Israel's defense establishment has recently identified an acceleration in Syria's efforts to rebuild its air force, Kan 11 News reported Monday evening.
These developments come roughly a year and eight months after the IDF declared the Syrian Air Force destroyed following the collapse of the Assad regime.
According to the report, Israeli intelligence observed that the Syrians have begun recruiting new pilots and conducting training exercises using trainer aircraft and helicopters. Over the past 24 hours, a first military exercise involving Sukhoi fighter jets was carried out in northern Syria.
The rehabilitation efforts are taking place under the rule of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, with Syria receiving backing from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Russia, France, and other regional powers.
The defense establishment continues to monitor the process closely, alongside ongoing discussions regarding a potential future security agreement between Israel and Syria.
Israel is particularly focused on how these moves might affect the IDF's freedom of aerial operation over Syrian skies. The primary concern within the defense establishment pertains to a possible Turkish military footprint in the neighboring country, which could include the deployment of air defense systems.
Commenting on the developments, a security official stated, "We are monitoring the developments in Syria closely and sharing our concerns with the United States."