Editing Syrian Armed Forces (section)

==Equipment==
{{See also|Equipment of the Syrian Army}}
The breakup of the [[Soviet Union]] — long the principal source of training, material, and credit for the Syrian forces slowed Syria's ability to acquire modern military equipment. It had an arsenal of surface-to-surface missiles. In the early 1990s, [[Scud C|Scud-C]] missiles with a 500-kilometer range were procured from [[North Korea]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zisser |first=Eyal |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/syrias-embrace-of-wmd/article25680138/ |title=Syria's embrace of WMD |work=The Globe and Mail |date=September 28, 2004 |archive-date=February 20, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250220001228/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/syrias-embrace-of-wmd/article25680138/ }}</ref> and Golan-1 and Golan-2 licenced-produced versions of later Scud variants were under development.

Syria received significant financial aid from Persian Gulf Arab states as a result of its participation in the [[Gulf War]] of 1990–91, and a sizable portion of these funds were earmarked for [[military spending]]. In 2005, Russia forgave Syria three-fourths, or about $9.8 billion, of its $13.4 billion [[Soviet Union|Soviet-era]] debt. Russia wrote off the debt to renew arms sales with Syria.<ref name=GlobalSecurity>{{cite book|last=Weitz|first=Richard|title=Global security watch—Russia: A reference handbook|year=2010|publisher=Praeger Security International|location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|isbn=978-0-313-35434-2|page=30|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VcdZ9s2IAwMC&q=russian+navy+syria+tartous&pg=PA30|access-date=12 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160729022116/https://books.google.com/books?id=VcdZ9s2IAwMC&pg=PA30&dq=russian+navy+syria+tartous|archive-date=29 July 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2011, [[Russia–Syria relations|arms contracts with Russia]], Syria's main arms supplier, were worth at least $4&nbsp;billion.<ref name=SIPRI>{{cite web|title=SIPRI Arms Transfers Database|url=http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/values.php|publisher=[[Stockholm International Peace Research Institute]]|access-date=8 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125105813/http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/values.php|archive-date=25 November 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Amos>{{cite news|last=Amos|first=Howard|title=News Analysis: Russia Damages Image in Arab Spring|url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/news-analysis-russia-damages-image-in-arab-spring/442712.html|access-date=8 September 2011|newspaper=[[The Moscow Times]]|date=26 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111222175458/http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/news-analysis-russia-damages-image-in-arab-spring/442712.html|archive-date=22 December 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=CAST>{{cite web|title=Russian defence industry and arms trade: facts and figures|url=http://www.cast.ru/files/2011/all-stats_eng_2011_05_12.pdf|publisher=Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies. pp 15|access-date=8 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120172100/http://www.cast.ru/files/2011/all-stats_eng_2011_05_12.pdf|archive-date=20 November 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Meyer>{{cite news|last=Meyer|first=Henry|title=Assad Ouster Bid May Unleash 'Chaos in Mideast,' Russia Says|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-07/assad-ouster-bid-may-unleash-chaos-in-mideast-russia-says.html|access-date=8 September 2011|newspaper=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]]|date=7 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427145004/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-07/assad-ouster-bid-may-unleash-chaos-in-mideast-russia-says.html|archive-date=27 April 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Syria has conducted research and produced [[Syria and weapons of mass destruction|weapons of mass destruction]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Syria not next on list, says Britain|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/14/1050172532711.html|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|date=14 April 2003|access-date=4 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140418190419/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/14/1050172532711.html|archive-date=18 April 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

From December 2024, it became much harder to ascertain the condition and status of SAF equipment. Significant equipment will have been lost due to Israeli airstrikes, actions by [[Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham]], militia action, as well as the emphasis on air defense systems, surface-to-surface missiles, and other assets that could potentially deliver unconventional weapons.{{sfn|IISS|2025|page=}} Data related to these developments must be handled with great care.{{sfn|IISS|2025|page=}}

After the fall of the Syrian regime, Israeli strikes on Syria intensified, destroying a large amount of Syria's military equipment within 48 hours. In addition, the Israeli army has expanded its territorial control within Syria. Syrian president [[Ahmed al-Sharaa]] responded to the Israeli aggression with the following statement: "Israel clearly crossed the disengagement line in Syria, which threatens a new unjustified escalation in the region” but “the general exhaustion in Syria after years of war and conflict does not allow us to enter new conflicts." <ref>{{Cite web |last=Haddad |first=Bassam |date=December 18, 2024 |title=The Runaway Dictator and prospects for resistance to foreign aggression |url=https://mondoweiss.net/2024/12/the-runaway-dictator-and-prospects-for-resistance-to-foreign-aggression/ |access-date=April 1, 2025 |website=Mondoweiss}}</ref>

===Uniforms (1987)===
[[File:A member of a Syrian honor guard stands at attention during the Gulf War.JPEG|thumb|200px|Syrian honor guard stands at attention during [[Operation Desert Shield]]. The soldier is armed with an [[AK-47]] assault rifle.]]

In 1987, according to a [[Library of Congress Country Study]] on Syria, service uniforms for Syrian military officers generally followed the [[British Army]] style, although army combat clothing followed the older British model. Each uniform had two coats: a long one for dress and a short jacket for informal wear. Army officer uniforms were khaki in summer, and olive in winter. Certain Army and Air Defense personnel (i.e., commandos and paratroops) may have worn camouflage uniforms. Air Force officers had two uniforms for each season: a khaki and a light gray for summer and a dark blue and a light gray in winter. Naval officers wore white in summer and navy blue in winter while lower ranks wore the traditional bell bottoms and white blouse. The uniform for naval chief petty officers was a buttoned jacket, similar to that worn by American chief petty officers. Officers had a variety of headgear, including a service cap, garrison cap, and beret (linen in summer and wool in winter). The color of the beret varied by season and according to the officer's unit.{{sfn|Sinai|1987|page=264}}

Syrian Commando and Paratroop uniforms consisted of [[lizard pattern|lizard]] or [[Woodland pattern|woodland-patterned]] camouflage fatigues along with combat boots, helmets and bulletproof vests. Headgear consisted of a red or orange beret. The Syrian military provided [[NBC suit|NBC uniforms]] to soldiers to remain effective in an environment affected by biological or chemical agents. This uniform consisted of a Russian-made Model ShMS-41 mask similar to those made in the Desert Storm conflict.<ref name=Rottman1993>{{cite book|author=Gordon Rottman|title=Armies of the Gulf War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nfT5KsdYk4cC&pg=PA58|access-date=20 March 2013|date=27 May 1993|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=978-1-85532-277-6|page=58|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422075655/http://books.google.com/books?id=nfT5KsdYk4cC&pg=PA58|archive-date=22 April 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Previous models of the ShMS used a hose, while the improved "ShmS-41" used a canister-style [[respirator]].<ref>{{YouTube|zQVYf1y_FDE|Soviet SCHMS Respirator}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|FTvyAMGenL4|My Russian SCHMS gas mask with hose}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=These two sources are YouTube videos, which may not be entirely reliable|date=May 2025}} It is difficult to assess how well equipped the Syrian Arab Army was. Although hundreds of hours of videos showing dead and captured Syrian soldiers filmed by rebels have been uploaded to social media, none show this equipment having been carried by or issued to frontline soldiers.

===Rank insignia (1987)===
{{Main|Military ranks of Syria}}
In 1987, according to a Library of Congress Country Study on Syria, the rank insignia of Syrian commissioned officers were identical for both the army and air force. These were gold on a bright green shoulder board for the army and gold on a bright blue board for the Air Force. Officer ranks were standard, although the highest was the equivalent of lieutenant general, a rank held in 1986 only by the commander in chief and the minister of defence. Navy officer rank insignia were gold stripes worn on the lower sleeve. The highest-ranking officer in Syria's navy was the equivalent of lieutenant general. Army and Air Force ranks for warrant officers were indicated by gold stars on an olive green shield worn on the upper left arm. Lower noncommissioned ranks were indicated by upright and inverted chevrons worn on the upper left arm.{{sfn|Sinai|1987|page=264}}

===Awards and decorations===
Although some twenty-five orders and medals were authorized, generally only senior officers and warrant officers wore medal ribbons. The following were some important Syrian awards: [[Order of Umayyad]], the Medal of Military Honor, the War Medal, the Medal for Courage, the Yarmuk Medal, the Wounded in Action Medal, and the Medal of [[1963 Syrian coup d'état|8 March 1963]].{{sfn|Sinai|1987|page=264}}