Syrian rebels have Days later, several Syrian Air Force MiG-23 fighter jets and other Syrian military air and ground-based equipment were reported to have been captured launched a surprise offensive against the government of Bashar al-Assad, reigniting the 13-year civil war.

The rebels led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have captured several MiG-23s based at the Neyrab air base in Aleppo, according to reports on social media.

Reorganized under the banner of the Military Operations Command, rebel forces raided the largest Syrian city of Aleppo and seized several fighter aircraft, including the MiG-23 Flogger fighter and the L-39 Albatross light attack aircraft.

Several photos and videos of the rebels occupying the airbase were posted on the social media site X (formerly Twitter). In one such video, a rebel fighter was seen boarding a downed MiG-23. The aircraft did not appear to be operational and was probably intended for spare parts.

Some war tracking and open source intelligence (OSINT) reports stated that at least four of these aircraft were captured, along with an unknown number of L-39 and Mi-8 helicopters, while others further claimed that the rebels were captured about seven MiG-23s at several air bases. EurAsian Times could not independently verify these claims.

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These claims come days after the HTS, in a coalition with other small Syrian rebel groups (some of which are backed by neighboring Turkey), launched a lightning offensive against Bashar al-Assad’s forces on November 27.

HTS has its roots in al-Qaeda and has been banned by the United Nations, the United States and other Western countries. Although different rebel factions have different ideologies, their cooperation is based on the common agenda of removing Assad from power.

Just two days after the fighting began, the rebels managed to take Aleppo and have since advanced into central Hama. Rebels and a war monitor said on December 3 that the rebels had captured villages, including Maar Shahur, a few miles north of the city, to increase pressure on Assad.

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Nevertheless, Bashar al-Assad’s forces are reportedly pouring into the Hama region to establish a defensive line against the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) offensive. In addition, hundreds of Iranian-sponsored Iraqi militiamen have crossed the border to fight with the regime. The Syrian Air Force, together with its ally Russia, has increased air strikes on rebel strongholds in Idlib province, which borders Turkey. In addition, Assad also receives support from Iranian-backed militias coming from Iraq.

As Assad’s forces hold out, the rebels have made significant gains. Last week, the rebels reportedly seized various military equipment from the Syrian military in Aleppo, including the Pantsir S-1 anti-aircraft system, the S-200 air defense system, the T-72A tank, the BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle, the BTR-80 armored personnel carrier and more recently the BM-30 Smerch Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS). According to unconfirmed sources, an abandoned 9A310M1 Buk SAM launcher made in Russia and equipped with at least one surface-to-air missile was also captured.

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However, of all the equipment seized by the rebels, the MiG-23 is one of the most significant, having played a key role in airstrikes against the rebels since the early days of the civil war. It was the Syrian Air Force’s first fixed-wing aircraft to bomb the rebels in the ongoing civil war.

What is the MiG-23?

The MiG-23 Flogger is a third-generation swing-wing fighter aircraft produced during the Soviet era. It was among the first Soviet fighters to be equipped with beyond-visual-range missiles and was the first to use the RP-23 Sapfir, a kill/kill radar.

It was designed in the 1960s as a response to the then extremely popular US F-4 Phantom II.

The Flogger was based on an effective design concept: a lightweight, single-engine jet fighter with variable geometry wings that featured modern avionics, improved handling, greater range, a wider range of weapons and stronger targeting capabilities, while retaining the agility of its predecessor, the MiG -21.

The MiG-23 has a maximum range of 1,150 kilometers and is intended for short-range air superiority and interception missions. Its small size, especially its height of 4.82 meters, makes it easier to use on air bases with inadequate equipment.

The MiG-23 was a popular choice for many air forces worldwide due to its robust design and adaptable armament, particularly in wars that required aircraft that combined performance, endurance and reliability.

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However, the plane had some problems. For example, the fighter was prone to instability problems at a high angle of attack, and test pilots frequently reported yaw instability at higher speeds and problems landing in bad weather.

In addition, the fuel tank system of earlier variants of the aircraft was compromised by design flaws that were only corrected in later MiG-23 models, and its R-29 engine had a short lifespan and was prone to overheating.

However, despite the problems, the aircraft made it to Syria and was used in the subsequent fighting with Israel. The MiG-23MS acquired by Syria used the same weapon system as the previous MiG-21S. Still, its radar was particularly vulnerable to electronic countermeasures (ECM), which the Israelis were particularly good at.

Reports from the 1973 war indicate that Israeli F-15s and F-16s shot down more than a dozen Syrian MiG-23 jets during the course of the war. However, the aircraft fought well and also caused losses in Israel.

During a weapons test ride in a MiG-23MS on April 19, 1974, Syrian Captain al-Masry saw a group of Israeli F-4Es and fired three missiles, shooting down two of them. He was ready to use cannon fire to target another F-4 when friendly fire from a SAM battery shot him down.

As a result of this achievement, Syria received 24 more MiG-23MS interceptors and a comparable amount of MiG-23BN attack variants the next year. Syria later purchased 28 more MiG-23MFs in 1977 and deliveries began in 1978.

Between 1981 and 1985, Syria used the MiG-23MF, MiG-23MS and MiG-23BN in combat over Lebanon. In April 1981, it was reported that MiG-23MS had shot down two Israeli A-4 Skyhawks targeting a camp in Sidon – a claim disputed by Israel.

The aircraft was also used to attack rebels during the Civil War. On July 24, 2012, Syrian MiG-23BNs dropped a bomb on Aleppo, marking the first use of this bomb in Syria’s civil war. However, rebels and jihadists soon shot down a MiG-23 with anti-aircraft guns and captured its pilot near Deir ez-Zor.

Since the early days of the civil war, Syrian Air Force MiG-23s have been frequently observed conducting airstrikes against Syrian insurgents, with them claiming that many MiGs were shot down or destroyed on the ground on various occasions.

With the capture of MiG-23 fighters by rebels, these outdated Soviet-era aircraft are coming back into focus. However, it would be a no-brainer for the rebels to repair and operate these jets without spare parts, adequate infrastructure and trained fighter pilots to fly them.