Editing Syrian Armed Forces (section)

===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.