Syrian Arab Air Force

1980s

The Syrian Arab Air Force thus entered the 1982 Lebanon War with Israel’s IAF in significantly weakened condition and suffered massive losses in a series of aerial combats between 6 and 11 June 1982. Israel claimed the destruction of 85 Syrian MiGs (including MiG-21s as well as MiG-23s). The Syrian Arab Air Force claimed they used Aerospatiale Gazelle helicopters successfully in the anti-armour role against advancing Israeli ground forces. In one such engagement, an Israeli tank column was stopped for some hours by SyAAF Gazelle missile strikes while approaching Ein Zehalta. The helicopters did not stop,the Israeli advance, and in fact, one Gazelle was captured and converted to Israeli markings during the war.