Syrian Air Force
| Syrian Air Force | |
|---|---|
| |
Variation of the emblem of Syria used by the Syrian Armed Forces | |
| Founded | 1945 |
| Country | Syria |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Size | 15,000 (as of 2021) troops |
| Part of | Syrian Armed Forces |
| Headquarters | Damascus |
| Nicknames | Nosour Qasioun (Arabic: نُسُور قَاسِيُون, lit. 'Qasioun eagles') |
| March | We are the Eagles (Arabic: نَحْنُ النُّسُورُ, romanized: Naḥn-un-Nusūr) |
| Anniversaries | 16 October |
| Equipment |
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| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | President Ahmed al-Sharaa |
| Minister of Defence | Major General Murhaf Abu Qasra |
| Commander of the Air Force | Brigadier General Asim Hawari |
| Chief of Air Staff | Brigadier General Mustafa Bakour |
| Deputy Chief of Air Staff | Brigadier General Hassan Hamada |
| Notable commanders | Hafez al-Assad Muhammad al-Khuli Issam Hallaq |
| Insignia | |
| Ensign | |
| Roundel | |
| Fin flash | |
The Syrian Air Force (SyAF, Arabic: الْقُوَّاتُ الْجَوِّيَّةُ السُّورِيَّةُ, romanized: al-Quwwāt al-Jawwīyah al-Sūrīyah) is the air force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It was established in 1948, and first saw action in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Under Ba'athist Syria until 8 December 2024, it was known as the Syrian Arab Air Defense Force. Also until December 2024, land-based air defense systems were grouped under the Syrian Air Defence Force, which was separate from both the Air Force and the Army.
Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other rebel groups, and Israeli airstrikes in December 2024 aimed at the former regime combat aircraft, the new HTS-led government began reconstituting a smaller air force.