As a result of an Israeli missile strike on 13th May, the Russian Pantsir-S air defence complex was destroyed in Syria.
On 13th May a large number of missiles were launched by Israeli fighter jets over Masyaf. It was the second alleged Israeli strike on the country in days, after missiles were reportedly launched at a site just across the border from Israel in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday.
At least one Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile and gun system was destroyed by the Israeli military as a result of an attack on Syria. It is reported about the injured and wounded of the Syrian military, including members of the crew of the ZRPK. Data on this subject are given by the Syrian edition of Levant 24.
As a result of air strike five people were killed and seven others were hurt. It is also reported that the Pantsir-S complex was destroyed in the area of the city of Masyaf, which was hit by the first wave of Israeli strikes. There are no details on this matter, however, Syrian journalists report that we are talking about at least one destroyed air defense system, not excluding, thereby, that other complexes could be destroyed.
Israel destroyed at least one regime operated Pantsir air defense system and inflicted casualties on multiple crew members in strikes on Masyaf and Jableh reported by Syrian media Levant 24.
At the same time, the Syrian journalist Ali Sarem posted a photo of the destroyed Pantsir-S air defense missile system, and, judging by the mountainous terrain, the complex was indeed destroyed in the Masyaf region, the Syrian province of Hama. According to a Syrian journalist, Israeli strikes were carried out from Lebanese airspace.
Role of Pantsir air defence in Syria
On July 19, 2021, four F-16 fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force entered Syria’s airspace via the US-controlled al-Tanf zone and fired eight guided missiles at an area southeast of Syria’s Aleppo. Vadim Kulit, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, claimed that seven missiles were downed by the Russian-made Pantsir-S and Buk-M2 systems of the Syrian Air Defense Forces.
In the evening of July 27, a drone was launched by militants from the Kafer-Khattar community in the Idlib Province. The militant drone was downed over the Hama Province by the Syrian air defense who used a Russia-produced Pantsir-S missile system, Kulit claimed the next day.
Syrian air defense forces shot down 22 missiles fired by Israel into Syria using Russian-made Buk-M2E and Pantsir-S systems, Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit said on 20 August 2021. Syrian air defense forces shot down twenty-one out of twenty-four missiles fired by Israel into Syria using Russian-made Buk-M2E and Pantsir-S systems, Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit said on September 3, 2021.
Syrian air defense forces shot down 8 out of 12 missiles fired by Israel in Syria using Russian-made Pantsir-S systems, Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit said on 08.10.2021. Syrian air defense forces shot down ten out of twelve missiles fired by Israel into Syria using Russian-made Buk-M2E and Pantsir-S systems, Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit said on November 24, 2021.
About Pantsir missile system
“Pantsir-S1” AAMGS is distinguished by the presence of combined missile-cannon weapons, a short reaction time and the ability of a combat vehicle to conduct reconnaissance and destruction of air targets in motion.
“Pantsir-S1” anti-aircraft missile and gun system is designed for air defense of small military and administrative-industrial facilities and areas, including mobile ones, against fixed- and rotary-winged aircraft, cruise missiles, and precision munitions as well as for strengthening air defense units against massive air strikes.
the Pantsir can track up to 20 tactical aircraft-sized targets at a range of 32-36 km. The baseline Pantsir system is equipped with up to twelve 57E6 missiles and two 30mm 2A38M cannons, allowing it to engage up to four targets simultaneously. The 57E6 is a two-stage missile with radio-command guidance and 20 kg blast-fragmentation warhead. A variant of the 57E6, the 9M335, features a continuous-rod fragmentation warhead. Both missile variants are 3.3 m long, 170 mm in diameter, and weigh 75.7 kg at launch.