The Weapons Of The Syrian Air Force - Updated

Over the past months we've seen an escalation in the air war in Syria, with helicopters being joined by L-39 and MiG jets, and an increasing variety of weapons being deployed by the Syrian Air Force.  By examining the various UXO (Unexploded ordnance) filmed by opposition activists in Syria we can see which weapons are being used by the Syrian Air Force, and get an idea of the quantities being used.

S-5 Rockets

One of the most widely used weapons by the Syrian Air Force is the S-5 rocket, used from the earliest days of the air war, and capable of being used by both helicopters and jets.  They also featured heavily in the Libyan Civil War, generally fired from rocket pods welded to the backs of pick up trucks.

They have a very distinctive long thin body, usually a light metallic colour, with black stabliser fins at the rear.  The actual explosive charge it only at the very end of the missile, the rest of the body being used to hold propellant.  As the above videos demonstrates large numbers of rockets have been used across Syria.

AT-2 Swatters

AT-2 Swatter/3M11 Fleyta anti-tank missile have made rare appearances, the above example being from December 2012, around the same time their was a significant rise in the use of armour by the Syrian opposition.  Unlike the other bombs and missiles on this page the AT-2 has an in-built guidance system, the remains of which can be seen in the above video.

OFABs

OFABs are Russian made general purpose bombs (classified as fragmentation/blast bombs in Russia) designed for attacking lightly armoured vehicles, non-fortified structures, and personnel in the field.  The first OFABs to be identified as UXO in Syria were the larger OFAB 250-270 bombs

In August, around the same time as L-39s started being used in Aleppo and elsewhere, we began to see evidence of OFAB 100-120 bombs

It's interesting to note that since L-39s were first spotted in Aleppo I've collected around 30 examples of unexploded or partly exploded OFAB 100-120 bombs, compared to a handful of all other bomb types in the same period.  This strongly suggests that OFAB 100-120 bombs are the bomb of choice for the Syrian Air Force, and were very likely introduced alongside the use of L-39 jets in Aleppo.

FABs

In October 2012 Russian FAB M62 high explosive bombs first made an appearance.  These are simply large high explosive bombs, and while they haven't been used as widely as OFAB bombs they are far larger and much more powerful.  Unexploded FAB bombs have been spotted making up part of a massive truck bomb used by Jabhat al-Nusra.

RBK Cluster Bombs

RBK 250/250-275 cluster bomb dispensers and their associated cluster bomblets first made their appearance in the conflict around July 10th 2012 in the Jabal Shehshebo region in the Hama, later confirmed by Human Rights Watch.  Evidence of only one cluster bomb was found at that time, carrying AO-1 SCH fragmentation bomblets, designed to attack lightly armoured targets and ground personnel.  Here activists took the incredible risk of lining them up for a Youtube video

Cluster bombs are rather unique as they will nearly always leave behind evidence of their use, namely the dispenser part of the bomb which opens up when deployed to scatter the bomblets, rather than exploding like a traditional bomb.  This means that each bomb dropped can be reasonably expected to leave behind a casing.

Until August 2012 there were no more videos of cluster bombs or bomblets until activists in Abu Kamal posted this video

Again, they take a huge risk moving these bomblets to make a Youtube video, and what they are showing here are PTAB 2.5m cluster bomblets, primarily used as anti-armour weapons, but equally deadly to anything else in the area.

There were virtually no other reports of cluster bomb use until around October 10th, when shortly after the opposition captured a major highway in the Idlib region there was a sudden and massive increase in reports of cluster bomb use across the entire country.  Later, in late November, we saw the first images of incendiary cluster bombs loaded with thermite based ZAB incendiary bomblets.  This escalation in the air war appeared to occur shortly after a series of military bases were captured in the Aleppo region.

ZAB-100-105s

Around the same time ZAB incendiary cluster bombs made their first appearance in the conflict we also saw the first use of ZAB-100-105 incendiary bombs, containing both a napalm style mixture and 9 thermite cartridges designed to scatter on impact.  More details of the contents of these bombs can be found here.

ODABs

ODABs are fuel-air bombs which create huge explosive fireballs that are capable of much more destruction against buildings than an OFAB bomb.  It's believed by some people these bombs were used in Azaz in an incident where it appears only two bombs flattened houses in "an area of approximately 70-by-70 meters – more than half a football field" killing over 40 civilians.  Judging by UXO evidence it appears these bombs have only been used since August 2012, and not in huge quantities. More examples can be found here.

BETABs

So far only a few examples of BETAB penetration bombs have been recorded since their first appearance in September 2012, specifically the BETAB-500M62 free-fall 500kg model.  Designed to penetrate and destroy reinforced structures it's unclear why one would be used in a village outside of Aleppo, as the above example was.  While these bombs are cleared for use on the various jets used by the Syrian Air Force it's unclear if they can be dropped by helicopters.  More examples can be found here.

ADIEDs

From August 2012 there were multiple reports of ADIEDs (Air Deployed Improvised Explosive Devices) dropped across Syria.  To begin with multiple examples of what appears to be DIY bombs, barrels filled with explosives and piece of shrapnel were reportedly dropped from helicopters in locations across Syria, followed by an increasing number of reports of "TNT barrel" being dropped.

What appears to have happened is activists have begun to use the term "barrel bomb" or "TNT barrel" to describe pretty much any cylinder shape bomb they see being dropped, something that's reflected in the increasing number of videos being uploaded to Youtube described as showing "barrel bombs" or "TNT barrels" that in fact clearly are OFABs or one of the other bombs shown above.

In late October 2012 videos were posted online that showed members of the Syrian air force dropping these devices from the back of a helicopter, seemingly confirming that these improvised devices were being used by the Syrian Air Force.  More examples of ADIEDs can be found here.

Naval Mines

In December 2012 we saw the first sighting of naval mines dropped from helicopters in two locations in Syria.  It's unclear how effective these have been as weapons, or whether this reflects supply issues for the Syrian Air Force. 

Related Articles

Evidence Of Cluster Bombs Being Deployed In Syria

New Cluster Bomb Evidence Emerges From Syria

A Beginner's Guide To Identifying UXO In Syria

The Mystery Of The Syrian Barrel Bombs

New Bomb Identified In Syria 

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

Two More Examples Of How Not To Handle UXO From Syria

As I've previously discussed in my earlier post on the handling of UXO in Syria there's been a worrying trend of activists filming the poor handling of a wide variety of UXO, from the small mortar shells to the largest bombs.  Here's two more examples of extremely inadvisable UXO handling.

In this first example we see a unexploded artillery shell being picked up and handled.  In the background we can here nearby children, so if the shell had gone off he wouldn't have only killed himself and the camera, but probably someone's children, something I don't think he'd be remembered kindly for

And what do we learn from that handling of the UXO?  Nothing, so why take the risk?

Next we have a great example of what not to do with an unexploded OFAB 250-270 that's been dropped from a Hind

If you find an fully intact unexploded OFAB 250-270 High Explosive Fragmentation Bomb my first piece of advice is not to use a tractor to drag it along the ground where they could be all sorts of lumps and bumps that could set it off. My second piece of advice is don't start kicking it like the guy at 1:18 does because that might just be pushing your luck a little too far.


Related posts
Two Examples Of Filming Unexploded S-5 Rockets (Updated With Bonus Child Endangerment)
A Beginner's Guide To Identifying UXO In Syria

How Not To Handle Unexploded Ordnance - A Syrian Top Ten


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

A Beginner's Guide To Identifying UXO In Syria

I'm frequently asked for help identifying a number of different UXO found in the towns and cities of Syria, and with this guide I hope to assist those of you trying to identify some of these finds, and also hopefully discourage the unnecessary handling of the various UXO found in Syria.  I should stress that any UXO should always be left alone as it's impossible to know how safe something is, and that knowing every little detail about a particular piece of UXO is never worth the life of an individual.


AA
These two pictures were posted online, and show the remains of a 23mm HE-I round fired by anti-aircraft guns, such as the ZU-23-2

 

Artillery
A wide variety of artillery shells are used in Syria, and you can generally tell them from unexploded mortar shells as one end has a gentler taper than mortars, as can be seen in these two examples

It should go without saying that you should never handle unexploded artillery rounds.

Cluster bombs
So far only one cluster bomb has been filmed in Syria, the RBK 250-275 dropped in Jabal Shehshebo region I blogged about when the video first appeared.  Activists made this video show the bomblets and bomb casing (more details here)

It should be noted that in moving these cluster bomblets to create this display the activists took a massive risk, and provided no additional information that couldn't have been provided in a far safer manner.  None of the new information relates to the bomblets themselves, just the information given by the men in the video.

Unlike a conventional bomb, a cluster bomb breaks open in flight scattering the bomblets, which means the bomb casing will always be left behind, so if a cluster bomb is dropped there should always be a bomb casing left somewhere.  However, it's also highly likely unexploded bomblets will be left in the area, and I would strongly advise anyone in the area to avoid the area the bomblets were dropped.

Grenade Rounds
Grenade cartridges, used in underbarrel grenade lauchers are quite rare, and in the below example we see the remains of a VOG round used with Russian weaponry

Mortars
Much like artillery, mortars in Syria come in a great range of sizes, all the way up to the massive 240mm mortars first identified as being used in Homs in February.  Generally all that remains are tail fins, which generally look about the same no matter what the size.  Here's a couple of example, one small and one from the 240mm mortar shell

So you can see that despite the huge size difference they are similar in many ways.  You've got a flat base, a number of curving fins, and holes punched into the stem.  For more examples this gallery has a whole range of mortars shell remains.  Here are two examples of unexploded mortar shells that have had their tails snapped off, and can be mixed up with unexploded artillery shells.  The first is a 240mm mortar shell, much larger than any artillery shell, the second a smaller mortar shell, which has the sharply tapering end that distinguishes it from a artillery shell

OFABs
OFABs are a range of bombs dropped from Hind helicopters, with only OFAB 250-270s being recorded as being dropped in Syria at the moment.  I've collected a large number of videos of them here, and the below video shows the most complete example

It should be stressed that as with handling any UXO the people in this video took an incredible risk moving this bomb from the crater it landed in, and UXO should always be left alone as it's impossible to know how safe they could be.

RPGs
A variety of RPG rockets are used in Syria, and generally they leave two distinct types of remains.  This first video shows the low explosive cartridges used to propel the rockets out of their launch tubes

You can see an example of the complete rocket with low explosive cartridge attached here.
Then we have the remains of the rockets, which are being pointed to in the below picture (taken from this video)

These are generally quite easy to spot as they are quite thin, and have many holes stamped into them, a clear example of which can be seen on image (source)

Another example of a badly bent RPG motor is shown below, along with another mortar tail fin

S-5 Rockets
The S-5 rocket is a common sight in many videos from Syria, launched from Hinds armed with rocket pods.  They also featured heavily in the Libyan Civil War, generally fired from rocket pods welded to the backs of pick up trucks.

They have a very distinctive long thin body, usually a light metallic colour, with black stabliser fins at the rear.  The actual explosive charge it only at the very end of the missile, the rest of the body being used to hold propellant.  Other examples are here, here, and here.

If you come across any other examples you think aren't mentioned on this page please send them to me and I will attempt to identify them and add them to this page.  It should again be stressed that UXO should never be handled as they present a very high risk to the person handling them and anyone nearby.


Related posts
Two Examples Of Filming Unexploded S-5 Rockets (Updated With Bonus Child Endangerment)
Two More Examples Of How Not To Handle UXO From Syria
How Not To Handle Unexploded Ordnance - A Syrian Top Ten


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

How Not To Handle Unexploded Ordnance - A Syrian Top Ten

Over the many months I've been examining videos from Syria there's been a rather unfortunate trend for activists to pick up and move the various unexploded ordnance (UXO) they've discovered in their home towns and cities.

While it's understandable that activists wish to show the world the sort of weapons that are being used against them it seems to me they are taking unnecessary risks to do so, and I also feel that in today's modern era of Youtube and 24 hour news coverage there's almost a demand for detailed footage of UXO.

I myself have examined various videos of UXO, but I'd be much happier if they were filmed from a safe distance, and left alone.  No matter how sure you think you are that UXO is safe there's no real way to be sure, and Assad is killing enough people without helping him out trying to let the world know about the methods Assad is using.  Here's a quick top ten of highly inadvisable UXO handling.

10: An unexploded mortar shell lying in the middle of a street, with an unnecessary close up

9: An unexploded artillery shell that's been stood upright so it can be compared to a bullet

8: Yet another artillery shell that's stood up by the cameraman so the audience can get a closer look, with the fuze leaning against a tree

7: A close examination of an unexploded artillery shell

6: An activist shows the audience an unexploded 70mm rocket jammed into the ground, and tries to pull it out of the ground

5: This video shows two UXO, one unexploded artillery shell, and one massive unexploded 240mm mortar, which is lifted up rather ungracefully on what you might describe as the business end of the mortar

4: Another unexploded 240mm mortar, this time being tapped with a rock

3: Here we see an OFAB 250-270 high explosive bomb being closely examined by activists, as well as the hole it punched in the roof it crashed through, and the crater the activists pulled this unexploded high explosive bomb out of to examine

2: Activists arranged these 9 AO-1 SCH cluster bomblets so they could tell you all about them, even though they are notorious for not exploding when deployed and hanging around on battlefields until someone bumps into them

1: In this video we see a man pick up an unexploded artillery shell, show it to the camera, and then throwing it onto the road like a piece of rubbish

So, to activists I would say please leave this items alone, none of the information we could gather from these videos are worth the life of a single activist, and you can never be sure if these items are safe, no matter what your past experience is with handling them, and to those who would encourage activists to risk themselves so you can have a more interesting image for your report, be it inadvertently or not, please consider that when they do that they are risking their lives, and the lives of those around them.  


Related posts

Two Examples Of Filming Unexploded S-5 Rockets (Updated With Bonus Child Endangerment)
Two More Examples Of How Not To Handle UXO From Syria
A Beginner's Guide To Identifying UXO In Syria

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

Evidence Of Unguided Bombs Being Deployed By The Syrian Air Force

Over the past several months of the Syrian conflict there's been a great deal of evidence posted online and recently confirmed by the UN that helicopters have been used to attack opposition areas.  What's been unclear is exactly the range of weapons being used against opposition areas, with rocket and machine gun fire being the most common.  Two videos posted yesterday (highlighted by markito0171) indicate that as well as rockets and machine gun fire the Syrian air force is using unguided bombs

The cameraman claims these videos were filmed on June 27th in the Jabal Shehshebo region in the Hama countryside.  In the first video he says they were fired by helicopters, but in the second uses a more general term for aircraft.  It's of course impossible to verify any of these claims, so let's examine what we can see in the video. I believe what we are seeing in these videos are OFAB 250-270 High Explosive Fragmentation Bombs, and I've come to the conclusions by identifying a number of characteristics which I believe collectively are unique to that specific model of bomb. First, taken from here, a picture of (from left to right) of a P-50T training bomb, an OFAB-100-120, and an OFAB-250-270

To begin with CJ Chivers noted the configuration of the lug holes on the bomb casing.  This led me to examine them more closely, and in the below picture I've marked the lug holes you can see on the badly damaged bomb in the first video, the two red circled lug holes being on one side of the casing, visible on the above picture, and the single lug hole on the other side of the casing (as pictured here) circled in green, but not visible in the above picture

Other bombs in the range with two lug holes on one side are much larger, and don't share the very specific tail fin configuration on the OFAB-250-270.

In the above picture I've marked the tail fins in red and yellow boxes.  The red fins overlap go outside the outer edge, while the yellow fins stay inside the outer edge.  This same configuration can be seen clearly on this picture (taken from here), as well as the grooves stamped along the length of each fin

They also share the two concentric rings at the end of the tail fin, and if you examine this wide selection of bomb photographs you can see that the combination of the tail fin pattern, number and position of lug, and the concentric rings at the end of the tail fin strongly indicates the bombs are OFAB 250-270 High Explosive Fragmentation Bombs.  Add to that the cameraman estimating the bombs are about 50cm across, roughly the same as the OFAB 250-270 it seems that it's a pretty strong contender. While widely used on Russian made jets these bombs are also dropped by Hind helicopters, the below picture showing an example of a similar model in use (taken from here)

So there's a number of questions that need answering; where exactly were the bombs dropped? It seems clear they weren't dropped near any buildings, which may support Austin Tice's report that some of the pilots are purposely avoiding hitting targets, or flying to high to be effective

The tactics employed by helicopters observed in the past few weeks are a case in point.

Identified from photographs by an experienced American attack helicopter pilot as Russian-made MI-17s, which are designed both for transporting troops and cargo and for use as an attack aircraft, the helicopters typically fly in slow circles at altitudes between 1,500 and 2,000 feet. They fire unguided rockets and guns at apparently random or nonexistent targets and do not appear to employ guided missiles.

It's also interesting that the bombs appear to be in pretty good condition for high explosive fragmentation bombs.  Are they both duds?  One bomb even appears to be hollow, so could they be some sort of modified practice bombs?  There's many more questions that remain, and I'll be on the look out for more evidence of unguided bombs being used by the Syrian Air Force.

Update June 28th This video has been sent to me by @sherbalkis which supposedly shows the area hit shortly after impact

As you can see the bomb appears to have landed nowhere near any structures, which may suggest pilot error or a purposeful attempt to miss any targets.  

Update July 1st HamaEcho has sent me another video of the same kind of bomb, this time from Hawaijeh, Hama

Even though the bomb is badly damage it clearly shows the tail fins which match the OFAB 250-270, and like the bomb dropped above it was apparently dropped in a wide open space.  So yet again the question is was that done on purpose?

Update July 6th  A new video from Dier Ez Zor has been posted, showing a fully intact OFAB 250-270 that appears to have crashed through a roof and landed without detonating.  What's very interesting about this video is it shows various markings on the bomb, and if anyone knows what they mean I'd be very grateful if you let me know

Update July 11th - This video was posted on the same Youtube channel that also posted cluster bomblets from Jabal Shehshebo showing another OFAB casing

Updated July 17th The following video is from Talbiseh, and may show a OFAB actually being dropped by a helicopter

Update July 30th This video has been posted showing a helicopter in Daraa dropping what appears to be two OFABs

Update August 2nd This video from a suburb of Damascus was sent to me by HamaEcho and shows a small OFAB 100-120 bomb, identifiable by it's 4 tail fins, and the first example I've seen of this size bomb being used

Update August 2nd Two more videos have been posted to the above channel.  The first shows the OFAB after it's been moved, which is extremely dangerous and should never be attempted with UXO

I believe this next video might actually show the remains of a OFAB that detonated

A third video from Homs countryside has also been posted, showing another OFAB 100-120

Related Posts
Jets Spotted Above Aleppo Identified As Aero L-39 Albatroses, Not MiGs 
Evidence Of Cluster Bombs Being Deployed In Syria 
New Cluster Bomb Evidence Emerges From Syria   

Note - This replaces an earlier article that misidentified the bombs as only being dropped by jets.    
You can contact the author on Twitter @brown_moses or by email at brownmoses@gmail.com