Syria[/B] has become a "laboratory of drones" for the warring parties of the conflict that has been raging in the country since 2011, during which drones were tested and then deployed in Ukraine, a report by a non-governmental organization said.
At least 39 types of military drones from six countries have been used in Syria, PAX, a Dutch MKO for peace, said in a report released on Tuesday.
Russia, the US, Iran, Turkey, Israel and the Syrian regime have used drones in military operations in Syria.
"Syria has become a drone laboratory in which countries and non-state armed groups have tested different new types of drones," PAX highlights."
"Over the past decade, improved drones in Syrian airspace have repeatedly shown how military actors () have evolved their knowledge" in this area, the report adds.
Iranian, Russian and US kamikaze drones used in Syria have been deployed "on a larger scale" in the war in Ukraine.
Since 2016, Turkey has been using drones in northern Syria in military operations that have helped it seize a wide swath of border territory.
More than 60 Turkish drone strikes hit Kurdish-controlled areas in the period between January and September 2022, according to the report.
The Bayraktar TB-2 drone deployed in Syria has become "Turkey's best-known combat drone, playing a key role in conflicts in Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh, Ethiopia and most recently Ukraine," PAX for Peace noted.
The war has proven to be "the ultimate unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) laboratory" for Russia, allowing it to evaluate partner drones and test its own fighter drones and weapons.
Russia's intervention in support of the Syrian regime was critical as it was losing vast swathes of territory.
"Russia (...) significantly influenced the course of the war thanks to the drones," according to PAX."
Iran also supplied drones to allied Iraqi militias and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which already had advanced capabilities but consolidated its expertise by fighting alongside Iran and Russia in Syria, the report said.
Six types of Iranian drones have also been "reported to be in the hands of the Syrian regime," the NGO specified.
At the same time, jihadists belonging to organizations such as the Islamic State or Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have converted civilian drones for military use.
Source: Cyprus Times
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