Air Strikes by VKS (few by SyAAF), 13 April 2017

The Russians launched four, and the SyAAF’s L-39s from Hama another 6 sorties between the midnight and 02.00hrs in the morning. Then the VKS flew two more around 03.00hrs.

Morning was quiet until 10.00hrs, when the VKS commenced launching its first wave of the day. This consisted of 6 aircraft (including two Su-25s) that got airborne by 10.45. There followed another break, and then they re-started launching at 13.22. Seems, the efforts of the last weeks are starting to show their effects ‘even’ upon the VKS. The take-offs went on and on until 14.36, though not at such a high pace like in previous days. Overall, some 15 aircraft got airborne within slightly over one hour. Primary targets were in the Jishr ash-Shughour and Ma’arat an-Nauman areas, but plenty of other places were hit as well — including Dera’a.

Third wave of that day commenced launching at 16.10hrs, though it didn’t really pick-up speed before around 18.00hrs. Primary targets seem to have been in the area between Ma’arat an-Nauman and Khan Sheykhoun, though Darat Azza and Hreitan were hit too. This wave ended around 20.00hrs, by when 22 take-offs from Hmemmem AB were registered.

The SyAAF, which was rather ‘quiet’ through the day, also began launching helicopters, MiG-23s and L-39s from Hama, between 16.00 and 17.00hrs. Most of these were directed against the Latamina area.

Very few air strikes were flown during the evening. Overall, the first ‘rather quiet’ day for both air forces since mid-March 2017: not a single sortie by SyAAF MiG-21s from Hama, by Su-22s from Shayrat, or by Su-24s from Tiyas was registered the entire day.

Totals
VKS
fighter-bombers: 49
helicopters: 6
UAVs: 3
recce: 1

SyAAF
helicopters: 6
L-39s: 9
MiG-21: 0
MiG-23: 4
Su-22: 0
Su-24: 0