Syria

Syrian Arab Republic

The name and culture of Syria has ancient origins, referring to a region once known as the Levant. Absorbed into the Ottoman Empire during the 16th Century, the modern state of Syria was created as part of the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, originally as a territory under French mandate. Between 1925 and 1927 a series of battles ensued between French troops and Syrian dissidents supporting independence. Syria remained under French control until 1941, when it again proclaimed its independence. In 1946, the Syrian Republic was established and recognized.

The country aligned itself with other Arab nations during the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, and its subsequent defeat led to a period of instability lasting throughout the 1950s. Historically aligned with the USSR and Egypt, Syria merged with the latter in 1958 forming the United Arab Republic (1958-1961). However, a military seizure of power in September of 1961 dissolved the union and led to the establishment of the Syrian Arab Republic (الجمهورية العربية السورية), a name that the nation retains today.

Syria fought Israel again during the Six Day War (1967), during which the Golan Heights were lost. The territory was regained briefly during the Yom Kippur War (1973), but retaken by Israel which has retained possession ever since. Syria was heavily involved during the Lebanese Civil War, sending troops into Lebanon itself to support insurgent forces (particularly the Amal Movement) and plausibly to seek control over the entire territory. Syrian military forces remained in Lebanon long after the war ended, but were forced to withdraw finally in 2005 under international pressure.

The Syrian government and Ministry of Defence have long been supportive of Palestinian efforts to establish sovereign territory within the present state of Israel. Various factions of the PLO have received direct military aid from Syria, and indeed Syrian manufactured military equipment (including Syrian-made camouflage uniforms) have frequently been documented among Palestinian insurgent forces.

Sparked by political unrest and regime change in other parts of Western Asia and North Africa (collectively referred to as the "Arab Spring" Movement), Syrian dissidents began demonstrating against President Bashar al-Assad and his Ba'ath party, which has maintained strict one-party control over the nation for nearly fifty years, in March 2011. Heavy handed and violently oppressive measures against the protesters and lack of international involvement eventually spawned a full-scale civil war, which continues to rage across the nation. Supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, opposition forces consist of three primary movements: the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Syrian Liberation Army (SLA), and Liwaa al-Umma (Banner of the Nation). Of these, the FSA is the largest and most well-organized, having received considerable military materiel from Turkey in recent months, including complete camouflage uniforms in the same pattern worn by the Turkish Army. All three paramilitary groups are boosted by a substantial number of Syrian Army defectors, as well as foreign mujahiddeen and (reputedly) members of international terror groups. The National Defense Force (NDF, or قوة الدفاع الوطني‎) is a pro-Syrian government paramilitary force, organized in late 2012, that receives supplies and training from the Syrian government. The NDF operate in support of the Syrian Army, primarily in the ground defense role.

Syrian Camouflage Patterns

• Dating to the 1970s is a Syrian copy of the Pakistani arid brushstroke camouflage pattern. Supporting a well-established textile and garment industry for decades, most Syrian uniforms are locally-made, although the originals in this pattern might have been produced from imported fabric.

• Having a lengthy association with France, it should be no surprise that Syria has been heavily influenced by French military camouflage, particularly the tenue du leopard or lizard designs. The earliest Syrian made copies seem to retain the russet or orange stripes of the original French designs, although in some cases the stripes are vertically aligned rather than horizontally.

• Another early pattern derivative of the French lizard is a vertical stripe pattern with dark colors. Sometimes referred to as "green lizard," the design incorporates vertical stripes of brown and dark green on a pale green background. The pattern was reputedly worn by some Syrian Commando and Paratroop units, although it is most commonly associated with units of the PLO. Over the years the pattern earned an association among collectors with a supposed Syrian unit called the "Saika Division;" however, such a Division is undocumented, and in fact the term probably refers to As-Sa'iqa (Al-Sa'iqa), a militant faction of the PLO that was supported by Syria until the early 1990s. This pattern strongly resembles one later adopted by Egypt for certain military police and Presidential Guard units.

• The camouflage pattern probably most commonly associated with the Syrian Armed Forces is another lizard variant design having reddish stripes. Introduced in the mid-1970s, the pattern continued to be worn by both Syrian and some PLO units well into the 1990s, although it seems to have fallen into disuse today. Inconsistencies in production standards have led to quite a number of variations being produced, with some designs having significantly higher details. Both vertical and horizontal orientations have been documented, although the latter seem to be more prevalent. The "red lizard" patterns seem to be primarily associated with airborne and commando units, and not with conventional forces.

• Beginning in the 1980s, Syrian military forces began deploying with a locally-made copy of the US m1948 ERDL camouflage pattern. There is likely to be some connection to Iraq and/or Jordan, as both countries were using a similar camouflage design at this time. The "Syrian leaf" pattern employs a different color scheme, and, as with most locally-made uniforms, is printed on a heavier weight cotton fabric.

• An interesting variation of the above leaf pattern uses a reddish or pink colorway, although is based on the same set of drawings. It appears this pattern was employed primarily by elite Military Police or Security Forces of the Syrian Army.

• Using a different set of drawings than the earler "Syrian leaf" pattern, the present day camouflage design is seen here.

• Security Forces have appeared in 2012 wearing a woodland variation with a grey/blue colorway, similar to commercial patterns and those adopted by Air Force personnel in some nations.

Camouflage Patterns of Opposition Forces

As with the previous civil war of liberation in Libya (February to October 2011), the numerous factions and sources of military support have made it challenging to track consistent use of camouflage combat uniforms amongst the forces opposing the Syrian government. It has been particularly difficult to determine which camouflage patterns and uniforms have been obtained in quantity (from disparate sources), and which have simply appeared among the combatants singly or in scattered numbers. In addition to standard Syrian Army camouflage uniforms and equipment (which have appeared in abundance), insurgent forces have also made significant use of donated uniforms from supporting nations like Turkey and Jordan. Several types of vertical lizard camouflage have been documented, but in such small numbers it has yet to be determined the sources. The patterns illustrated below have appeared in significant enough numbers to verify their existence in quantity among the liberation movements.

• The Free Syria Army (FSA) has received complete camouflage uniforms from Turkey in the same digital pattern worn by the Turkish Army, and also the more recent pattern adopted by the Turkish Air Force.

• Copies of the US-designed six-color "chocolate chip" desert pattern have appeared in significant numbers among insurgent forces, most likely obtained through sources in Libya or Jordan.

• Also appearing in significant numbers have been copies of the tricolor desert pattern, also originally fielded by the USA.