Russian-Syrian cooperation
In January 2005, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad paid a visit to Moscow. Then the Declaration on further development of friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries was signed. Separate attention was paid "to development of traditional cooperation in the military and technical sphere".
Within the last year Moscow delivered to Damascus antiaircraft-missile installations of the "Strelets" type suitable for mounting on helicopters, ships and armor. In parallel, the Russian manufacturers have informed on the conclusion of the contract with Syrians about the sale of the "Pantsyr" type newest air defence systems.
The bilateral top-level military cooperation contacts have been proceeding also in the latest time. In September 2005, the chief of the General Staff of Syrian army Ali Habib visited Moscow. His Russian counterpart Yury Baluevsky paid a visit to Damascus in January 2006. According to Russian sources, during those visits deliveries to Syria of the Su-30 fighters, Yak-130 training warplanes, "Pantsyr-S1" complexes of air defence, and two diesel submarines, as well as the issue of modernization of MiG-29 fighters and a thousand of T-72 tanks were discussed.
Advisers and professional training Though at the end of the 1980s - the beginning of the 1990s the number of the Soviet and later on - the Russian military advisers and experts had been considerably reduced in Syria, they are still working in this country. In the last years their number reached nearly 100 people. And since the beginning of the 2000s, a gradual increase of the number of Russian military experts is marked in Syria. Besides, since the Soviet period, preparation of the officer staff for the Syrian army in the military educational institutions of Russia has not stopped. In 2005 the both sides agreed to double their number (up to 60 people).
Point of material support Since the Soviet period there is a point of material and technical support of the Navy, located at the South Syrian coast of the Mediterranean, in the Russian property. This object includes warehouses of the coastguard service, a raft workshop and three sea moorings. After the corresponding agreement was signed in spring 1983, repair and updating of the material stocks of the ships of 5-th flotilla of the USSR Navy was carried out in Tartus till autumn 1991. In 1999 there were the intelligence vessels of the Russian Navy that were tracking the NATO warships taking part in the Yugoslavian campaign. In June 2006 it became known that the Russian experts begun works to deepen the bottom at the Syrian ports of Tartus and Latakia (the latter was also used by the Soviet Navy in the past).
Military rear of Syrian-Iranian alliance
In the light of the aforesaid, it is obvious that in case of the conflict, it will be the Syrian units under command of the recent graduates of the Russian military universities equipped with modern combat technique of the Russian manufacture that will withstand the Israeli troops. It is not only ascertaining of the facts, but also an integral component of the military doctrine of the Syrian-Iranian alliance. The contract on the military cooperation signed by the ministers of defence of the two countries this June eloquently testifies that Syria and Iran have been considering Russia as the "rear" of their confrontation with Israel. In this document the sides agree upon the necessity of increase by Damascus of import of the Russian arms on the eve of an eventual conflict with Israel. According to the contract, Tehran undertakes the initiative to pay for the Russian deliveries for the needs of the Syrian army. An important place in the agreement is allocated to the cooperation of Iran and Syria on the Lebanese direction, especially in rendering assistance to the armed formations of Hezbullah.
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