Shayrat Airbase is home to the

Syrian Air Force The Syrian Air Force () 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 December 8, 2024, it was known as the Syrian Arab Air Forc ...

50th Air Brigade located in

Homs Homs ( ; ), known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa ( ; ), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level, above sea level and is located north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is ...

. It has two runways and around 40 hardened aircraft shelters.

Squadrons

The brigade consists of three fighter squadrons: * 675th Fighter Squadron ( MIG-23s) * 677th Fighter Squadron ( SU-22s) * 685th Fighter Squadron (SU-22s) According to the Trump administration, the base is also believed to contain a chemical weapons storage depot.

History

The airbase was originally constructed in the 1960s. The

Russian Air Force The Russian Air Force () is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the latter being formed on 1 August 2015 with the merging of the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the reb ...

also uses the facility. In 2015, Russia expanded the runways in order to accommodate Russian aircraft. In February 2016, the Russian military doubled the number of attack helicopters stationed at Shayrat. Jane's reports that there were "four Russian Mi-35 helicopters, four Mi-24s, and one

Mi-8 The Mil Mi-8 (, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968. Russian production of t ...

/17." This deployment was in addition to a previous deployment of four Mi-24s in November 2015. In addition to Air Force assets, " Russia's 120th Artillery Brigade with six 152 mm 2A65 Msta-B towed howitzers had taken up position at a Syrian Arab Army (SAA) base just to the south of the airbase." According to ''Defense & Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy'', the Russian Air Force "use the al-Shayrat Air Base as a transit hub and an entry point for military supplies for the Syrian military, thus reducing the congestion in Khmeimim," as well as operating forward refueling and rearming services for Russian aircraft supporting the Syrian Army. The journal also reported that the Iranian Air Force also extensively utilize the facilities.

2017 U.S. Navy missile strike

USS Ross 2017 Shayrat strike 170407-N-FQ994-031

On 7 April 2017, on the orders from

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

, USS ''Ross'' and USS ''Porter'' (both based in the Mediterranean) fired 60 Tomahawk missiles at Shayrat airfield, with 59 reaching the base, according to the CBS Evening News, in response to a suspected chemical attack in the town of Khan Shaykhun in the Idlib Province. The attack on Khan Sheikhoun is believed to have been launched from Shayrat. The United States had reportedly notified Russia, Syria's biggest ally, prior to the strike.

References

{{Portal bar, Asia, Aviation Syrian Air Force bases Military installations of Syria Buildings and structures in Homs Governorate