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Syria serves as a "military school" for Russian forces and a "testing ground" to test its weapons

Shoygu: 300 models of weapons have been upgraded after testing them in real war conditions in Syria
Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu confirmed the testing of the newest types of Russian weapons during military operations in Syria. He added that Syria has served as a "military school" that provided combat experience opportunities for all participating senior officers and non-commissioned Russian military officers "in real war conditions".
Shoygu's statements, given in an extensive interview with Moscow newspaper "Moskovskij Komsomolets", are not the first for a Russian official declaring the use of operations in Syria to test and improve modern Russian weapons systems. However, Shoygu went further when he defended the specification and the capabilities of modern Russian weapons, as part of its commercial promotion. He identified the enemy against whom Russia have used those weapons in Syria as a strong one who possesses the most advanced types of weapons.
During the dialogue between the Moskovskij Komsomolets’ journalist and Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, a consensus emerged between the two on the considerable benefit Russian forces have received since Russian military intervention in Syria. This was evident from the wording of a question to which the intro was confirming that "the activity of the Russian Air Force during the course of the civil war in Syria added a lot of prestige to our armed forces."
After the introduction, came up the question: "Can we rely on this scene, in which a large but limited number have participated on our side, to judge the general status of our armed forces? " Shoygu began answering by inflating the "capabilities of the adversary" faced by Russian forces. "They are very mistaken, those who think we have fought in Syria with a class of primitive militants," he said.
The Russian defence minister decided to ignore the fact that the Russian forces mainly supported the Syrian regime in its operations against areas controlled by the Syrian opposition that do not have powerful and modern weapons. He instead, focused on ISIS terrorists, saying that Russian forces have fought against a huge terrorist organisation with thousands of militants. He described it as "a system that has the support of specific countries interested in destabilizing the region." He then went on to show the organization's tremendous military technical capabilities. "The terrorists had hundreds of tanks, assault rifles and armoured vehicles," he said, “And hundreds of thousands tons of ammunition have been seized in the past years from Iraqi and Syrian forces, as well as hundreds of suicide bombers, and the latest technologies including communication system and reconnaissance equipment."
The operation in Syria appears to have served as a school for Russian forces and a laboratory to test modern weapons. According to Shoygu, commanders of regiments and priority, commanders of the armies (Russian forces of several armies), commanders of forces in the federal military departments, heads of central administrative bodies of the Russian Defence Ministry, and even "faculty members of all higher military educational institutions" have gained combat experience in Syria. All of them "passed the Syrian experience," Shoygu said, adding that "90 percent of the Russian air force, including the commanders and technicians of bombers, fighter jets, long-range bombers and transport planes, passed through combat operations in Syria."
He declared that some of the pilots carried out 150-200 combat sorties; meaning that they were able to develop their combat skills during operations in Syria. Needless to mention the technicians and personnel who also gained experience in Syria by being responsible for preparing the aircraft before taking off.
Shoygu also confirmed the testing of the latest Russian weapons in Syria, the modification of some of them and the withdrawal of others from production as a result of those tests.
“President (Putin) was directly instructing to modify or improve specific weapons specifications based on the results of the work in Syria," Shoygu explained.
He pointed out that as a result of the "experience gained in Syria," which is the testing of weapons during operations in Syria, "300 models of weapons have been updated, and 12 models of promising weapons have been withdrawn from production and service in the Russian forces."
Winged Kalibr missiles were among the weapons that were modified to improve their performance after testing in the Syrian operation.
According to Russian officials, the use of Russian weapons in Syria has elevated the demand for these weapons. In his comments in February 2017, Sergey Chemezov director of the state-owned company Rostec, described the Russian military operation in Syria as "free propaganda" for Russian weapons, confirming that it has positively affected the Russian arms sales.
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BENEFIT Sponsors Gulf Uni...
- April 17, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.
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