Turkey to ask NATO for Patriot missiles - report

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Reuters

Reuters) - Turkey will imminently lodge an official request with NATO asking the military alliance to deploy Patriot missiles along its border with Syria to guard against violence spilling over, a senior Turkish foreign ministry official said on Wednesday.

If approved, the deployment would represent a further deterioration in relations between Turkey and Syria - once close allies - and see more military hardware poured into a region where tensions are already high.

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/11/08/uk-syria-crisis-idUKBRE8A40X920121108

[happyslug]

1. Patriot Missiles?? Why??

Last edited Thu Nov 8, 2012, 12:32 PM - Edit history (1)

Syrian Air Force is NOT that powerful, what the Turks have at present is more then enough to handle any threat from Syria. Sounds like an excuse to get Patriot Missiles so the Turks can have them if relations with Iran or Greece goes bad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Air_Force

Syria was able to acquire Russian 14 Su-27Sks. The bulk of Syria's Air Force is comprised of Su-22s, MiG-23s and MiG-21s. The number of more modern aircraft is rather small, with only 20 Su-24s, possibly 14 MiG-29 SMTs, some 25 MiG-25s and 22 MiG-29s.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/syria/airforce.htm

List of Syrian Planes in use by the Syrian Air Force:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/syria/airforce-equipment.htm

Please note, no one has reported the SU-27s in actual use by Syria.

The "Best" Russian Fighters are the Su-27s and Mig-29s. The MIG-29s are smaller, with less range (but cheaper to operate), the SU-27 is as good as the American F-15 from a prue aerodynamics point is view, but modern fighters depend on Electronics and in that regard the F-15 is way superior.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_Air_Force
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_Turkish_military_aircraft

The Turks have at least 250 F-16s, as good as anything short of the Su-27, and at least 54 F-4s, which is "Obsolete" in US Service has been updated with modern electronics and is as good as anything the Syrian Air Force has.

Thus you are looking at 300 F-16s and F-4s vs 40 MIG-29s, 80 MIG-23s, and 159 MIG-21s. All good fighters, the MIG-21 for the 1950s, MIG-23 for the 1960s-1070s and the MIG-29s for today, but also all short range more point defense then long range attack. If we exclude the MIG-21s, it is 300 vs 120. If we include the MIG21s is it is closer 300 vs 279, but Turkey still would have the edge.

The Syrian MIG-25s (No more then 30) are long range interceptors, but have poor maneuverability. Thus useful more to intercept someone attacking Syria then attacking someone else.

Sorry, Syria's Air Force is designed to protect Syria and to provide Air Cover for its Ground forces (Thus the use of Mig-23s and Mig-21s) NOT to attack another country, let alone Turkey.

My point is Turkey does NOT need the Patriot missle system against Syria, thus the REASON for the request is elsewhere.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Wouldn't worry about it too much.

NATO learned their lesson with Afghanistan and are unlikely to allow the US , who may support this application, to drag the organisation into yet another debacle.

[EX500rider]

3. Might be more for missile interception..

Syria has several hundred Scud model B, C, and D missiles and SS-21 missiles.