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Syrian Arab Air Force

Syrian Arab Air Force
القوات الجوية العربية السورية
Emblem of the Syrian Arab Air Force.svg
Syrian Arab Air Force Emblem
Founded 1948
Country  Syria
Branch Air Force
Type Military aviation
Role Aerial warfare
Size 60,000 (including 20,000 reserve)
Part of Syrian Armed Forces
Nickname(s) SyAAF
March We are the Eagles
Equipment ~ 670 aircraft at 2011 461 in 2016
Engagements Six-Day War
Yom Kippur War
1982 Lebanon War
Syrian Civil War
2014 Northern Iraq offensive
Commanders
Chief of Air Staff General Issam Hallaq
Insignia
Roundel Roundel of the Syrian Air Force.svg
Air Force Ensign Flag of the Syrian Arab Air Force.svg
Aircraft flown
Attack MiG-23
Su-24
Su-22
Mi-25
Gazelle
Electronic
warfare
Mi-8
Fighter MiG-29
MiG-23
MiG-21
Interceptor MiG-25 Inactive
MiG-31
Reconnaissance MiG-25
MiG-21
Trainer L-39
MBB 223
MFI-17
Transport An-26
An-24
Il-76
Mi-17
Mi-8

The Syrian Arab Air Force (Arabic: القوات الجوية العربية السورية‎‎, Al Quwwat al-Jawwiyah al Arabiya as-Souriya), literally Syrian Arab Air Forces, also often referred to as the Syrian Air Force, is the Aviation branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It is variously abbreviated in English to SAF, SAAF, or SyAAF. It was established in 1948. Land-based air defense systems are grouped under the Syrian Air Defense Force, which split from both the Air Force and the Army. The Syrian Arab Airforce does not have the ability to carry out operations at night.

The end of World War II led to a withdrawal of the United Kingdom and France from the Middle East, and this included a withdrawal from Syria. In 1948, the Syrian Air Force was officially established after the first class of pilots graduated from flight schools in the United Kingdom. The embryonic force saw limited participation in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, conducting bombing raids against Israeli forces and settlements. One North American Harvard was lost to ground fire while attacking Ayelet Hashahar on 16 July, and another possibly shot down by Morris Mann (flying an Avia S-199) on 10 June. The Syrian Air Force claimed its sole kill of the war on 10 July when a Harvard supposedly shot down an Avia S-199 flown by Lionel Bloch.

Military governments formed after the war sought to bolster the air force, which began equipping with Fiat G.59s, ex-Egyptian Macchi C.205s and Supermarine Spitfire Mk 22s. In September 1952 the SAF received its first jet aircraft, the Gloster Meteor F.8. Additional Meteors, including the NF.13 night fighting variant, were delivered by the mid-1950s.


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