The fact of moving strategic aviation over Syria could not remain a secret for the military-political leadership of both the United States and Russia

The missile and bombing strike delivered on the night of February 7 to 8 an air group of the US Air Force in Syrian territory remains at the center of public attention. First of all, because there is still no reliable information about the number of dead and wounded Russians. But no less questions arise in connection with the information voiced during the official briefing of Lieutenant General Jeffrey Harrigyan-the Commander-in-Chief of the Central Command of the US Air Force. In particular, about the composition of the air group, aimed at the stagnation area on the left bank of the Euphrates River, 80 kilometers east of the Syrian city of Deir-Ez-Zor. According to the general, the attacks and helicopters of the F-15ES, MQ-9S, AC-130S, AH-64 Apache, as well as B-52 strategic bombers, took off from the El Udeid airbase in Qatar, participated in the attack.

"Arithmetic of war"

Politicians also connected to the counting of the number of those killed during a clash on the banks of the Euphrates. The presidential candidate Zhirinovsky stated at a press conference: “Now in Syria a large group has died. <...> and 300 families were left without a father, without a husband. " On Friday, ex-deputy Victor Alksnis voiced another figure: on the night of February 7 to 8, 334 Russians died in Syria.

On the same day, Radio Liberty issued an audio recording of the story of a battle participant. The story is emotional, but only at first glance reliable.

Several details are issued at once in the narrator of a person who not only has a very vague idea of ​​the so -called “Wagner PMC”, but, apparently, even in Syria has never been.

Well, for example, the phrase: "After shelling, it began to darken." Although it is reliably known that the shelling began at about ten o’clock in the evening of February 7. But in February in Syria it was getting dark early - February 7, the sunset occurred at 17 hours 10 minutes. I was in Syria at the end of January 2016 and I can say: immediately after sunset there comes an impenetrable night.

It is also doubtful assertion of two hundred who died in only the same company - because in no company “Wagner PMC” there are so many personnel. Back in October last year, “Novy” talked about the structure of this private military company. According to information obtained from three independent sources, more than two thousand fighters of this PMC fought in Syria. The main backbone is four reconnaissance-nursing brigades, in each-three companies of up to a hundred people.

In the same publication, we shared the details about the operation of the first release of Palmyra. Direct participants in the battles said: two landing and navigation companies, tank and artillery divisions of the Wagner PMC-a total of about three hundred people participated in clashes. And this is when the whole city is released from the militants! So

The stories of “eyewitnesses” that the capture of the refineries was aimed several times more Wagnerians than to the liberation of Palmyra are serious doubts.

We missed

Of course, the truth about the clashes of the refinery on the banks of the Euphrates will sooner or later come up. The exact number of Russians who died and wounded during the blow of the US Air Force air group will be established. But there are at least three questions that require answers not someday, but today:

• Whether the Russian units of electronic intelligence recorded the movement of aircraft of air groups of the US Air Force in the airspace of Syria;

• Could it prevent the application of a missile and bombing through the territory on which the operation fighters of PMC performed;

• And - did the command know about the details of what was happening around the refinery?

Our interlocutor is a personnel officer who served in radio electronic intelligence units, “supervised” the airspace of the Middle East. At the very beginning of the conversation, he stated that not a single take -off could go unnoticed:

- Everything is fixed. Ritopes of deck aircraft, strategic aircraft take -off, schedules for squadron of helicopters, launches of all types of cruise missiles - both sea -based and air -based, are recorded all ...

- It turns out that the Ministry of Defense of Russia, if desired, can issue a flight map of each aircraft and helicopter from the moment of take -off to the aircraft manufacture?

- Maybe. I’ll even say more - there are probably records of radio interceptions. In the US Air Force, the negotiations of the pilots are naturally encrypted, but encryption very often “flies out”, and pilots switch to open frequencies. Take, for example, the operation “Storm in the desert” or “Fox in the desert” - all this was there. When the aircraft of deck aircraft or non -declining rises into the air, the crew works visible. Then, of course, encrypted negotiations are underway - the so -called linear encryption. But there were precedents - I heard it myself - when linear encryption breaks off, and we heard on the air the negotiations of the pilots: how they indicate the goals, how they swear ... The malfunctions, of course, are. There can be anything in the burn of battle.

- Equipment of electronic intelligence, which can be placed closer to the theater of military operations, large in size?

- This, relatively speaking, KAMAZ with equipment - nothing else is needed.

- But then it can be assumed that at the Russian air base Khmeimim in Syria can also be a similar unit.

- It cannot, it must be there without fail. Radio intelligence is a type of combat support that is always, everywhere and first of all. And our intelligence, of course, tracked negotiations and movements of air attack means. And analyzing the radio interceptions, evaluating the radio electronic situation at the time of the battle, you can completely reproduce the picture with an accuracy to the location of each individual radio station.

-The Ministry of Defense, it turns out, knew that so many aircraft units flying? Why are they silent about it?

-There are probably any reasons.

And the key of them: despite the fact that we probably knew that something was planned, officially there are no our citizens there. If the ground operation that was carried out somehow incognito or contrary to some approved plan, then ours preferred not to intervene.

- And who could make such a decision? What is the level of reports on the operational air situation?

- There are several levels of display reports. If we are talking about a unit located in Russia, the reports are immediately on an operational duty officer to Moscow. If these are sailors - then to the headquarters of the Navy, if these are landers - to the headquarters of the ground forces, pilots - to the headquarters of the VKS. Then this flows, respectively, to the intelligence department of the Armed Forces, and a decision is made there.

Naturally, each operational attendant has a gradation of information according to its importance. If he decides that the message is important-for example, a massive upsurge of combat aviation is recorded and there is a chance of some kind of combat use-the message leaves immediately, instantly “lightning” flies away.

The units located on the territory of the Khmeimim airbase most likely work in two directions: the first and most importantly - they ensure the combat use and safety of the air group that is at the air base. Everything else is undoubtedly fixed, and the operational duty officer reports to the main headquarters of the military-space forces.

- Thus, the information about the approach of the US Air Force air groups first of all should have reacted to those who received it in Russia, and not on the basis of Khmeimim?

- Exactly. There is the so -called zone of responsibility and certain rules of combat application. That is, the same airbase commander cannot make some kind of independent decision to use the forces or to prevent air strikes without a team from above.

-The Americans raised the B-52 - this is a strategic missile carrier. What if there is a nuclear weapon on board? Well, obviously, the report was to instantly sound?

- Necessarily.

-That is, we did not know the route of movement, but knew that the B-52 took off and flies in the direction of Iraq, approaching the air space of Syria?

- Certainly. These planes periodically perform practical flights, for example, along this route at the same time ... And if this plane rose in a non -standard time and flew along a non -standard route, then a red light is lit and the alarm begins to yell.

-What is the level of decision-making among the Americans in case of take-off B-52?

- The use of strategic aviation occurs at the level of strategic command. This is a very high level.

- Pentagon's leadership?

- At least.

-That is, that the B-52 took off was reported at least the Pentagon’s leadership, at the maximum - President Trump?

- Of course, they reported.

This is the same level as if we had the Tu-160 rose from the airfield in Engels and, contrary to standard flight tasks, suddenly went to the Northern training ground, but south-for example, towards the US aircraft carrier. The leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the president would be reported right there.

- And, accordingly, what to do with information about the flying up of the US Air Force air group with a strategic bomber? Was this decision still had to make Moscow, not local officers?

- No, not local. The decision -making system in general with us and the Americans does not differ.

-If it were decided to somehow interfere with the US Air Force air group, we could do this without a direct clashes? Before the New Year, the media appeared that the Khmeimim air base was recorded by a radiolectronic wrestling plane IL-22 PP, which could interfere, drown out or even disable the American air group?

-If it were decided to fully cut our means of electronic warfare, it was unlikely that some strokes would have been inflicted.

-That is, at least could they provide some time for evacuation?

- Yes. Even if they raised a couple of fighters of a moment, instantly everything would resolve - there would be nothing. Not only that

If there were Russian citizens on a request from the Americans: ours simply said “yes, there is,” I am sure that there would be no blow.

- It turns out that no one just wanted to intervene?

- Maybe…