Syria Afiz helibase in rebel control.

[hammarö]

Syrian heliport Afis 35/58-36/47 in rebel control after heavy fighting.

The heliport consists of ca 50 parking pads and a short helicopter start and landing runway.
To the base infrastructure belongs an weapons arsenal and workshop for helicopter maintenance.

The Syrian government forces left ca 20 out of use helicopters. The other helicopters are withdrawn to other bases.

The helicopters from base attacked "rebel" forces and civilians at northern towns such as Aleppo from Afis.

The heliport is of Russian style. Several helicopters of types is in use in Russia.

Syria has around 10 heliports or "helibases" of this type. Of which more than 5 around Damascus.

Other helicopters also use traditional airbases.

See
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20984142

[hammarö]

"Rebels" are FSA, Free Syrian Army.

See
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20984142

[hammarö]

Afis. 35/58-36/47 (2011)
? Brigade. Helicopter runway
Pads (48) TABV (0) Hcp (ca 25 + detachments)
253 Sqdn Mi-8/17
255 Sqdn Mi-8/17

[hammarö]

Question about Qabr as Sitt air base, southeast of Homs. It must be hold by the free forces, since the territory around the base is holdby its forces on BBC maps.

North of Aleppo where is a helibase, Minakh, the free forces hold the territorry between Aleppo and Turkey border. It must be that the helibase is hold by the free forces for a while.

The same concern Aleppos IAP. Aleppos IAP holds also a heliport for Mi-8/17. This base also be hold by free forces.

Onte other helibase, Marj Aj Sultan were reported to be in free forces use.
The base is location close east of Damascus. In area there is at least three further helibases.
Marj As Sultan. 33/39-36/28 (2012)
59th Brigade Helipad
Pads (20) hcp (7-3)
525th Sqdn Mi-8/17
537th Sqdn Mi-8/17
909th Sqdn Mi-8S/17 (VIP)

[11E]

[quote="hammarö"]"Rebels" are FSA, Free Syrian Army.

Yeah, the defenders of womens rights in a future Syria!

[hammarö]

Hello. For Free Syrian Army

The FSA operates throughout Syria, both in urban areas and in the countryside.

see
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Syrian_Army

The military units connected to Free Syrian Army are
at least
(stubbed list)
Popular Protection Units (Kurdistan) 2400-15000
Consist of eight brigades.
Afrin.
Qamishli.
Kobane.
Sere Kanye.

Al-Tawhid Brigade (Aleppo) 3500-10000

Farouq Brigades (Homs) 4-20000

Idlib Martyrs Brigade (Idlib) 32000

Suqour al-Sham Brigade (Sarjeh, Idlib) 6000

Syrian Martyrs Brigade (Jabal al-Zawiya, Idlib) 7-12000

Plus several units in Damascus area.

[f4phantom]

See the 34 minutes video: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/1 ... s-in-Syria#

[hammarö]

The helibase is the same as in the thread

Syria Afiz helibase in rebel control.

The Helicopters belongs 253 and 255 squadrons, and is of Russian Mi-8/17 type. On the base were also is a Mi-24, not based, but derelict after flightproblems.

The base have no infrastucture for Mi-24, such as weapons arsenal with large concrete bunkers. The helicopters could be
mostly old derelicts, as they are on old satellite maps. The base is of Russian type, as it is many heliports there. Several now abandoned. On base the could se weapons storaged in tents, which could be in wartime.

Syria has at least 10 helibases or large heliports of the type. This one has 48 parking pads, and is not the first one the Syrian Free Army has taken. At least one in Damascus, near city centre.

As a spotter there is important to get the production numbers of the helicopter. All Russian aircraft and helicopters has the productionnumber marked. Of the production number we get type of aircraft/helicopter, production plant, version type and production number.

[Melchior Timmers]

One Mi-8 wears 97 in arabic on the fuselage and what looks like 1397 on the tail.
One Mi-8 wears 15 in arabic on the fuselage and 1315 on the tail.
One Mi-24 wears 2802 in arabic on the tail.

[cis]

Some comments on the serials:

1397 (Mi-8T without cargo doors, @ 7:12min)
_9 (Mi-8T tail broken off, damaged nose, @ 20:31min, anyone for this??)
1395 (Mi-8T, @ 22:15min)
2802 (Mi-25, @ 16:08min)

At least 8 helicopters are visable.