These are the attack planes Russia is sending to Syria
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Earlier this month, four Russian Su-30M attack planes popped up at the Bassel al Assad air base near the Syrian city of Latakia, intelligence firm STRATFOR reports.
The Su-30Ms, which were originally mistook for Su-27s, are an updated model of a tried and true air frames in the Su-27 family.
The jets are super-maneuverable, with twin jet engines and small canards, or fore wings, behind the cockpit. The thrust vectoring engines and these small canards give the Su-30M truly awesome agility in the air.
Russian pilots are fond of a move called the "Pugachev's Cobra," where they climb at an almost vertical angle before leveling out, making a serpentine curve through the sky as they do.
Hypothetically, the Su-30M's maneuverability would give it an advantage over US models like the F-16 in a dogfight.
The situation is potentially worrisome as the US is currently carrying out air strikes from Turkey's Incirlik air base, a little over a hundred miles away from Russia's forces in Latakia, Syria. However, US aircraft have so far carried out strikes only against the Nusra Front and ISIS in Syria.
In addition to the Su-30s, STRATFOR has also identified the presence of a dozen smaller aircraft that are likely Su-25 Frogfoots.
These aircraft will be used for ground-attack operations and could provide cover to the Assad regime against ongoing rebel offenses near to Latakia. Operationally, Frogfoots play a similar role to that of the US A-10 Warthog.
Citing an unnamed US official, the New York Times reports that Russia has deployed an additional dozen Su-24 Fencers to Syria.
These planes function as long-range attack aircraft which would be capable of carrying out targeted airstrikes against rebel positions throughout Syria.
This mixture of planes signifies a serious investment on Moscow's part towards bolstering the Assad regime. The deployment could be the start of a serious Russian offensive throughout wider Syria.
"They are not going to sit around and defend the airfield or maybe even the province of Latakia," Washington Institute for Near East Policy analyst Jeffrey White told the AFP.
"This kind of aircraft suggests that the Russians intend to exert their combat power outside of Latakia in an offensive role."
In total, Russia is believed to have sent 28 attack aircraft to Syria. This is in addition to an estimated 15 Hip transport helicopters and an estimated five Hind attack helicopters.
