Air Strikes by SyAAF and VKS, 28 & 29 March 2017

I’m busy with few other things, the last few days and thus here ‘just the statistics’ and few general observations and conclusions for…

I’m busy with few other things, the last few days and thus here ‘just the statistics’ and few general observations and conclusions for flying activity by the SyAAF and the VKS on 28 and 29 March 2017.

28 March

VKS

fighters: 86 (majority of these during the night from 27 to 28, and then early in the afternoon)

helicopters: 7

UAVs: 8

recce: 3

SyAAF

helicopters: 15 (mostly in the evening)

L-39: 8 (mostly in the evening)

MiG-21: 1

MiG-23: 8

Su-22: 18 (mostly during the afternoon)

Su-24: 3

Obviously, neither force is able to keep the extremely high tempo of operations of previous 6–7 days. Or at least the Russians offered some rest to some of their crews.

Between ‘targets’ were such like the Bdama, in Jishr ash-Shughour area, and the local hospital in Kfar Naboudah.

29 March

VKS

fighters: 116 (mostly during the afternoon and evening)

helicopters: 7

UAVs: 18 (2 shot down)

recce: 1

SyAAF

helicopters: 19

L-39: 34 (absolute record for this type)

MiG-21: 4

MiG-23: 14

Su-22: 7

Su-24: 14 (mostly during the afternoon and evening)

The VKS deployed a large number of CBUs in Sarmin and Sarqib areas, Kfar Zita was heavily hit from the air] (in addition to multiple TOS-strikes), while the FSyA shot down at least two mini-UAVs during the day (one of these over Khattab).

I remain surprised by low figures for the SyAAF: the situation actually remains urgent, but they seem to be out of condition to reach even figures from back in November and December. That’s why L-39s are flying as much.

On the other hand, while flying so little, Assadists still found the time to bomb the FSyA in Eastern Qalamoun — and kill two of its fighters, and that while the FSyA was fighting the Daesh.

If that’s no ‘flying CAS for the Daesh’, then I don’t know what else is. But then, that’s so typically Assadists…