Naval support for political and military action: Syria and China

The collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has greatly alarmed the Israeli government, which fears that new, probably Islamist rulers in Damascus might pose a considerable threat to Tel Aviv. The Israelis have accordingly embarked upon a major pre-emptive military campaign intended to neutralise Syria’s Armed Forces.

This campaign includes major degradation of Syria’s naval capabilities, by way of sea and air attacks on the Syrian fleet in its Latakia naval base. Israeli sources claim that the Syrian fleet has been totally destroyed. Media imagery shows at least six apparently heavily damaged Russian-built Osa-class fast missile craft languishing at the base.

The situation in respect of another important element of Syrian naval power, namely its flotilla of Iranian-built Tir-class torpedo boats, remains unclear.

If the Syrian Navy really has been eliminated, its destruction would represent a not wholly insignificant shift in the balance of regional naval power. Not only does Syria itself operate one of the region’s more active naval forces that maintains a modest but near-constant offshore presence, but Damascus is also an important ally of Moscow, and Russia operates its only permanently ice-free naval base in the port of Tartus.

Recent reports indicate that at least six Russian warships, including Gorshkov- and Grigorovich-class escorts, are currently operating off Latakia. According to some of these reports, the warships are maintaining an offshore presence while Moscow attempts to negotiate with the incoming Damascus regime for continued use of Syrian base facilities by the Russian Navy.

Meanwhile, China has deployed a combined fleet of 19 warships and China Coast Guard patrol ships, off the Taiwanese coast. This is the largest contingent of Chinese government vessels to have operated off the self-governing territory for many years. It is being backed up by patrolling warplanes.

Analysts believe that this move by Beijing is in response to recent diplomatic activity by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, which included official visits to Palau and the Marshall Islands. These are countries that, to Beijing’s annoyance, continue maintain full diplomatic relations with the Administration in Taipei.