Since the Syrian Civil War the Syrian government has reportedly engaged in arrest campaigns and enacted new regulations, with citizens who have completed mandatory conscription being called up for reserve duty. ==History== The French Mandate volunteer force, which would later become the Syrian army, was established in 1920 with the threat of Syrian−Arab nationalism in mind.
In 1925 this force was expanded and designated the Special Troops of the Levant (Troupes Spéciales du Levant).
As with the Levantine Special Troops, French officers held the top posts, but as Syrian independence approached, the ranks below major were gradually filled by Syrian officers who had graduated from the Homs Military Academy, which had been established by the French during the 1930s.
In 1938 the Troupes Spéciales numbered around 10,000 men and 306 officers (of whom 88 were French, mainly in the higher ranks).
In 1941, during World War II, the Army of the Levant participated in a futile resistance to the British and Free French invasion that ousted the Vichy French from Syria during the Syria–Lebanon Campaign.
By the end of 1945 the army numbered about 5,000 and the gendarmerie some 3,500.
Syria chapter by Eyal Zisser. ==External links== Center for Strategic and International Studies, Middle East Military Balance Analysis of the syrian army air force and air defence threats in case of no-fly zone https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1976DAMASC07071_b.html – command structure developments 1976 Military units and formations established in 1946 Pro-government factions of the Syrian civil war 1946 establishments in Syria
Between 1948 and 1967 a series of coups destroyed the stability of the government and any remaining professionalism within the armed forces.
It was established in 1948 and saw combat in 1948, 1967, 1973 and in 1982 against Israel.
In March 1949 the chief of staff, Gen.
Two more military dictators followed by December 1949.
In 2011, Russian sources reported 40,000 personnel in the Air Force, while Reuters reported 100,000. ===Syrian Navy=== In 1950 the Syrian Navy was established following the procurement of a few naval craft from France.
Adib Shishakli then held power until deposed in the 1954 Syrian coup d'etat.
They then fought in the late 1960s War of Attrition (against Israel) and the 1970 Black September invasion of Jordan.
Further coups followed, each attended by a purge of the officer corps to remove supporters of the losers from the force. In 1963 the Military Committee of the Syrian Regional Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party spent most of its time planning to take power through a conventional military coup.
A small group of military officers, including Hafez al-Assad, seized control in the March 1963 Syrian coup d'etat.
Amin al-Hafiz discharged many ranking Sunni officers, thereby, Stratfor says, "providing openings for hundreds of Alawites to fill top-tier military positions during the 1963–1965 period on the grounds of being opposed to Arab unity.
The following were some important Syrian awards: Order of Umayyads, Medal of Military Honor, the War Medal, Medal for Courage, Yarmuk Medal, Wounded in Action Medal, and Medal of 8 March 1963. ==See also== List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War Human rights violations during the Syrian civil war#Syrian armed and security forces ==Notes== ==References== ==Further reading== Armed Forces in the Middle East: Politics and Strategy edited by Barry Rubin and Thomas A.
This measure tipped the balance in favor of Alawite officers who staged a coup in 1966 and for the first time placed Damascus in the hands of the Alawites." The Armed Forces were involved in the 1967 Six-Day War (against Israel).
Between 1948 and 1967 a series of coups destroyed the stability of the government and any remaining professionalism within the armed forces.
This measure tipped the balance in favor of Alawite officers who staged a coup in 1966 and for the first time placed Damascus in the hands of the Alawites." The Armed Forces were involved in the 1967 Six-Day War (against Israel).
Since 1967 most of the Golan Heights territory of southwestern Syria has been under Israeli occupation.
It was established in 1948 and saw combat in 1948, 1967, 1973 and in 1982 against Israel.
They then fought in the late 1960s War of Attrition (against Israel) and the 1970 Black September invasion of Jordan.
However, the other Arab League states withdrew their forces in the late 1970s. ===Occupation of Lebanon=== Syrian forces, still technically known as the Arab Deterrent Force, lingered in Lebanon throughout the Lebanese civil war (1975–90).
During the Yom Kippur War of 1973 the Syrian Army launched an attack to liberate the occupied Golan Heights that was only narrowly repulsed with the help of the US.
Since 1973 the cease-fire line has been respected by both sides, with very few incidents until the Syrian civil war. Syria was invited into Lebanon by that country's president in 1976, to intervene on the side of the Lebanese government against PLO guerilla and Lebanese Christian forces.
It was established in 1948 and saw combat in 1948, 1967, 1973 and in 1982 against Israel.
Since 1973 the cease-fire line has been respected by both sides, with very few incidents until the Syrian civil war. Syria was invited into Lebanon by that country's president in 1976, to intervene on the side of the Lebanese government against PLO guerilla and Lebanese Christian forces.
Syria chapter by Eyal Zisser. ==External links== Center for Strategic and International Studies, Middle East Military Balance Analysis of the syrian army air force and air defence threats in case of no-fly zone https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1976DAMASC07071_b.html – command structure developments 1976 Military units and formations established in 1946 Pro-government factions of the Syrian civil war 1946 establishments in Syria
Eventually the Syrians brought most of the nation under their control as part of a power struggle with Israel, which had occupied areas of southern Lebanon in 1978.
It was established in 1948 and saw combat in 1948, 1967, 1973 and in 1982 against Israel.
In 1985, Israel began to withdraw from Lebanon, as a result of domestic opposition in Israel and international pressure.
In 1985 the Navy consisted of approximately 4,000 regular and 2,500 reserve officers and men.
Officer ranks were standard, although the highest is the equivalent of lieutenant general, a rank held in 1986 only by the commander in chief and the minister of defence.
Most of Syria's 300,000 conscripts in 2011 were, however, Sunni. ===Syrian Army=== In 1987 Joshua Sinai of the Library of Congress wrote that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) was the dominant military service, and as such controlled the senior-most posts in the armed forces and had the most manpower, approximately 80% of the combined services.
In 1987 Sinai wrote that the major development in force organization was the establishment of an additional divisional framework based on the special forces and the organization of ground formations into two corps.
In 2011, the Navy was estimated have 5,000 personnel. ===Syrian Air Defence Force=== In 1987, according to the Library of Congress Country Studies, the Air Defence Command, within the Army Command but also composed of Air Force personnel, numbered approximately 60,000.
In 1987 units included 20 air defense brigades (with approximately 95 SAM batteries) and two air defense regiments.
Syria has conducted research and produced weapons of mass destruction. ===Uniforms (1987)=== 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.
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)=== 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.
Following the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1990, the Syrian occupation of Lebanon continued until they themselves were also forced out by widespread public protest and international pressure.
In the early 1990s, Scud-C missiles with a 500-kilometer range were procured from North Korea, and Scud-D, with a range of up to 700 kilometers, is allegedly being developed by Syria with the help of North Korea and Iran, according to Eyal Zisser. Syria received significant financial aid from Persian Gulf Arab states as a result of its participation in the Persian Gulf War, with a sizable portion of these funds earmarked for military spending.
London and Portland, OR: Frank Cass, 2002.
In 2005, it was reduced from two and a half years to two years, in 2008 to 21 months and in 2011 to a year and a half.
About 20,000 Syrian soldiers were deployed in Lebanon until 27 April 2005, when the last of Syria's troops left the country.
In 2005, Russia forgave Syria of three-fourths, or about $9.8 billion, of its $13.4 billion Soviet-era debt.
In 2005, it was reduced from two and a half years to two years, in 2008 to 21 months and in 2011 to a year and a half.
In early September 2008 the Syrian government ordered MiG-29SMT fighters, Pantsir S1E air-defence systems, Iskander tactical missile systems, Yak-130 aircraft, and two Amur-1650 submarines from Russia.
In 2010 the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated army regulars at 220,000, with an additional 280,000 reserves.
The army had 11 divisional formations reported in 2011, with a fall in the number of armored divisions reported from the 2010 edition from eight to seven.
In 2005, it was reduced from two and a half years to two years, in 2008 to 21 months and in 2011 to a year and a half.
In 2011, 300,000 reserves were reported in addition to regular forces.
In 2015, LifeNews still reported the same figures. Despite shrinking by nearly half from the 2011 beginning of the civil war by 2014, the Armed Forces have become much more flexible and capable, especially in anti-guerilla warfare.
Active personnel were estimated as 295,000 in 2011, with an additional 314,000 reserves.
Paramilitary forces were estimated at 108,000 in 2011.
In 2011, the majority of the Syrian military were Sunni, but most of the military leadership were Alawites.
Most of Syria's 300,000 conscripts in 2011 were, however, Sunni. ===Syrian Army=== In 1987 Joshua Sinai of the Library of Congress wrote that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) was the dominant military service, and as such controlled the senior-most posts in the armed forces and had the most manpower, approximately 80% of the combined services.
That figure was unchanged in the 2011 edition of the Military Balance, but in the 2013 edition, in the midst of the war, the IISS estimated that army strength was 110,000.
The army had 11 divisional formations reported in 2011, with a fall in the number of armored divisions reported from the 2010 edition from eight to seven.
However, in addition to the 14th Special Forces Division, the 15th Special Forces Division has been identified by Human Rights Watch in 2011. The former Defense companies were merged into the Syrian Army as the 4th Armored Division and the Republican Guard.
It has seen combat against militant groups on Syrian soil from 2011 to 2012, during the Syrian civil war.
In 2011, Russian sources reported 40,000 personnel in the Air Force, while Reuters reported 100,000. ===Syrian Navy=== In 1950 the Syrian Navy was established following the procurement of a few naval craft from France.
In 2011, the Navy was estimated have 5,000 personnel. ===Syrian Air Defence Force=== In 1987, according to the Library of Congress Country Studies, the Air Defence Command, within the Army Command but also composed of Air Force personnel, numbered approximately 60,000.
As of 2011, arms contracts with Russia, Syria's main arms supplier, were worth at least $4 billion.
In March 2012 the Syrian government issued new travel restrictions for military-aged males.
In a late June 2012 interview given by the FSA's Asharq Al-Awsat he claimed Riad al-Asaad said that about 20–30 Syrian officers defected to Turkey each day. On 18 July 2012 the Syrian Defense Minister Dawoud Rajha, former defense minister Hasan Turkmani and the president's brother-in-law Gen.
It has seen combat against militant groups on Syrian soil from 2011 to 2012, during the Syrian civil war.
That figure was unchanged in the 2011 edition of the Military Balance, but in the 2013 edition, in the midst of the war, the IISS estimated that army strength was 110,000.
Since the Syrian Civil War, the enlisted members of the Syrian military have dropped by over half from a pre-civil war figure of 325,000 to 150,000 soldiers in the army in December 2014, due to casualties, desertions and draft dodging, reaching between 178,000 and 220,000 soldiers in the army, in addition to 80,000 to 100,000 irregular forces. Before the start of the Syrian Civil War, the obligatory military service period was being decreased over time.
In 2014, Gazeta.ru reported that the regular army had reduced from 325,000 to 150,000 due to "mortality, desertions and deviations", but that this was supplemented by 60,000 Republican Guards and 50,000 Kurdish militias.
In 2015, LifeNews still reported the same figures. Despite shrinking by nearly half from the 2011 beginning of the civil war by 2014, the Armed Forces have become much more flexible and capable, especially in anti-guerilla warfare.
In 2015, LifeNews still reported the same figures. Despite shrinking by nearly half from the 2011 beginning of the civil war by 2014, the Armed Forces have become much more flexible and capable, especially in anti-guerilla warfare.
By the end of 2017, analysts estimated the SAA to have just 25,000 combat-ready troops. The army's formations included three army corps (the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd), eight armored divisions (with one independent armored brigade), three mechanized divisions, one armored-special forces division and ten independent airborne-special forces brigades.
Their modus operandi switched from traditional Soviet-modeled conventional military forces into a force of smaller groups fighting in close-quarters guerrilla combat with an increasing role for junior officers. In September 2018, Statista Charts estimated that the Syrian military had lost 111 warplanes since the beginning of the civil war, including reconnaissance and attack drones.
Estimates of the declining size of the armed forces over time include141,400 as of June 2019.
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