Syrian Navy

Infobox National Military
country=Syria
name=
native_name=


caption=


caption2=
founded=1946
current_form=
disbanded=
branches=Syrian Army Syrian Navy Syrian Air Force Syrian Air Defense Force Police and Security Force
headquarters=Damascus
commander-in-chief=Bashar al-Assad
commander-in-chief_title=President of Syria
minister=
minister_title=
commander=
commander_title=
age=
conscription=
manpower_data=
manpower_age=
available=4,356,413 (2005 est.)
available_f=
fit=3,453,888 (2005 est.)
fit_f=
reaching=225,113 (2005 est.)
reaching_f=
active=
ranked=
reserve=
deployed=
amount=858 million-1 billion (FY00 est.)
percent_GDP=5.9% (FY00)
domestic_suppliers=
foreign_suppliers=
imports=
exports=
history=
ranks=The Syrian Navy is the smallest of Syria's military forces. Currently the navy consisted of approximately 4,000 regular and 2,500 reserve officers and men. The navy, lacking parity with the other services, was under the army's Latakia regional command with the fleet based in the ports of Latakia, Baniyas, Minat al Bayda, and Tartus.

History

In 1950 the Syrian Navy was established following the procurement of a few naval craft from France. The initial personnel consisted of army soldiers who had been sent to French academies of naval training. [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/syria/navy.htm]

Tartus

It has been reported that Russia and Syria are conducting talks about permitting Russia to develop and enlarge the base in order to establish a stronger naval presence in the Mediterranean.cite news |first= M K |last= Bhadrakumar |authorlink= M K Bhadrakumar |coauthors= |title= Russia remains a Black Sea power |url= http://atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/JH30Ag03.html |work= Asia Times Online |publisher= |date=2008-08-29 |accessdate=2008-08-29 ] [David R. Sands, "Russia Expanding Navy into Mediterranean Sea", "The Washington Times", August 7, 2007.] , and amidst the deteriorating Russia relations with the west in conjunction with the 2008 South Ossetia war‎ and the plans to deploy US missile defense shield in Poland, it has been asserted that President Assad has agreed to Tartus port’s conversion into a permanent Middle East base for Russia’s nuclear-armed warships. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Big Russian flotilla led by Admiral Kuznetsov carrier heads for Syrian port |url= http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5526 |work= DEBKAfile |publisher= |date= August 21, 2008 |accessdate=2008-08-22 ]

Equipment

At one point Syria was known to possess two Romeo class submarines.
*Frigates:: 2 Petya II
*Missile Boats:: 2 Osa I: 8 Osa II
*Amphibious warfare vessels:: 3 Polnocny B
* Mine Warfare vessels :: 1 Sonya : 3 Yevgenya
*Naval aviation:: 11 Mil Mi-14PL Haze-A: 2 Kamov Ka-28PL Helix-A

References