Syrian Army may have S-300 missile systems – source

(Interfax – August 30, 2013) The Syrian Armed Forces might possess S-300 surface-to-air missile systems in addition to S-200, Buk-M1-2, Buk-M2E, Pantsir-S1E, S-125 Neva and S-125M Pechyora systems, which would allow Damascus to successfully respond to U.S. air and sea missile attacks, a Moscow military source familiar with the situation said.

“Syria’s air defense systems are able to appropriately respond to strikes by the U.S. and its anti-Syrian coalition allies, should a war begin. Today Damascus has approximately 1,000 air defense missile systems and more than 5,000 different air defense weapons,” a former commander of the Russian Air Defense Forces told Interfax-AVN on Friday.

The source did not rule out that the Syrian Armed Forces might also possess S-300 missile systems.

“Russia did not deliver these systems to the Syrians in the past, which was confirmed at the highest level, but Belarus or China could have done so tacitly in 2010-2011,” he said.