we will guarantee the identification of all Russian aircrafts by the Syrian air defense systems," Defense Minister Shoigu added. Russian President Vladimir Putin is believed to have discussed the topic with his Syrian counterpart, as a readout of their September 24, 2018, telephone conversation posted on the Russian presidency website noted they discussed "additional measures in order to ensure the security of Russian military personnel in Syria and to improve Syria’s air defence system, including by handing over a modern S-300 missile system."
Russian officials revived the plan to transfer the S-300 surface-to-air missile system earlier this year, after trilateral American, British, and French airstrikes hit the Syrian government as a response to the Syrian military's alleged use of chemical weapons. The Russian government did not ultimately transfer the system in the weeks and months after the trilateral strikes, likely over concerns about further escalating the situation. Israel had adamantly opposed the S-300 system and -- backed by releasing video of Israeli missiles destroying Syrian air-defense systems -- issued warnings that the Israeli military would destroy any air-defense hardware transferred to Damascus' control.
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