Who has the Edge—Drones or C-UAS?

As reported by Strategypage.com, officers in the Syrian Air Force have complained about shortcomings in the Russian S-300 SAM system supplied in 2018.  However, some analysts believe the problem is the complexity of setting up and using an integrated defense system with the Russian Pantsir radars detecting low-flying intruders and the S-300 radar detecting higher flying aircraft.  Additionally, the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA) offered that “Russia is unlikely to attempt to engage Israeli or coalition aerial assets unless its own forces are attacked or the assets approach Russian military installations too closely.”  

Photos courtesy of Libya News via YouTube and Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation via BESA.
 

Thanks to CDR David Place (USN/Ret), davidplace47[at]gmail[dot]com, and Robin E. Alexander, President ATC, alexander technical[at]gmail[dot]com, for their assistance with this report, the background for which appeared in their # 20 - 14 - 11 JULY 2020 edition of the UNMANNED SYSTEMS NEWS (USN).

David distributes the Unmanned Systems News (USN), a free, comprehensive newsletter in PDF format every week or two, as well as serial news flashes, from which this NREF news update was sourced. To be included in his distribution, simply send David a subscribe request to davidplace47[at]gmail[dot]com.