Russia has delivered 1,000 Kornet-9M133 third-generation anti-tank guided missiles to Syria to fight Daesh militants.
DEBKAfile reported Six Russian MiG-31 Foxhound interceptor aircraft landed Tuesday at the Mezze Airbase situated in Damascus international airport followed by An-124 Condor transports, which delivered 1,000 Kornet-9M133 third-generation anti-tank guided missiles.
The Kornet Anti-Tank Missile system is an advanced ATGM with spiral trajectory. It was first introduced into service with the Russian Army in 1998. The missile started as a modular, universal system able to engage any target from a mix of platforms using a reliable laser beam guidance system.
The six aircraft are part of the 2007 deal signed between Russian and Syria featuring sale of eight MiG-31 supersonic fighter jets, Turkish BGN news reported Sunday.
Moscow has earlier provided Mi-28 attack Helicopters to Damascus to fight against Daesh militants.
“The Soviet Union has always supplied weapons to Syria. Thus, some balance in the region was maintained to help us keep the peace, so I think that the contract is part of this historical strategy,” one of the Popular Front’s leaders Qadri Jamil had said in 2014.
MiG CEO Sergei Korotkov, in May 2014 had said, “the company was planning to supply 12 MiG-29M/M2 fighters to Syria in 2016-2017 under a contract concluded in 2007, but due to the ongoing war in the country there may be problems with the deliveries.”
Apart from Russia and Kazakhstan, Syria will be the only other country to fly MiG-31 if the reports are to be believed.
