50 Russian-trained Syrian Military Aircraft Pilots Ready To Hunt Militants

Illustration: Russian pilot. (Wikimedia Commons/Russian Ministry of Defence/Mil.ru)

JAKARTA - About 50 cadets at the Aleppo Military Aviation School, Syria which reopened in 2018, are preparing for graduation, after receiving training from Russian specialists.

This is as stated by Deputy Principal of the Aleppo Military Aviation School, General Yousef Ahmad Hassan, to TASS last Thursday, July 1.

"Our job is to train high-class pilots for our army. They will continue to fight against the militants. There are areas occupied by terrorists where it is more effective to use aviation," he explained.

"We know how (Russian) pilots work, we learn from them. We need to increase the level of training that is undertaken to make it effective," Hassan continued.

Hassan further said that the only military aviation educational institution, which trains Air Force pilots in Syria, is expected to receive more modern and up-to-date equipment.

Illustration of a Russian pilot in Syria. (Wikimedia Commons/Russian Ministry of Defense/Mil.ru)

At this school, military pilots are still training using the Aero L-39 Albatros trainer aircraft, which first flew in 1968 or is 53 years old. However, the Syrian authorities have purchased modern training simulators for the school.

Apart from the actual profession of pilot, the cadets here are also trained as mechanics due to the lack of personnel. Pilots of the future repair and monitor the technical condition of their own aircraft.

The Aleppo flight school was founded in 1947. During the war in recent years, insurgents have tried to seize this strategic facility.

The closeness of Syria and Russia to the relationship between the two countries has positive returns. If Syria benefits from training by the Russian military, the Red Bear Country military benefits from the experience of serving in Syria.

Illustration of a Russian fighter pilot in a Sukhoi Su-34 simulator. (Wikimedia Commons/Alex Beltyukov - RuSpotters Team)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the majority of active military commanders in Russia today have gained experience and forged their fighting skills in Syria. And, the experience gained is used to develop training curricula in the country.

"All commanders of all armies, Air Force and Air Defense Army, more than 85 percent of commanders of military formations and regiments have acquired combat experience in the Syrian Arab Republic," President Putin said on the sidelines of a three-day meeting with Defense Ministry officials and representatives of the defense industry in May.

"Now (we) rely on it in maneuvering, command and training staff and training, as well as in the training of personnel of military units and formations," he continued.

Meanwhile, launching CNBC, since the domestic war broke out in Syria in 2011, Russia has become one of the countries that has actively deployed its troops, to support the forces of the Bashar al-Assad regime, against anti-government forces and the ISIS terrorist group.