Capture of Aleppo: HTS seizes advanced Russian weapons
The regime forces of Bashar al-Assad lost Aleppo, which housed a significant amount of valuable military equipment seized by fighters from the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group. We present their unique capture.
Previously supported by Turkey, the jihadists from HTS captured Aleppo, where they acquired advanced military equipment, such as a modern Pantsir-S1 air defence system delivered to Syria by Russia. Putin has highlighted this system in recent years as a prominent export from Russia. Syria purchased around 60 of these systems under an agreement from 2016, and they are among the newest air defence systems in the Syrian armed forces.
Pantsir-S1 - the Russian export hit would be nothing without an Arab sponsor
The history of the Pantsir-S1 system dates back to the challenging 1990s in Russia, when economic constraints necessitated alternatives to the advanced 2K22 Tunguska artillery-missile systems. Like France, where efforts focused on reducing operating costs, it was decided to mount the new weapon system on a traditional truck chassis.
Financial difficulties almost led to the project's termination, but assistance came from the United Arab Emirates, which showed interest in the concept. The investment from the UAE enabled its completion, with the initial systems not going to Russia, but rather to foreign clients. The UAE began using these systems in the early 2000s, and Russia adopted the Pantsir-S1 in 2012.
The Pantsir-S1 system is equipped with two radars serving distinct functions—one for target detection and another for weapon guidance. It comprises a pair of 30 mm automatic cannons, capable of firing up to 2,500 rounds per minute, and anti-aircraft missile launchers.
The cannon section allows for various types of ammunition and can target objects up to 4 kilometres away. Meanwhile, the missile section contains 12 launchers, grouped in six sets, capable of simultaneously engaging multiple targets. According to Russia, radio commands guide the missiles and can hit targets up to 20 kilometres away at altitudes reaching 14 kilometres.
It is an effective system against conventional objects like helicopters; however, it struggles with smaller drones, such as the Polish Warmate, or modern stealth technology cruise missiles like the Storm Shadow.
