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We compared satellite images of Russia's naval base in Syria before and after Assad's fall. The warships are missing.

A satellite image showing an empty port.
On Monday, they were gone again.

Planet Labs PBC

  • Russia's warships are no longer at its base in Tartus, Syria β€” a critical facility for Moscow.
  • Satellite imagery shows several warships docked there earlier this month, but they were gone by Monday.
  • The development has come after rebel forces ousted Bashar Assad, Syria's longtime dictator.

Russia's warships have been missing from its base in Syria in the days after rebel forces ousted the country's longtime dictator, Bashar Assad, satellite imagery obtained by Business Insider shows.

In imagery captured by Planet Labs PBC earlier this month, warships can be seen docked at the Russian naval facility in Tartus, a port city on the Mediterranean Sea. In a photo taken on Monday, however, the warfighting vessels are all gone.

The vessels remained away from their berths as of Tuesday, according to a new satellite image taken by BlackSky.

The ongoing situation raises significant questions about the future of Russia's military presence in Syria. Moscow supported Assad in his ruthless civil war, which ended in stunning fashion over the weekend after rebel forces toppled his government in a rapid offensive.

It's unclear whether the Russian warships have left for good. A December 1 image shows several warships docked in Tartus, but two days later, they were no longer there. By Friday, some warships β€” including two surface combatants and a submarine β€” were back. But three days later, they were gone once again.

A satellite image showing several Russian warships docked at Tartus.
This image captured on December 1 shows several Russian warships docked at Tartus.

Planet Labs PBC

A satellite image shows an empty port.
By December 3, the warships were gone.

Planet Labs PBC

A satellite image of a port with some warships.
Some of the warships were back in this Friday image.

Planet Labs PBC

A satellite image showing an empty port.
On Monday, they were gone again.

Planet Labs PBC

A separate image captured on Thursday by BlackSky, which provides space-based real-time intelligence, showed that the original six vessels docked at Tartus at the start of the month returned. This suggests Russia may have gradually moved its assets away from the port as Assad's government crumbled.

An intelligence analyst familiar with the satellite imagery said the five Russian surface vessels β€” three frigates and two replenishment oilers β€” and the lone submarine had left the base by Monday.

A satellite image of a port with warships.
Additional Russian warships can be seen in this Thursday image.

BlackSky

The Russian vessels were still missing from Tartus as of Tuesday, new imagery shows.

The Russian vessels remained missing from Tartus as of December 10.
The Russian vessels remained missing from Tartus as of Tuesday.

BlackSky

Russia's defense ministry hasn't confirmed any major force posture changes, but Ukraine's military intelligence agency said Monday that Moscow had withdrawn its warships from Tartus and was airlifting weaponry out of the nearby Khmeimim base.

BI was unable to immediately verify reports on these Russian military developments.

Open-source intelligence accounts on social media noted the unusual naval activity, sharing images that suggested the Russian warships were loitering off the coast of Syria.

Tartus is Russia's main naval base overseas, and it provides the country with access to a warm-water port. Moscow meanwhile uses nearby Khmeimim to shuttle military forces in and out of Africa. Losing both of these facilities would be a major blow to the Russian military.

The Kremlin appears to be taking steps to ensure the security of its military facilities, but the details surrounding a new transition government are unclear. Russian state media reports say Syrian rebels now have full control of the province where its bases are.

The Veliky Ustyug missile ship sailing from a port.
The Russian missile ship, the Veliky Ustyug, sailing from Tartus in September 2019.

AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File

When asked on Sunday about the fate of the Russian bases in Syria, a senior Biden administration official said they "can't speculate."

"It's not lost on anybody that the Russians have now announced, I think, that they've taken Assad to Moscow," the US official said during a call with reporters. "So, we'll see what the Syrians, who have worked for decades to overthrow the yoke of the Assad regime, think about that when it comes to the Russian facilities."

Rebel forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham β€” an organization that traces its origins to Al Qaeda but has since split off from the terrorist group β€” launched a surprise offensive in northwest Syria in late November. The rebels quickly captured several key cities before taking control of Damascus Sunday, ending a bloody civil war that lasted more than 13 years.

For years, Assad relied on military support from Russia, as well as Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah, to maintain power. The White House is blaming his government's shocking collapse on the fact that these three actors have been "weakened and distracted" by their respective conflicts against Ukraine and Israel.

"Assad was effectively abandoned because his only friends β€” again, Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia β€” no longer had the capacity to help," the Biden administration official said.

December 10, 2024: This story was updated with additional satellite imagery and related information.

Read the original article on Business Insider

See aboard the USS Beloit, the Navy's new $500 million littoral combat ship upgraded to fight near coastlines

The USS Beloit decorated with ribbons.
USS Beloit is the US Navy's newest Freedom-class littoral combat ship.

US Navy photo by EJ Hersom

  • USS Beloit, the US Navy's new littoral combat ship was commissioned on Saturday.
  • Known as LCS 29, the warship is designed for operations in both shallow waters and open seas.
  • The Navy has retired several Freedom-class ships due to maintenance costs and mission capability.

The US Navy commissioned its newest $500 million littoral combat ship, USS Beloit, in Milwaukee on Saturday.

The new Freedom-class warship is named for Beloit, Wisconsin, where defense manufacturer Fairbanks Morse has long built engines and military technology for Navy vessels.

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro touted the Beloit's improved engineering and advanced combat capabilities, upgrades necessary to surmount the challenges that have dogged the Freedom-class ships.

"USS Beloit reflects many of the engineering and weapons improvements that the littoral combat ship has gained since the Navy first began operating these ships," he said, adding that "when it receives new capabilities, such as the Naval Strike Missile, it will sail even more confidently in contested waters."

The new vessel's commissioning comes as the Navy pushes to scrap some of its extremely young fleet of littoral combat ships plagued by propulsion issues, design flaws, and costly maintenance.

An embattled legacy
US Navy crewmembers board USS Beloit at Veterans Park in Milwaukee.
US Navy crewmembers board USS Beloit at Veterans Park in Milwaukee.

US Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Diana Salgado

The Navy operates two types of littoral combat ships: the Independence-class and the Freedom-class. The former class of ships has suffered from structural flaws, while a litany of maintenance issues has plagued the latter, and several of both classes have been deactivated before their time.

For example, USS Milwaukee, a $750 million Freedom-class ship, was decommissioned last year after just eight years in service. The LCS was originally meant to serve for 25 years. It is one of about half a dozen littoral combat ships β€” most being from the Freedom class β€” that have been pulled from active service.

Retired Navy Vice Adm. Dirk Debbink told Business Insider that the Navy has made improvements to the class since then.

"There's a lot of confidence in the engineering plant now, for example, which is a problem with some of the earlier ships of the class," he said of the USS Beloit. "I'm excited about this ship because I think it's going to hopefully redeem the class in general."

Whether the full range of issues with the LCS have been addressed remains to be seen. There have long been concerns about cost, performance, and survivability, and key questions persist regarding the LCS's suitability in a high-end fight against a near-peer adversary like the US military's pacing challenge β€” China. The Navy has since put some of its hopes for the LCS into the new class of frigate in development.

15th Freedom-class LCS
The USS Beloit in the water with rocks and a dock in the foreground.
The Navy described the USS Beloit as a "fast, agile" vessel.

US Navy photo by EJ Hersom

Built by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine, the Navy describes USS Beloit, its 15th Freedom-variant LCS, as a "fast, agile" vessel that can operate in shallow waters near shore and in the open ocean. It has a much smaller crew than a destroyer and is armed with fewer weapons for sustained combat.

After it was christened in May 2022, the Beloit completed sea trials the following year and was delivered to the Navy in late September.

The warship will be homeported at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Florida.

Spacious flight deck and hangar
The USS Beloit warship floats in Milwaukee.
USS Beloit's hangar can accommodate up to two MH-60 helicopters.

US Navy photo by EJ Hersom

The ship measures 387 feet long and can reach speeds of over 46 miles per hour β€” outpacing the rest of the fleet with its waterjet propulsion.

Its hangar can accommodate two MH-60 helicopters or one helicopter and one drone, and its flight deck is 50% larger than that of traditional surface combatants, according to the ship's commissioning committee.

A versatile fighter
Inside the USS Beloit warship.
The Navy said USS Beloit will be equipped with long-range anti-surface missiles.

US Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Diana Salgado

LCSs are designed to support maritime security and deter enemy attacks. The Freedom-class ships are armed with a SeaRAM close-in weapon system that fires intercept missiles and a 57mm gun capable of firing up to 220 rounds per minute.

USS Beloit will also be equipped with Naval Strike Missiles, a long-range anti-ship weapon system capable of striking with high precision.

USS Beloit also includes an automated radio room, a decoy launching system, and a gunfire control system.

A history-making ship sponsor
US National Guard soldiers fire a salute during a commissioning ceremony rehearsal for USS Beloit.
US National Guardsmen fire a salute during a commissioning ceremony rehearsal for USS Beloit.

US Navy photo by EJ Hersom

Retired Maj. Gen. Marcia Anderson, the first Black woman to achieve that Army rank in 2011, was chosen to sponsor USS Beloit.

Navy secretaries choose sponsors based on their relationship to the vessel's namesake or mission, and Anderson's hometown is Beloit.

"It is important to recognize that small cities like Beloit have had an outsized impact on our National Security for over 100 years and also have a significant role in the history of our country," Anderson wrote in a statement on the ship's commission committee website.

"We must never forget that the reason our country is so admired around the world is because we have always been a nation that honors and recognizes the devotion and courage of ordinary people," she continued. "The USS Beloit exemplifies and continues that tradition."

Personnel
The crew of USS Beloit stands in formation ahead of the ship's commissioning ceremony.
The crew of USS Beloit stands in formation ahead of the ship's commissioning ceremony.

US Navy photo by Cpl. Diana Salgado

The ship's core crew consists of 50 sailors, and its spaces can accommodate up to 98 sailors.

Rocky the Badger
The flag of the USS Beloit warship featuring a badger.
USS Beloit's battle flag features Wisconsin's state animal, the badger.

US Navy photo by EJ Hersom

USS Beloit's battle flag features a badger, Wisconsin's state animal. The ship's mascot is named Rocky, after the Rock River in Beloit.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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