Russia’s days-old air campaign in Syria is giving U.S. officials and analysts their first in-depth look at Russian capabilities in decades, and it has some wondering whether Russia is able to effectively use its most advanced weapons.
“You can actually tell that the ammunition they’re using — while I wouldn’t call it older, necessarily — they are a type of dumb ammunition,” said Sim Tack, director of analytical support at Stratfor, a U.S.-based global intelligence company.
The conclusion would seem to be at odds with the rest of Russia’s approach, which has included the use of some of its most advanced combat aircraft, including the Su-30 Flanker and Su-34 Fullback fighter-bombers.