A logo in the corner of the photo suggests that the rebels responsible for seizing the system were from the militant Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). This has a long and complicated history in the Syrian conflict and is the spearhead of the current attack towards the south.

The photo shows the vehicle with the radar antenna in a lowered position. The overall system also includes two other trucks – an operating station and an energy support vehicle – which may or may not also be in rebel hands.

Promotional materials describe the Podlet-K1 as being optimized for low and very low altitude aerial target detection. This is done using a phased array radar antenna that operates in the S-band and is reportedly capable of tracking up to 200 targets simultaneously. The main antenna is supplemented by a pair of additional radars used for identification of friend or foe (IFF).

The Podlet-K1, which entered service around 2018, can operate alongside the S-300PMU-2 and S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems, complementing their own detection radars and other sensors. The Podlet-K1’s reported maximum detection range is 200-300 kilometers (124-186 miles), although this would vary greatly in real-world situations depending on many factors, including target type, altitude and more.

According to Ukrainian media reports, the entire system is worth around $5 million.

It is not clear whether the Podlet-K1 was officially part of the Syrian armed forces or belonged to a Russian unit operating in the country, although Syrian and Russian air defenses are already closely linked in some respects. There are unconfirmed reports that it was captured by the 25th Syrian Special Forces Division, but this does not exclude the possibility that it is a Russian-operated system co-located with that unit.

As they advance south, Syrian rebels have already captured significant amounts of military equipment, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, rocket launchers and even aircraft.

Other examples of air defense systems were also captured, including this Pantsir-S1 short-range air defense system.

However, the Podlet-K1 appears to be the most interesting object identified to date due to its modernity and the fact that, to our knowledge, Ukraine has not managed to capture an intact example from Russian forces fighting there.

At least two Podlet-K1 systems or parts of them were destroyed by Ukrainian forces. One of them was on Russian territory when it was hit by a long-range drone strike in September this year.

Before that, as TWZ In July 2022, it was reported that another Podlet-K1 was apparently attacked by an M31A1 guided missile system (GMLRS) in the Kherson region of Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine has already provided numerous examples of high-value Russian military equipment being captured and then subjected to extensive analysis. This even included transporting some items to the United States for technical evaluation.

In particular, the equipment captured in Ukraine provided insights into Russia’s electronic warfare capabilities, including containerized components of vehicle-based systems, including signals intelligence systems (SIGINT), as well as airborne jamming pods.

Like these, the Podlet-K1 would be of great interest to military intelligence agencies, particularly those of the United States and NATO, as it would provide insight into the capabilities of one of the more modern Russian air defense radars.

Knowledge of the Russian military’s ability to detect low-flying air targets over the battlefield – including drones and cruise missiles, but also helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft – would be particularly useful when it comes to taking countermeasures.

Insight into how the Podlet-K1 works could allow the West to develop means to not only blunt its capabilities, but also give it false signals and develop tactics to exploit its weaknesses in both the operational and cyber domains .

While the United States is known for its extensive so-called Foreign Material Exploitation (FME) programs, dating back to the early years of the Cold War, actually getting the Podlet-K1 into the hands of US or others is another matter to get NATO analysts. The situation on the ground in Syria is confusing and it is possible that the Podlet-K1 is no longer in the hands of anti-Assad forces, although we have seen no evidence of this. There is also the possibility that it has since been destroyed and may even have been attacked by a Russian airstrike to prevent the leak of sensitive information.

Bringing Russian-made equipment out of an active war zone outside Ukraine however, is not impossible. In this case, a possible route out of Syria could be for the system to be handed over via Turkish intelligence.

The US military reportedly removed a Russian-made Pantsir-S1 from Libya back in June 2020 after it was captured by forces allied with renegade General Khalifa Haftar. Here too, Turkey was involved as a mediator. The operation was ostensibly aimed at preventing the system from falling into the hands of any number of militant and terrorist groups in this country, but it would also have clear benefits for the intelligence community, as you can read here.

A US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III transport aircraft reportedly flew to Zuwarah International Airport west of Tripoli, picked up the Pantsir-S1 and then flew it to Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

Whatever happens next to the captured Podlet-K1 vehicle, its fate is emblematic of the dramatic progress the Syrian rebels have made in a short period of time. The loss of the vehicle is symptomatic of the fact that the regime forces – and their Russian supporters – were taken by surprise. As long as the rebel advance continues, they are likely to get their hands on more equipment, and the capture of more high-value Russian items should not be ruled out.

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