Rebel Rocket/Missile Acquisition

Some powerful class of surface-to-surface missiles and/or rockets that had been rocking the city of Aleppo for some weeks at least before a February 18/19 barrage by what is being described as Scud missiles. This page will seek to sort out some useful details of various reports and especially videos of Syrian opposition having or taking possession or rokets and missiles that are arguably of the class and power to explain these events. Otherwise, they wuldseem to be the work of the professional military that tends to control such weapons, if not as exclusively as it once did.

This page is currently a stub. Below are some suggested headings waiting to be filled in. There will be many technical questions on the models and capabilities we see. These we may try to establish to some small degree, and invite input from anyone better situated and willing to register (it's easy!). Other details like the location and actual dates of various finds are more likely to be established here. Likely this will be at the discussion page to start with.

Rebel Rocket Accusations
The Syrian government's initial explanation for the Aleppo University Attack of January 15 was two rockets, obviously powerful ones, fired by opposition "terrorists," from Al-Lairamoun district to the northwest. So as of January 15, 2013, at the latest, the authorities have alleged the rebels had such weapons. Rebels denied it, blaming government fighter jets, but the emerging consensus it was an attack by surface-missiles, perhaps Scud-style.

Oct. 2012, Aleppo
A missile base was taken by rebels near Aleppo in October, 2012 (details forthcoming)

Jan. 22 2013, Aleppo area
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Feb. 17 Video, location unknown
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Feb. 23, Deir EzZor area
Rebels conquered the alleged nuclear reactor at Kibar? And they found hidden there and then took control of at least two Scud missiles? Enormous, empty building, a big long missile on a truck, possibly a Scud, another truck, no nuclear stuff. Lots of Allahu Akbar. Is this real? Is it functional? Was it planted? Is it where, or when, the video description says? (Wikimapia - between Deir Ez-Zor and Ar-Raqqah) تصوير ثاني لصاروخ السكود الذي تم السيطرة عليه من قبل الجيش الحر في مقر الكبر النووي المحرر - Video of the second Scud missile found in the nuclear plant at Kibar jKEe1urxG2A

March 10, Damascus
SOHR, March 10:
 * Reef Dimashq: Rebel fighters stormed a missile division in the Khan al-Shih area and took hold of large parts of it. Clashes are still ongoing inside the division between regular forces and rebel fighters. Missiles they could film, if not make off with and use, were shown on video (below).

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Imports
Another way rebels might get a missile is by importing it across one of the borders. There are at least some crossing at some times they could manage that, there are plenty of people willing to try and supply them with nearly anything, and they’ve had plenty of time by early 2013 to have arranged something like that. The Syrian government would be trying hard to prevent this, and there remains no proof or specific evidence for such a transfer. If we discover anything of the sort, it will be posted here.

Homemade Rockets
SOHR reports, Feb. 18:
 * Clashes took place by the police academy in the Khan al-Asal area of western Reef Aleppo, where rebels from several factions, including non-Syrian combatants, have been trying to storm for several months; they are using home-made rockets.

This was a month after the Uinversity attack in western Aleppo. A rebel factory was busted by the authorities in Aleppo (area not clear) on or just before the day of the University attack, according to a SANA video. Explosives were being made there, it was said, along with custom-made armored vehicles, shown halfway through some fairly high-end work. It’s not hard to imagine the same people trying to work with rocket engines and explosive warheads. (Khan Al-Asal itself, Al-Lairamoun (where the government says the rockets were fired from), and the University are within a five-mile area with only vulnerable checkpoints blocking free movement) The questions of range and power would be most interesting here. All known design specifications would be out the window, and replaced the complex science of rocket production under unknown circumstances, unconstrained by usual norms.

Earlier, a video: Home-made missile with alleged reach of 60 km.