Syrian Opposition Occupies Al-Nayrab Air Base, Capturing MiG-23 and L-39 Jets

6 December, 2024 Captured MiG-23. Source: Mintel World Syrian opposition forces have taken control of MiG-23 multi-purpose fighter jets and L-39 jet trainer aircraft based near Aleppo.

The OSINT project Mintel World shared the video. The aircraft were stationed in the military part of Aleppo International Airport, which is called the Nayrab airbase. It is worth noting that the planes abandoned by Assad's forces are in an unusable condition and are likely to be cannibalized for spare parts.

#BreakingNews | Syrian rebels captured 4th MiG-23 aircraft in Aleppo's Neyrab Air Base. pic.twitter.com/xqLjPxsoPN

-- Mintel World (@mintelworld) December 2, 2024

All in all, according to satellite images, there are at least eight MiG-23s and twelve L-39s at the Al-Nayrab Air Base.

Syrian MiG-23s. Source: Google Earth

The fleet of Syrian MiG-23s

In the mid-1970s, the USSR supplied Syria with about 170 MiG-23s in MS, ML, MLD, BH, and UB versions. In the period from the 1970s to the mid-1980s, Syrian MiG-23s were actively used against Israeli aircraft in the Lebanon War and even shot down F-15s and F-4s, but suffered heavy losses.

It is known that 24 aircraft were destroyed: 6 MiG-23MS, 4 MiG-23MF, and 14 MiG-23BN. There was an episode when 10 aircraft were lost in one day, namely 4 MiG-23MF and 8 MiG-23MS.

A former Belarusian MiG-23MLD. Photo from open sources

It is also known that in 2008, the Syrian government bought 33 Belarusian MiG-23MLDs that were in storage.

It can be assumed that only part of the aircraft was intended for flight operation, while the rest were supposed to be cannibalized for spare parts.

Combat use of Syrian MiG-23s

It is known that the Air Force of the Syrian Arab Republic actively used its MiG-23s during the first years of the civil war and even won air battles, albeit against drones. On June 15, 2017, near the Jordanian border town of Daraa, a MiG-23MLD fired an R-24R/R-23 air-to-air missile and shot down an Italian-made Jordanian Selex ES Falco reconnaissance drone. The next day, the situation repeated itself: a Syrian MiG-23MLD shot down another Selex ES Falco.

Syrian MiG-23 during a combat mission, 2022.

Photo from open sources

On March 23, 2014, a pair of Syrian MiG-23MLs attacked rebel positions in the Kasab region on the border with Turkey. During the mission, one of the planes violated Turkish airspace and was shot down by an F-16C multi-role fighter jet. The Syrian pilot ejected and was taken to the hospital.

The most massive combat losses to the Syrian MiG-23 fleet were inflicted by the United States during a missile attack on the al-Shayrat air base, when 6 to 15 aircraft were destroyed.

Syrian MiG-23ML, photo from 2009. Photo credits: Simon Telliks

In general, Syrian MiG-23s were one of the most active combat aircraft in the early years of the civil war, but heavy losses, constant attacks on airfields, and maintenance problems forced a reduction in the number of combat sorties. It is difficult to assess the state of the fleet today, but at least 18 aircraft are known to have been lost.

The number of airworthy aircraft most likely does not exceed a dozen.

Accordingly, the loss of such a number of donors could have a negative impact on the fleet.