Time reports Assad already has several air defense systems from Moscow in his quiver, according to analysts who monitor arms shipments. While they agree that the S-300s are more accurate and have greater range than Assad’s current weapons systems, Time adds they say the Syrian leader is far from powerless without them. “We have seen over the past few years Russia supplying several different air defense systems,” says Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher in the arms transfer program of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), which tracks weapons flows worldwide. “They [Syrian government] have really increased their capability. The missiles are both short and long range. If the S-300s do arrive, that would top it all off.”
DM Moshe Ya'alon responded to Assad's recent arrogant posturing with "Israel will know how to react," alluding to the fact that as previously, Israel retains the right to target many more stockpiles of Syrian arms in order to dissuade Assad from considering retaliation, at the price of total devastation.