Book Review of
Moscow’s Game of Poker
Russian Military Intervention in Syria, 2015-2017
Author: Tom Cooper
Helion & Co. Ltd., Revised Edition
Middle East@War Series no. 47, Full Color Throughout
ISBN: 978-1-804510-90-2
Middle East@War Series no. 47, Full Color Throughout
ISBN: 978-1-804510-90-2
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $29.95
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $29.95
HISTORY:
In August 2015, the government of the Russian Federation embarked its military forces on an intervention in Syria. Ever since, there has been no end to discussion about Russian military capabilities and intentions – in Syria and beyond. To many, the performance of the Russian military – and especially the Russian Air-Space Force (VKS) – in this war was a clear demonstration of advanced technology, improved training, fearsome firepower, and great mobility.
To others, the military experienced limited success and exposed a number of weaknesses. Prominent amongst the latter were aircraft ill-suited to the necessities of expeditionary warfare, and a gross lack of advanced weaponry and equipment.
While the military component of their intervention can only be described as having provided clear evidence that the Russian military was in no condition to directly challenge NATO’s eastern frontiers, it cannot be denied that through this action Moscow effected a turning point in the Syrian Civil War, and indeed one on a geostrategic level.
Organized and conducted in cooperation with very diverse allies – ranging from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran (IRGC), Hezbollah of Lebanon, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and a myriad of local warlords and their armed militias- through the combination of intentional bombardment of insurgent-controlled parts of Syria, and indirect protection for the IRGC own military intervention in the country from a possible counter-intervention of the west. The Russians succeeded in saving the regime of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Moscow’s Game of Poker provides a unique overview and analysis of Moscow’s political aims, strategy, doctrine, target selection process, military technology and tactics, day-by-day operations and the way the Russian Federation cooperated with local allies.
This story is told in combination with exclusive insight into the similar campaign run by what was left of the Syrian Arab Air Force. This revised edition of Moscow’s Game of Poker includes over 130 full-color photographs, maps and specially commissioned colour artworks of vehicles, aircraft and combatants.
THE BOOK:
Helion & Co. Ltd. is based in England.
This book is of soft-cover of 84 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of a Russian Su-34 at Hmeimim Air Base. Below there is a color profile illustration of a Mig-23MF that was one of three aircraft of 678 Squadron SyAAF, as of late 2015-early 2018. It still wore the insignia of “The Works” (central maintenance facility of the SyAAF, situated at Nayrab Air Base, outside Aleppo). On the nose, between the radome and serial. It is in a wave-pattern camouflage of a base of tan with dark-green waves and has a black nose. It has Arabic lettering on the fuselage sides and the rudder over a Arab flag.
The back cover shows another color side-profile illustration of a Su-255M that was shot-down on 3 February 2018 over southern Idlib. It is black over a light-grey undercarriage. It has a blue no. 06 outlined in white under the cockpit and high on the rudder, over a Russian Air Force red star and solid white serial no. RF-95486 over a white-outlined BBC POCCNN.
The book contains 97 color photos. Including the one on the cover.
There is line-drawing map of the Mid-east, 3 color maps of Syria, 12 data lists, 59 color photos of aircraft, pilots, infantry-men and officers and leaders and 3 photos of landscapes.
In the color profile’s section there are 28 color illustrations of aircrafts, 3 of vehicles, 3 of figures.
Included in the aircraft profiles are:
A Mi-24 helicopter, a Mi-28N helicopter, a Su-275M, a Su-35, two Su-34’s, two of a Su-30, two of a Su-24, a Su-255M (the one shown on the back cover), four more Su-24’s, two Su-22M’s, three Tu-95’s, a Tu-214R, a Beriev A-50U, a Su-33, a Kamov Ka-31 helicopter, an L-3970 trainer, a Su-22M-4, and a Su-24MK2.
Vehicle profiles shown are:
A BTR-82a armored-car, a T-90 main battle tank and a BRDM-2 armored car.
Three figures shown are:
A Spetsnaz operator, wearing a camouflage uniform, helmet and goggles, combat knee pads, lightweight body armor and a tactical vest. He is armed with a Kalashnikov AK-103 automatic rifle with silencer and optical sight.
A forward artillery controller, wearing a Russian desert uniform in beige. He is in a ditch and holding a walky-talky and has earphones on.
A Soviet Su-25 pilot exiting his cockpit,. Wearing a tan uniform, white helmet and a parachute harness.
There are 2 color diagrams of unit equipment make ups.
This book will be of interest to modelers and aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review copy. All Helion & Co. Ltd. books can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
In August 2015, the government of the Russian Federation embarked its military forces on an intervention in Syria. Ever since, there has been no end to discussion about Russian military capabilities and intentions – in Syria and beyond. To many, the performance of the Russian military – and especially the Russian Air-Space Force (VKS) – in this war was a clear demonstration of advanced technology, improved training, fearsome firepower, and great mobility.
To others, the military experienced limited success and exposed a number of weaknesses. Prominent amongst the latter were aircraft ill-suited to the necessities of expeditionary warfare, and a gross lack of advanced weaponry and equipment.
While the military component of their intervention can only be described as having provided clear evidence that the Russian military was in no condition to directly challenge NATO’s eastern frontiers, it cannot be denied that through this action Moscow effected a turning point in the Syrian Civil War, and indeed one on a geostrategic level.
Organized and conducted in cooperation with very diverse allies – ranging from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran (IRGC), Hezbollah of Lebanon, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and a myriad of local warlords and their armed militias- through the combination of intentional bombardment of insurgent-controlled parts of Syria, and indirect protection for the IRGC own military intervention in the country from a possible counter-intervention of the west. The Russians succeeded in saving the regime of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Moscow’s Game of Poker provides a unique overview and analysis of Moscow’s political aims, strategy, doctrine, target selection process, military technology and tactics, day-by-day operations and the way the Russian Federation cooperated with local allies.
This story is told in combination with exclusive insight into the similar campaign run by what was left of the Syrian Arab Air Force. This revised edition of Moscow’s Game of Poker includes over 130 full-color photographs, maps and specially commissioned colour artworks of vehicles, aircraft and combatants.
THE BOOK:
Helion & Co. Ltd. is based in England.
This book is of soft-cover of 84 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of a Russian Su-34 at Hmeimim Air Base. Below there is a color profile illustration of a Mig-23MF that was one of three aircraft of 678 Squadron SyAAF, as of late 2015-early 2018. It still wore the insignia of “The Works” (central maintenance facility of the SyAAF, situated at Nayrab Air Base, outside Aleppo). On the nose, between the radome and serial. It is in a wave-pattern camouflage of a base of tan with dark-green waves and has a black nose. It has Arabic lettering on the fuselage sides and the rudder over a Arab flag.
The back cover shows another color side-profile illustration of a Su-255M that was shot-down on 3 February 2018 over southern Idlib. It is black over a light-grey undercarriage. It has a blue no. 06 outlined in white under the cockpit and high on the rudder, over a Russian Air Force red star and solid white serial no. RF-95486 over a white-outlined BBC POCCNN.
The book contains 97 color photos. Including the one on the cover.
There is line-drawing map of the Mid-east, 3 color maps of Syria, 12 data lists, 59 color photos of aircraft, pilots, infantry-men and officers and leaders and 3 photos of landscapes.
In the color profile’s section there are 28 color illustrations of aircrafts, 3 of vehicles, 3 of figures.
Included in the aircraft profiles are:
A Mi-24 helicopter, a Mi-28N helicopter, a Su-275M, a Su-35, two Su-34’s, two of a Su-30, two of a Su-24, a Su-255M (the one shown on the back cover), four more Su-24’s, two Su-22M’s, three Tu-95’s, a Tu-214R, a Beriev A-50U, a Su-33, a Kamov Ka-31 helicopter, an L-3970 trainer, a Su-22M-4, and a Su-24MK2.
Vehicle profiles shown are:
A BTR-82a armored-car, a T-90 main battle tank and a BRDM-2 armored car.
Three figures shown are:
A Spetsnaz operator, wearing a camouflage uniform, helmet and goggles, combat knee pads, lightweight body armor and a tactical vest. He is armed with a Kalashnikov AK-103 automatic rifle with silencer and optical sight.
A forward artillery controller, wearing a Russian desert uniform in beige. He is in a ditch and holding a walky-talky and has earphones on.
A Soviet Su-25 pilot exiting his cockpit,. Wearing a tan uniform, white helmet and a parachute harness.
There are 2 color diagrams of unit equipment make ups.
This book will be of interest to modelers and aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review copy. All Helion & Co. Ltd. books can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.