Russia using Syrian civil war as testing ground for new weapons
(Worthy News) – Russia has been using the Syrian civil war to test some of its new weapons, as the West accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of indiscriminate aerial bombardments that have killed many civilians.
Mr. Putin’s establishment of a burgeoning air base in northwestern Syria is permanent, says a pro-government journal in Moscow, adding that the war has allowed Russian pilots much-needed training hours.
Western powers follow a strict protocol in testing armaments in nonhostile environments before they are judged operational and sent to war.
Russia is looking at Syria not only as a show of its expeditionary prowess, but also as a proving ground for Mr. Putin’s military modernization programs, according to a firsthand analytical article in Expert Online, the Web version of an influential weekly magazine. Connected to Mr. Putin’s power base, it named him its Person of the Year in 2007. It bestowed the same honor on his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, the previous year. [ Source ]