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World Defense & Security News - Russia
 
 
Russia started to operate A-50 airborne warning and control system aircraft in the Syrian airspace
 
Russia’s Aerospace Force has started to use A-50 (NATO reporting name: Mainstay) airborne warning and control system aircraft in Syria to support the Russia air task force deployed there, a source in the defense and industrial sector said on Tuesday. "The Russian Aerospace Force started to use [A-50 aircraft] over Syria in late December 2015," the source said.
     
Russia started to operate A 50 airborne warning and control system aircraft in the Syrian airspace 640 001A RuAF Beriev A-50 "Mainstay" AEW&C aircraft
     
There has been no official data about the deployment of A-50 airborne warning and control system aircraft at the Hmeimim air base. Sorties are likely to be performed from air bases located in Russia.

A-50 airborne warning and control system aircraft are usually stationed at the 2457th air base in Ivanovo in central Russia.

As of today, the Russia Aerospace Force operates 15 A-50 and three A-50U airborne warning and control system aircraft.

Russia has deployed a large number of radars at the Hmeimim air base in Syria to monitor air space, including 96L6 all-altitude target acquisition radars attached to S-300 (SA-10 Grumble) and S-400 (SA-21 Growler) air defense missile systems.

Probably, the use of A-50 airborne warning and control system aircraft can be explained by the need for extra air surveillance after the downing of the Russian Sukhoi Su-24M (Fencer) frontline bomber by the Turkish Air Force’s F-16 fighter jet.
     
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