Military of Syria
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| Military of Syria | |
|---|---|
| Military manpower | |
| Military age | 19 years of age |
| Availability | males age 15-49: 4,220,578 (2000 est.) |
| Fit for military service | males age 15-49: 2,358,973 (2003 est.) |
| Reaching military age annually | 196,616 (2003 est.) |
| Active troops | 319,000 (Ranked 13th) |
| Main Battle Tanks | 4,700 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures | |
| Dollar figure | 800 million-1 billion (FY97 est.) |
| Percent of GDP | 5.9% (FY98) |
The President of Syria is commander in chief of the Syrian armed forces, comprising some 320,000 troops upon mobilization. The military is a conscripted force; males serve 24 months in the military upon reaching the age of 18. About 14,000 Syrian soldiers were deployed in Lebanon until April 27, 2005, when the last of Syria's troops left the country after three decades. [1] (http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/04/26/lebanon/)
The breakup of the Soviet Union — long the principal source of training, material, and credit for the Syrian forces — may have slowed Syria's ability to acquire modern military equipment. It is one of the most advanced of the Arab countries in developing non-conventional weapons, maintaining a chemical and biological stockpile. According to Eyal Zisser of Tel Aviv University, Syria has concentrated on the development of Sarin and VX gas, and has weaponized the gases with the development of chemical warheads. It also has an arsenal of advanced surface-to-surface missiles, capable of reaching most of the populated areas of Israel, Syria's longstanding enemy in the region. In the early 1990s, Scud-C missiles with a 500-kilometer range were procured from North Korea, and Scud-D, with a range of up to 700 kilometers, is being developed by Syria with the help of North Korea and Iran, according to Zisser. [2] (http://tinyurl.com/8h74x)
Syria received significant financial aid from Gulf Arab states as a result of its participation in the Gulf War, with a sizable portion of these funds earmarked for military spending. In addition, Syria is trying to develop defensive weapons to limit the Israeli abilities to attack it.
Military branches: Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force, Syrian Arab Air Defense Forces, Police and Security Force
See also
References
- "Last Syrian troops leave Lebanon" (http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/04/26/lebanon/), CNN, April 27, 2005
- "Syria's embrace of WMD" (http://tinyurl.com/8h74x) by Eyal Zisser, Globe and Mail, September 28, 2004 (link leads only to abstract; purchase necessary for full article)ru:Вооружённые силы Сирии