This blog last covered Hama air base in Syria via an RT news report back in 2017 here. The Syrian civil war seemed to have virtually ended between then and late November 2024, but outside of the large towns there were always areas of the country held by 'rebels' and effectively outside of Assad's control. But now, no doubt taking advantage of Russia's weakness and events elsewhere, Islamist insurgents - what the Russians used to refer to as 'terrorists' and now call the 'armed opposition' - advanced on Homs taking Hama air base to threaten Damascus in a rapid two-week offensive. Assad was forced to flee the country and claim asylum in Moscow. Russian influence in the region has suffered a huge setback - having invested huge resources in building up bases, especially the air force base at Latakia. Some recent photos of Hama air base have appeared on various on-line news feeds - along with several pictures of bombed-up MiG 21s that look like they may have been taken back in 2015-2017. Most of the wrecked MiGs in the recent pictures below look very much as though they were 'hangar 'queens' - propped up on piles of old tyres and missing key parts. The MiGs were delivered to Syria during the early 1980s - their airframes well past their useful lives were refurbished locally.
Syrian opposition fighters ride on a motorcycle past Syrian MiG 23s at the Al-Nayrab military airport after they took control of the facility in the outskirts of Aleppo, Dec. 2, 2024.
Below; This SyAAF Gazelle (registration number 1313) was destroyed in an Israeli air strike on Mezzeh Air Base on 9 December 2024. The air base was targeted in an Israeli campaign to neutralise the assets of the Syrian Armed Forces following the takeover of the country by the insurgents. This picture was probably taken the previous day following the capture of Damascus and the collapse of the Assad's regime, 8 December 2024. Identifier number (Arabic numerals): 1313
Tail Code / Serial Number: 1621
Embed from Getty Images
