The Russian-made Buk-M2E missile systems deployed by the Syrian army have intercepted four guided missiles fired at the Syrian Homs province by two F-16 fighter fighter aircraft of the Israeli Air Force, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, Vadim Kulit, said on Thursday.
“In a span from 01:11 to 01:19 on July 22, two F-16 fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force made a strike with four guided missiles on facilities in Homs province from the airspace of Lebanon. All four missiles were destroyed by the Syrian duty air defense facilities, with the use of Buk-2ME systems of Russian manufacture,” Kulit said.
On Monday, Israeli fighter jets fired eight guided missiles at an area southeast of Syria’s Aleppo, seven of them were destroyed by the Pantsir-S and Buk-M2 systems.
The information of the type of Israeli munitions destroyed are not available. Israeli Air Force inventory of surface to air missiles include AGM-12 Bullpup, AGM-62 Walleye, AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-45 Shrike, AGM-78 Standard, AGM-88 HARM, AGM-114 Hellfire, AGM-142 Popeye, Delilah, BGM-71 TOW, AGM-84 Harpoon and Gabriel. The guidance kits include the GATR for Hydra 70 rocket.
Pantsir-S1 is mobile and uses missile-cannons to destroy incoming projectiles. Buk-2ME is also a mobile system and uses Surface to air missiles to intercept the incoming air threats. As per Chinese Sina News Agency, Buk-2ME has been more effective than Pantsir-S1 in combating the Israeli Air Force munitions.