Syria's Shattered Air Force: Rebuilding and Redrawing Regional Boundaries Syria's air force has been severely weakened since the early days of the civil war in 2011.
The country's military, once considered one of the most formidable in the region, has been crippled by internal strife, external intervention, and crippling international sanctions.
The Syrian Arab Air Force (SAAF) was formed in the 1940s with French assistance and grew rapidly during the 1950s and 1960s with significant support from the Soviet Union.