Something Everyone Should Know About SA-24 MANPADS

A number of people have sent me this video, which claims to show a complete SA-24/9K338 Igla-S MANPADS

The SA-24 is one of the most advanced shoulder fired surface-to-air missiles in the world, so capturing complete systems would be a massive boon to the rebels, but in this example there's actually nothing much to get excited about.  What we are seeing here is a training model, and how do we know that?  First of all the entire system is painted silver, indicating it's a training version, but even if a Syrian soldier had got carried away with some silver paint on a working model we also have this rather important word written on the missile tube and grip-stock:

 

Steve Zaloga, editor of Teal Group’s “World Missiles and UAV Briefing” explained the meaning of the word:

The Russian word Maket is borrowed from the French (maquette) and means “Model” rather than mock-up. Maket is painted on Russian training weapons so that troops don’t confuse them with the real thing.

This hasn't stopped some opposition groups waving them around like they could actually do any damage, for example the Islam Brigade

The fact is the only way these "Maket" SA-24s will ever damage a helicopter is if someone uses it as a club to hit a helicopter while it's still on the ground.

Related articles
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You can contact the author on Twitter @brown_moses or by email at brownmoses@gmail.com

The Free Syrian Army Storms A Surface To Air Missile Facility

This video, supposedly filmed outside of Damascus, has been posted online, apparently showing the Free Syrian Army shortly after they captured a missile facility

@salehram and @hlk01 both provided me with a translation of the opening statement from the video

Popular Defense Group
Abdulla Bin-Salam unit
Units of the Eastern Ghouta

A group from an FSA unit stormed a rocket maintenance and modification base in the area of Iftrees.  The regime had used this base to shell surrounding areas and for the storage of cannons and tanks that enter the villages and cities of Damascus Countryside.
During the successful operation, FSA members found a large group of rockets in a ready-to-launch state and with massive destructive capability.  The biggest surprise was a group of rockets that were being modified to carry unconventional warheads,  this may have been done to equip the rockets with chemical or biological warheads.

After bringing out this information - confirmed via evidence and images - to the public and international community, the Higher Military Council of the FSA warns that the Assad regime is preparing to shell Syrian cities with these destructive rockets.  It is not unlikely for the regime to resort to using rockets with unconventional warheads such as chemical, biological or other warheads.  The Higher Military Council calls upon Arab nations and the international community to rapidly intervene militarily to save the lives of Syrians before this regime takes revenge with a new level of crime that would have catastrophic consequences on the entire region.

Victory to the great Syrian revolution.

As well as a translation of what's said on the video

By the will of God, the Iftrees base has been stormed by the Popular Defense Group, Units of the Eastern Ghouta in Damascus countryside.

Thank God.  God is greater !  Here are the members of the Free Syrian Army.  God is greater!
Storming of the Iftrees base.  Tanks destroyed.  Storming of the rocket storage facility.  Ten rockets.
God is greater!
This warehouse of full of rockets.

Off-camera voice: God is greater! Rockets, Iftrees base, rockets.   Chemical weapons.  Oh people, Assad is hitting us with them.  God is greater!

Another video posted on a Youtube channel belonging to the al Islam Brigade also shows the missile base

What we can see in this video are SA-5 surface to air missiles, which makes me seriously question that claims in the opening statement of the first video that "The biggest surprise was a group of rockets that were being modified to carry unconventional warheads,  this may have been done to equip the rockets with chemical or biological warheads.", especially as Syria has access to a large number of SCUD missiles, which are designed for surface to surface attacks with a variety of warheads.  It also seems very unlikely these missiles would actually be any use to the FSA without the correct equipment and training, as well as enough time to move them to a safe location before the Syrian Army responded.

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You can contact the author on Twitter @brown_moses or by email at brownmoses@gmail.com