5 weapons the US could use to intervene militarily in Syria
In addition to cruise missiles, the US military can use bombers, stealth fighters, destroyers and submarines if it wants to get deeper involved in the Syrian battlefield.
After a US warship launched Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian military base, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned that Washington could take further military action in the country.
It is not yet clear whether this is just a threat or a sign of a large-scale military campaign to overthrow the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.Defense expert Daver Majumdar of the National Interest believes that in case of deeper military intervention in Syria, the US will likely use five main types of weapons that have been tested on the battlefield.
Tomahawk cruise missile
The moment US cruise missiles rained down on Syrian military base
Tomahawk missiles are the weapon often chosen by the US military to attack heavily defended targets deep in enemy territory, helping US commanders not have to risk the lives of fighter pilots to carry out risky airstrikes.
One of the biggest advantages of the Tomahawk missile is that it does not require US warships to approach the target at a dangerous distance. They can be launched from destroyers up to 1,600 km away from the target, a distance that is safe enough from enemy anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles.
Since the 1991 Gulf War, Tomahawk missiles have been fired to initiate many US military campaigns, destroying enemy command posts, nerve centers, and air defenses, creating safe corridors for fighter jets to carry out subsequent operations.
B-2 Spirit stealth bomber
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US B-2 bomber. Photo: US Air force. |
With stealth capabilities and long range, the B-2 strategic bomber is designed to penetrate dense air defenses and launch preemptive strikes with precision-guided weapons.
Although there are only 20 aircraft left in the US Air Force, the B-2 Spirit is still an indispensable weapon for the first wave of attacks in US military campaigns.
Like cruise missiles, the B-2 has been used to "clear the way" in operations in Iraq and Libya, destroying heavily defended targets in enemy territory.
F-22 stealth fighter
With stealth features, fast speed and high flight ceiling, the F-22initialdesigned as an air superiority fighter. However, during its operation, the US Air Force discovered that this aircraft was an ideal weapon to defeat advanced Russian air defense missile systems.
If the US decides to continue airstrikes in Syria, it is likely that the F-22 will be used to counter the S-300, S-400 air defense systems and the super-maneuverable fighters that Russia has deployed in Syria.
US F-22 practices bombing and missile launching
Arleigh Burke-class destroyer
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is considered the backbone of the US Navy's combat force today. Equipped with 96 launch tubes that can use many different types of powerful missiles, this destroyer model is a multi-purpose warship capable of protecting valuable targets such as aircraft carriers as well as attacking enemy targets on enemy territory by launching Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles (TLAM).
Submarine
In case of needing to use the element of surprise, the US can mobilize a fleet of nuclear submarines carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles to attack valuable targets in Syrian territory.
During the 2011 military campaign in Libya, the Ohio-class submarine USS Florida launched 93 Tomahawk cruise missiles at targets of Muammar Gaddafi's regime, opening the war to overthrow this leader.
The improved Ohio-class submarines are capable of carrying a total of 160 Tomahawk missiles. The smaller US nuclear attack submarines, the Virginia-class, can also carry 40 of these missiles.
According to VNE
