After years of absence, Syria's jet training kicks off again
A five minute read how Syria's jet training, after being depleted, battered and bruised, has commenced again. Scramble Magazine exclusive!
Images from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) have recently come out showing that the Al Quwwat al-Jawwiya al Arabiya as-Souriya (SAAF, Syrian Arab Air Force) has started to educate and train its pilots again. On various footages Czech built Aero L-39ZA and L-39ZO Albatros high-performance jet trainers can be seen carrying out training flights with Syria's Kuweires Military Aviation Institute.
Being severely damaged and littered by dozens of aircraft wrecks (SIAT/MBB 223 Flamingo, Aero L-29 Delfin and Aero L-39 aircraft), SAAF's Military Aviation Institute is located at Kuweires Air Base. The air base can be found some 30 km east of the city of Aleppo, to the northeast of Kuweires Sharqi village. In the past this air base has been the primary base of the SAAF academy.
At this moment it is not known whether regular syllabus training flights have resumed with the worn out L-39 trainers or that they are being used for keeping the pilots current.
Although no Iranian and/or Russian military observers can be seen in the released photos, these countries do play a role in the background. In May 2020, The Syrian Observer reported that a number of Syrian pilots had returned to Kuweires from Iran, where they had been undergoing flight training on Iran's Revolutionary Guard Air Force's Embraer EMB312 Tucano.
Co-located with the SAAF's L-39s at Kuweires are the Russian Federation - Aerospace Forces (RF VKS) with some Mil Mi-35M and Mil Mi-8AMTSh helicopters. It is expected that Russia will support the SAAF in its endeavours to start its flying academy to a normal pace.
Earlier, Russian media reported that Russia planned to deliver an initial batch of Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced jet trainers to Syria.
This, after delaying handing over the aircraft due to the country's civil war. The latter has to be seen but with the resumption of the training of its pilots, the SAAF has embarked on a path that will support the once prestigious SAAF academy.
The following Aero L-39ZA/ZO Albatros trainers were recently seen flying at Kuweires:
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Photos: Russian MoD and Google Earth