By Tom Cooper at War is Boring: https://warisboring.com/drones-are-d...ky-over-syria/

Introduction:

Syria is buzzing with drones. There are days when the people of Idlib governorate can simultaneously see Russian Orlan tactical UAVs, Iranian Ababil, Mohajeer and Shahed-129s and CIA or U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reapers circling the same air space.

It’s not much different over southern Syria. There it’s Hezbollah from Lebanon, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Israel, Jordan and the United States that are operating UAVs.

Frankly, I ceased counting all the shoot-downs of various mini-UAVs over Syria ages ago. Small commercial-style drones are relatively easy to knock out with small-arms fire. But considering the crowd of larger UAVs, it’s hardly surprising that the various combatants have begun shooting these down, too.
Highlights:

  • U.S. aircraft actually began shooting down Iranian UAVs over Iraq 8 years ago
  • The SyAAF has shot down UAVs operated by Israel (as far back as 2006) and Jordan
  • Despite CJTF-OIR claims that the IRGC Shahed-129 UAV shot down on June 20, 2017 was armed and threatening, Shahed-129 cannot carry weapons at present