Asymmetric Warfare: How Drones Changed the Syrian Civil War？
2025-04-14 14:58
According to statistics, anti-government forces usedFPV drones for target strikes hundreds of times during the Syrian civil war,with a success rate exceeding 60%. The Syrian government forces' initialneglect of drone technology is considered a significant reason for theirsetbacks.
In December 2024, Syrian opposition forces launchedprecision strikes using drones against government defenses, successfullydestroying heavy equipment including T-72 tanks and BMP infantry fightingvehicles. The government forces suffered a 40% loss in defensive capabilities,while opposition casualties were only 10%.
This defeat has been compared to the Soviet Union'sdisregard for emerging technologies during the Afghan War, highlighting thevulnerability of traditional military forces when facing new technologies.
How Drones Transformed the Syrian War
- Direct Attacks：
During the battle for Aleppo, anti-government forcesused drone swarms to launch surprise attacks on government defenses. Guided bydrones, mortar fire destroyed 17 government positions in a single day, forcinga 15-kilometer retreat and nearly collapsing the front line. This asymmetricwarfare allowed the opposition to quickly seize key areas.
- Drone-Guided Bombing:
The use of drones fundamentally changed battlefieldtactics. For example, Syrian government forces began using drones to guidemissile strikes. In 2025, after drone reconnaissance, government forcessuccessfully destroyed an opposition ammunition depot using"Iskander-M" missiles, significantly improving strike accuracy. Datashows that drone-guided strikes increased success rates by over 30%.
- Psychological Warfare:
The low cost and high efficiency of drones madecontinuous harassment possible. The opposition used drones for dailyreconnaissance and small-scale strikes, severely undermining government troopmorale. Data indicates that sustained drone attacks reduced government moraleby 20% in some areas.
- Swarm Tactics:
The opposition employed "swarm" dronetactics, using clusters of small drones costing less than $500 each to attackgovernment positions. For instance, in one operation, 30 drones simultaneouslydisabled government air defense systems, creating opportunities for follow-upoffensives.
- AI and Data Analysis Support:
AI systems provided by Ukraine to the oppositionanalyzed tank track wear data to predict government troop movements, increasingdrone ambush success rates to 75%. For example, in a 2024 ambush, AI predictedthe route of an armored column, and drone-guided anti-tank missiles destroyed12 tanks.
Spear and Shield: The New Era of Radio Anti-DroneTechnology
Before 2024, the Syrian government's droneinterception success rate was below 20%. For example, during the Idlibcampaign, opposition drones dropped small bombs, causing over 500 governmentcasualties in a single month, while air defense systems failed to respondeffectively.
In contrast, Israel's "Iron Dome" systemachieved an 85% interception rate against drones from Syria in 2024,highlighting Syria's technological disadvantage.
It’s not just Israel—countries around the worldare actively advancing counter-drone technologies. In this field, China hasalready reached the forefront globally. At the 2025 IDEX exhibition, AWP, aleading Chinese anti-drone company, showcased its latest SDR anti-drone technology,which boosts the interception rate of low-altitude drones to 99%. Thisinnovation has garnered widespread attention and recognition from militaryforces across the Middle East.
In the Syrian conflict, drones are not just tacticaltools—they are atthe heart of strategic competition. Opposition forces have leveraged dronetechnology to achieve asymmetric advantages. The future battlefield will notonly be dominated by drones but also by the ongoing clash between drones andanti-drone technologies.
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