TOW Scores first T 90 A kill in Syria

TOW Scores first T 90 A kill in Syria

TOW a second generation anti tank guided missile successfully taken out a Russian T 90 A modern battle tank in Syrian theater. The TOW crew's are American and western trained free Syrian army members,  The rebellion group who fighting against Assad since years. and the T 90 A is the modern Russian MBT, which was recently shipped into Syria manned by either Russian or Syrian soldiers.

Video's found in yesterday in twitter that, Free Syrian rebels who operates the second generation wire guided anti tanks missile, successfully intercepted a T 90 A tanks, The video's is incomplete. as it shows the TWO missile strikes close to the 12.7 mm cannon, and creates a big fire, within a moments tank operators seems abandoning the tanks and running away. after math of the attack big smokes arises from the tank. guessing Tank ready to explode.

Modern battle tanks are better equipped with new generation countermeasure suites to effectively counter, guided and unguided missiles and shells. known as soft kill technology by disabling their guidance and communication. Tanks like T 90 A, Abrams, Leclerc and Merkava has such systems. which gives additional protection to the tank.

Mostly the T 90 A comes with three layer of defense, first is the composite armour body, which gives strength and provide safe cover to the Tank from any kind of attacks. second is the ERA tiles, explosive reactor armour is a pack of explosives fitted in the Tanks body, which can counter react against guided missiles.

Third is the soft kill mechanism, The Russians and many other T 90 operators using Shtora countermeasure systems. The systems comes with two infrared jammers, which can jam infrared or command guided missiles like TOW, Milan and other second generation missiles. the IR Jammers jams any kind of command guided missiles who uses infrared to guide the missile.

This is where the Russian Tank failed to prove against the TOW missile. It's a bitter shock to analysts after the Su 24 easily shoot downed by the Turks. T 90 A is believed to be one of the better main battle tank in service of more than five countries include India.The Shtora failed to respond against the threat, thus makes destruction of the Tank.

The system also comprising laser warning receivers, who alert the crew, If anyone pointed the Tanks with laser guided missiles. Laser guided missiles like Hell fire and Javelin tracks the tank using laser beams. laser beams can be countered by smoke. So if Tank detects possibility of laser beams, they launch smoke Grenade to escape from the zone using the cover of smoke.

Additionally the Israeli's using active protection system, who act like a CIWS in Tank. The APS provide fourth cover to the Israeli Tanks.

When comes to Indian Scenario, India operates more than thousands of T 90 A, double than the Russian figures, The T 90 tank procurement is one of the kickback deal, where Russia agreed to provide complete ToT, who later provide less technologies, The Russians refused to provide the basic composite armour technology in T 90. Later India developed Kanchan armour which was used in Arjun Tanks.

India is the only country who always omit Russian EW system in every procurement, from Su 30 MKI to T 90 S, India omitted Russian countermeasure system. The Indian T 90 tanks they using the Swedish Saab designed LEDS 150 countermeasure soft kill mechanism. which will be replace the unreliable Shtora systems in T 90 A.

It's better that Indian Tanks are have more powerful and reliable EW systems than the Russian and other countries T 90 tanks. The Pakistani's and Chinese have tons of wire guided anti tank guided missiles who is waiting to blow up the Indian armor's. Anyway it's better that Indian T 90 MS has better protection than the Russian system.

Info on BGM 71 - TOW

TOW stands for Tube Launched Optically tracked Wire guided missile system, Which can engage targets upto some four kilometers with line of sight command. Which means the operator keep an eye on the Target till the missile hits.

TOW uses HEAT warhead, used to destroy tanks complete and igniting fire in ammo storage. HEAT stands for High Explosive anti tank warhead. The missile penetrate the tank using shaped charges then injects the ammunition inside the tank, will explode the tank completely.

FSA is known operator of the TOW missile, since the Syrian Civil war more than hundreds of armored vehicles were destroyed by Syrian rebels using the TOW missile.  

One month of Russian aerial delivery to ISIS and Syrian Rebels

One month of Russian aerial delivery to ISIS and Syrian Rebels

UAV Screen grab

    It's almost a month since Russian Air force started bombing against the Syrian Rebel forces and ISIS positions, along with small victories near Aleppo provenance. So far nearly 700 plus sorties flown by the Russian Fighter jets like Su 30 SM, Su 24M , Su 25SM and Su 34. Which makes more than 50 sorties per day flown by the Russian Air force jets. Those sorties also include the deployed Helicopter gunships like Mi 24 P and electronic intelligent plane like  IL 20 Coot. The list gives a good light about all the Russian aircraft availability rate and combat performance.

   All the Russian fighter aircraft's and helicopters uses the Latakia based air force base for combat operations, and performs missions within the range of some 200 kilometers. Those Syrian Rebels are way too closer to the Russian Naval outpost, that's why the Russians suddenly deploys ground troops and fighter air crafts to prevent them to over run the Bases. Those airborne platforms are used for offensive operations and ground troops used to safe guard Russian assets in Syria. Rarely some times the long range strike aircraft Su 34 used for striking targets well beyond some 300 kilometers where the ISIS is operating.

    Most or some 60 % of Russian Air strike pounded just some 75 kilometers off from the Latakia base, which is situated in between Latakia and Idlib provenance. Those area's are currently under control of Syrian rebels, and some  25% of Russian Air strikes pounded over Aleppo city, the same place where a trilateral conflict between ISIS vs FSA vs The Syrian Army.  This is where Syrian Army gets more ground support to start the offensive in past weeks.

    Currently the Syrian Army Engaging the Syrian Rebels over three sides, Idlib, Aleppo and Homs. In Aleppo the Syrian Army needs to fight against the ISIS too. Initially the Syrian Army planning the offensive over the west of Syria to bush back the Rebels over east side, where most of the ISIS activities reported. The Syrian Army gets multiple supports from the Nations like Russia and Iran, The Syrian ground forces supported by the Iranian Elite ground forces known as the Quds Forces, Air strikes from the Russian Air forces, Milita support from Hezbullah Terrorists and Intelligence and other supports from Cuban's.

    The Syrians started the ground offensive 15 days ago, ten days after the Russians started Bombing. However the cooperation between the Russians and Syrians are way too limited. Since both are not good enough to use the modern technologies for calling a close Air support mission. The Russian low flying helicopter pilots visually identifies the Enemy positions before attacking, where the UAV gives clear picture to the Fighter jets to carry out attacks. This is something called very old statics since the ground soldiers are highly mobile and they won't use much armors.

     The Syrian Rebels using the US made Saudi supplied TOW missiles to take out Syrian Tanks and armored carriers. Also many witnessed that the Chinese HJ 8 and French Milan anti tank missiles too used by the Syrian Rebels. Anyhow all these missiles are second generation systems, thus need someone to guide the missiles to hit the target. Unlike third generation Anti tank missile systems like Javelin and Spike uses IIR and laser guidance for target acquisition and self guidance, makes the missiles fire and forget. The US refused to provide such missiles to the Rebels.

TOW 2nd Generation Anti Tank Missile

    Those Second generation missiles would be operated by a group of two experienced persons. Where Most of the Syrian Rebel members are defected soldiers of Syrian Arab Army. Even the FSA leader Noeimi is an Ex Syrian Military officer who  defected from the Syrian Army during the early days of Civil war. The FSA scored many armor kills during this series of defensive operations.Videos from YouTube and multiple reports from Conflict news confirms more than 70 Syrian armors were destroyed by the FSA in last 15 days using those anti tank missiles.

    Even though the Syrian Army slowly moving towards the Rebels strongholds like Aleppo and Idlib. The Syrians and Russian cheering with small victories. However there is major secret operation is ongoing headed by unknowns, to assassinate top military commanders in battlefronts. Recently one of the Iran's top military officer general  Hossein killed in the battlefield near Aleppo. There is some other high ranking  military officials also killed in front lines. Even more the Syrian rebels managed to fire a RPG over an Russian consulate near latakia.

MAP of current Situation in Syria Courtesy ISW

   The Russians also pounding some Targets by using their long range cruise missiles, at first they fired some long range modified Klub cruise missiles off from Caspian sea, Week later they fired some missiles into latakia from the Russian Naval ships positioned near Mediterranean sea. Those are just some live missile tests it seems, where it doesn't makes good results when engaging threats like moving ground forces.

    Anyway there is a good days are coming in the conflict,  as The Syrian offensive almost started in full swing and they bound to enter the Rebel stronghold's. From Rebel side they just received modern weapons from the US para drop. makes the inventory having MANPAD's too which is yet to be confirmed makes them a good threat to low flying Russian Fighter jets.