Syria Gets a Major Boost With Russian T-90 TOW Killer Tanks

The Fourth Division of the Syrian army has been equipped with at least 6 modern T-90MS Tagil tanks, provided by the Russian Federation. Their function is to help the Syrian Arab Army advance in the southern province of Aleppo.

The exact date of their deployment in Syria is shrouded in mystery. Some say they have been on the ground since early September, other sources indicate their presence as a new development thanks to recent agreements between Damascus and Moscow, including rumors of a delivery of the S -300 to the Syrian Arab Republic.

The T-90MS and its outstanding capability to destroy incoming TOW and M79 missiles appears to be perfect for a theater of war like the one in Syria. In 4 and a half years of conflict, more than 9,000 BGM-71E3B TOW and M79 anti-tank systems have been introduced in the country. Their capability to easily penetrate T-55 and T-72 tanks is the main reason why the Syrian Arab Army has had so many problems gaining ground in the southern province of Aleppo.

The great advantage of the T-90MS is its reactive armor and defense systems. It comes equipped with reactive armor blocks like the Kontakt-5, and a system such as the Arena-3 that detects, intercepts and detonates missiles at a distance of 2-3 m from the target makes this tank unique and a much needed upgrade for the Syrian army’s capacity to achieve important victories on the ground.