How Syrian rebels incorporated Ukrainian technologies

BLUF: Syrian rebel warfare resembles Ukraineʼs methods in 2022, when the first FPV drones were launched. The absence of EW means cheaper commercial drones remain effective. In other news: How startups are countering fiber-optic cable drones, and what hackathons mean for European security. Also, Igor Smelyansky appointed Commissioner for Customs Reform.

THE BIG STORY: Ukraine’s weapons tech legacy on the Syrian battlefield

After 24 years of brutal rule, Bashar al-Assad has fled Syria. 

A recent lightning offensive, led by Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), employed techniques and technologies first seen in Ukraine.

Namely, the use of FPV drones and the establishment of protected facilities to manufacture bomb-dropping mechanisms.

Spillover From Ukraine to Syria

The rebels used cheap, mass-produced goods like FPV drones to great effect in a drive to Damascus that took less than two weeks. The tactics have many observers drawing comparisons to Ukraine — and with implications of more than just passive influence.

Russia and Iran have accused Ukraine of arming and training HTS. According to media reports, Ukrainian forces have played a role in teaching rebel drone crews how to manufacture and operate FPV drones. 

The rebels set up laboratories where trial-and-error methods helped them develop effective drone technology, similar to those in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied all claims of supplying/training HTS rebels.

But Ukraine’s war has not been strictly limited to its own territory. In the past, Ukrainian intelligence has been active in the Middle East and North Africa, with operations in Mali, Sudan and Syria. 

On September 19, the Kyiv Post published a video from Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) ‘Khimik’ group showing an attack on a military base, where Russians produced and tested drones on the outskirts of Aleppo. 

HTS forces were able to establish mass production of ammunition using 3D printers. They have established protected facilities to manufacture bomb-dropping mechanisms and other payloads for Mavics and FPVs drones. 

Conventional munitions, such as RPG-7 grenades, are also frequently adapted for drone use, including in Syria. 

In addition, rebels relied on mobile groups armed with pickup trucks and bikes to move and disarm governmental forces quickly. Similar tactics were used by the Ukrainians during the offensive in the Kharkiv region in 2022, and by the Russians in endless assaults over the past year.

Brief history of Syrian drones 

Military operations in Syria involved the use of civilian equipment for military purposes at the beginning of the civil war, a few years before Russia intervened in Ukraine. 

Syria was one of the first places where militant groups used Chinese-made DJI drones as an improvised strike force, a practice dating back to at least 2017.

Consequently, low-cost solutions have characterized much of the conflict. 

However, Ukrainian innovations have also influenced the latest operational tactics (See our story about how DJI drones are becoming obsolete).

FPV drones were a game-changer during the Russo-Ukrainian war, allowing the destruction of armored vehicles worth millions of dollars through the use of cheap drones. Now, Syrian rebels are using the same tactics. Numerous videos have surfaced online showing HTS piloting FPV drones to destroy the Assad regime’s armored vehicles, personnel, and other key targets.

Key features of FPV drone use in Syria

The abundance of videos showcasing successful FPV strikes highlights two critical issues, says Yigal Levin, Israeli army reservist and military analysis:

• The absence of electronic warfare (EW) systems capable of countering such drones.

• Assad's forces had no protective cages around their armored vehicles. 

One of the key features of drone warfare in Ukraine is the constant need to change frequencies and communication types between operator and drone. This is exemplified by the increasing use of fiber-optic drones for missions within a ten-kilometer radius of the frontline (read our coverage on fiber optic drones issue here).

In contrast, Syrian drones typically operated on ‘standard’ frequencies – 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz. This is because of the lack of electronic warfare systems trying to jam them.

“Assad's forces have almost no EW capabilities, and the Russians have very little presence in Syria,” Levin explains. “The number of Russian personnel is limited, and specialists in this field are always in short supply. This allows drone operators to fly freely without resorting to fiber-optic systems or other tricks.”

Consequently, government forces were stuck using conventional aviation to counter rebels. 

The rebels employ another type of first-person-view drone equipped with jet engines, produced at home or small workshops. These drones have a greater range, higher speed, a fixed-wing design, and larger payloads, enabling them to target more important objectives.

BUSINESS LUNCH TOPICS: What our reporting shows!

1. Customs reform is on the way:

Igor Smelyansky, CEO of Ukrposhta, state-owned postal operator, was appointed as the Commissioner for Customs Reform in the newly created Coordination Group. He will be in charge of synchronization with the EU, infrastructure modernization, implementation of a risk-based system and digitalization. Smelyansky declined our request to provide additional details.

2. How hackathons help to improve sovereignty of Europe:

The Eurodefense Tech Hackathon puts engineers in an environment with top talented developers and military personnel, who can describe real needs from the battlefield, said Jonatan Luther-Bergquist, co-founder of European Defense Tech Hackathon. 

Recently, the group held an event in Paris that gathered 170 participants, among them 54 from Ukraine. The winners: 

• Automatic event-based detection and tracking of UAV’s and Shahed drones in challenging lighting conditions by Gregor Lenz, Karl Vetter, Florian Corgnou, Shannah Santucci, Kai Dierenbach, Filipp Trigub, and Patrick Madlindl;

• Magnetic navigation for sub-marine drones by Hugo Biais, Axel Nguyen–Kerbel, Stefan AGRICI, David Podolskyi and Yoan Di Cosmo;

• Anti-helicopter mine by Antoine Besset and Adhémar de Senneville.

“There's a lot of technological talent around how do we build the best AI systems for drones, how do we coordinate swarms or squads of drones, etc.” said Luther-Bergquist. “But actually operating them and putting them out in the field, there’s no one in the world that knows this as well as Ukraine.”

February 13-16, Eurodefense Tech Hackathon will be held in Munich. Organizers are working with Ukrainian Brave1 cluster and German Armed Forces Cyber Innovation Hub. Startups can apply by the link.

3. How Ukrainian enterprises are dealing with shortage of specialized employees:

Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI) signed a memorandum of cooperation with National Association of Ukrainian Defense Industries (NAUDI) on December, 9. They’re planning to attract students to defense enterprises starting from the first year of study to raise highly-needed specialists. Cooperation is planning in three main areas:

• education of specialists;

• joint scientific work;

• implementation of innovations in miltech.

Technical specialization in Ukraine wasn’t all that popular in recent years, said Serhii Honcharov, executive director of NAUDI. The association is planning to help technical education catch on among students. KPI is a first example of cooperation with educational institutions. In the future, they’re planning to sign more memorandums. 

4. Defense Tech Bootcamp on communications:

An online bootcamp specializing in defense tech communications started yesterday. During the training, participants learned how to identify audiences and build stakeholder communication.

“Communication should be based on specific research, not on intuition. This allows you to effectively use the channels where your target audience is,” said Julia Petryk, CEO and co-founder of Calibrated.

Petryk highlighted the PESO model – paid, earned, shared, owned – which should be used when disseminating information about developments in media. Discussions also covered the media landscape and the value of industry events, which are important in expanding the startups` influence.

5. Ukrainian developers have presented a new concept of countering FPV fiber optics drones through sound:

The difficulty of countering FPV drones with optic fiber is that all communications are linked in cable, which allows bypassing any electronic warfare measures. “The idea is to detect such drones by sound and shoot at them with shotgun pellets.” Timur Zima, FPV-engineer, told Counteroffensive.Pro. 

In Collaboration with CENTRE UA – Ukrainian orders/legislation we’re tracking: 

Сabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1170 of October 15, 2024

Status: Enforced

Initiates a two-year experimental electronic recruitment project. Conscripts will have the option to select a military unit and specialty related to UAVs (ranging from drone operator to engineer) and apply for military service via the Diia app.

The experimental project aims to simplify staffing of UAV-related units, bypassing the need for physical visits to recruitment centers.

Background: On September 16, 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law establishing the Unmanned Systems Forces as a separate branch within the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

ON THE MOVE: Professional movement, promotions and industry news.

Know someone in the defense tech space who has made a professional move? Drop us a line at [email protected]! 

• Frankenburg Technologies, an Estonian-Ukrainian startup, is hiring an Engineer to help with manufacturing processes of defense missile systems.

• Vladyslav Berehovyj is starting a new position as Board Member at Strategic Partners International, a mentoring project to help Ukrainian veterans in their careers.

30 SECOND ELEVATOR PITCH:

‘LAURELS to PATRIOTS’ produces FPV drones with 7, 8, 10-inch body frame in accordance with NATO standards, as they have been certified by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. These drones do not require any modifications before usage on the battlefield. The company has received numerous requests from combat military units, including the 3rd Assault Brigade, which demonstrates the high quality and demand for their drones. 

“Now we are looking for investments to purchase components to fulfill the large-scale contracts already concluded with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for the supply of drones, as well as to enter new markets in case of opening of military exports.” said Dmytro Pavlenko, founder and director of "LAURELS to PATRIOTS"

MUST READS:

1. The new Ukrainian missile-drone Palianytsia has officially entered serial production, announced minister of defense Rustem Umerov.

2. Ukraine has revealed a new missile-drone Peklo (Hell) with a range of more than 700 km and speed up to 700 km/h. It was developed from scratch and already entered serial production.

3. The state project "Zaliznyy Polihon" [Iron Range] has launched its web portal, which will minimize bureaucracy and speed up the registration of private developers to test weapons.

4. E-Banshee, a drone company, has tested a fiber-optic hexacopter-bomber resistant to electronic warfare systems.

5. D3 venture fund hosted the ‘Jammer' Hackathon, where developers created electronic warfare products to counter drones.

6. Ukraine has long-range attack drones with a range of up to 1800 km, said Mykhailo Fedorov, minister of Digital Transformation.

7. Ukrainian MoD launched Digital Army - the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence State Enterprise. Digital Army is structured to deliver innovative, end-to-end software and hardware solutions to lead complex defense projects with expertise and ingenuity.

8. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have received access to the US military satellite communications network Starshield.

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