Second Russian Airbase To Be Established In Syria

A second Russian airbase will be set up in Syria in its effort in expanding operations in the country, as indicated by a US official. The latest intelligence briefing came as President Barack Obama expressed a subdued optimism that the strategy of Russia will shift to allow them to work with the West.

The presence of Russia in Syria increased as it established four operating bases with the most recently-established bases located in Tiyas and Hama. However, the Pentagon expressed its concern about the second Russian airbase in Shayrat, which is capable of supporting fixed-wing aircraft.

Another official said the Shayrat, which is located close to the Syrian city of Homs and one hour away from Lebanon, is currently being used for helicopters, but Russia is preparing to allow fixed-wing aircraft to land.

Russian warplanes have been operating of the Basel al-Assad airbase in Latakia, which is among the last strongholds of President Bashar al-Assad close to the Mediterranean coast. While reports indicated that aircraft are landing at the Shayrat airbase, the Pentagon has yet to verify these reports.

Two other forward operating bases of Russia are for the attack helicopters used in defending the Assad regime. One US official revealed that the second Russian airbase is not a defensive move in case the Latakia airbase is destroyed by the Syrian rebels. The official said it is an expansion since the Syrian rebels are nowhere near to destroying the Latakia airbase.

Second Russian Airbase To Be Established In Syria - image credit: news.yahoo.com

The reports of a second Russian airbase come amid issues arising between Russia and the West on the handling of Syria. The United States is attempting to convince Russia in concentrate on the Islamic State. Reports emerged that Russia is attacking Syrian rebels opposed to the Assad regime. This was acknowledged in a recent press conference by President Obama, who is also hoping that Russia will cooperate in the future.

Tensions increased with the military involvement of Russia in Syria, which resulted to a direct confrontation with Turkey. A Russian Su-24 warplane was shot down by Turkish jets last week after it supposedly entered Turkish airspace. A Russian transport helicopter sent to rescue the pilots was later destroyed by Syrian rebels.

President Obama said on Tuesday that the Syrian situation is not the outcome Putin is looking for. However, the influence of Russia is not limited to the Middle East since it annexed Crimea before sending troops into Eastern Ukraine in 2014. The incident was criticized by the Obama administration, which promised to isolate Russia.

While President Obama indicated that he is not aiming to start a proxy war with Russia, it seems the US is already in one since it provides support to Syrian rebels while Russia is reportedly bombing the same rebels. A defense official revealed that the bombing of the Turkmen rebels in Syria angered Turkey, which warned Russian warplanes to avoid invading their airspace.

Russia is said to have thirty-one warplanes and fifteen helicopters in its airbase in Latakia, and it may increase once the second Russian airbase becomes fully operational.

Posted by James Fried on Tuesday December 01 2015, 11:03 PM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0