2011 Syrian Civil War

P-800 Oniks in the 2011 Syrian Civil War

Russian-attributed Bastion launchers fired Yakhont/Oniks missiles from inside Syria in November 2016 against rebel or militant land targets, marking the weapon family's documented land-attack use in the war.

Weapon profileP-800 Oniks
SideSyrian government and alliesRoleLong-Range Strike
P-800 Oniks, Supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions - 2011 Syrian Civil War
Image source: 3M55 Yakhont Onyx SS-N-26 Armia 2018.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Oniks/Yakhont missiles were fired from Bastion land-based or road-mobile launchers inside Syria in November 2016.

Sources: CSIS SS-N-26 Profile, MDAA P-800 Oniks Profile, Jane's Bastion-P Syria Report

The documented targets were rebel or militant land targets, not ships.

Sources: CSIS SS-N-26 Profile, Jane's Bastion-P Syria Report, Jamestown Bastion Foreign Policy Tool

Russian attribution is supported by MDAA, Jane's, and Jamestown; CSIS separately notes uncertainty over whether Russian or Syrian forces launched the missiles.

Sources: CSIS SS-N-26 Profile, MDAA P-800 Oniks Profile, Jane's Bastion-P Syria Report, Jamestown Bastion Foreign Policy Tool

Syria's earlier purchase/display of Yakhont systems is possession context and is separate from the November 2016 firing record.

Sources: CSIS SS-N-26 Profile

Timeline

P-800 Oniks In 2011 Syrian Civil War

  1. Syrian Yakhont purchase reported

    CSIS Missile Threat states that Syria purchased Bastion launchers and Yakhont missiles from Russia before the war; this supports possession context, not the later firing claim.

    Sources: CSIS SS-N-26 Profile

  2. Bastion launchers fire Oniks from Syria

    CSIS reports that Oniks missiles were launched from inside Syria using a Bastion land-based coastal missile launcher and targeted Syrian rebel groups.

    Sources: CSIS SS-N-26 Profile

  3. Russian MoD footage and Jane's report

    Jane's Defence Weekly, republished by Pan.bg, reported that the Russian Ministry of Defence said P-800 Onyx missiles were fired against rebel land targets in Syria and that footage showed at least two missiles from two launchers.

    Sources: Jane's Bastion-P Syria Report

  4. Yakhont firing described as surface-to-surface use

    Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance describes Russia firing Yakhont missiles from road-mobile launchers in Syria and calls it the first Bastion surface-to-surface use.

    Sources: MDAA P-800 Oniks Profile

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

P-800 Oniks/Yakhont use in the 2011 Syrian Civil War is documented through November 2016 reporting on Bastion coastal-defense launchers firing from inside Syria. CSIS Missile Threat states that Oniks missiles were launched on 15 November 2016 from an unknown location in Syria using a Bastion land-based coastal missile launcher and that the missile targeted Syrian rebel groups.

Other missile-defense and defense-reporting sources attribute the firing to Russia. Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance states that Russia fired Yakhont missiles from road-mobile launchers in Syria on 16 November 2016 as part of a coordinated strike against rebel groups, while a Jane's Defence Weekly article republished by Pan.bg says the Russian Ministry of Defence released footage and said P-800 Onyx missiles were fired against rebel land targets in Syria on 15 November.

Sources: CSIS SS-N-26 Profile, MDAA P-800 Oniks Profile, Jane's Bastion-P Syria Report

Timeline

The direct-use record centers on the mid-November 2016 Russian strike package in Syria. Jane's reported that Russia revealed on 15 November that Bastion-P systems were deployed in Syria and that at least two missiles appeared to have been fired from two different launchers in Ministry of Defence footage. CSIS records the same date for Oniks missiles launched from inside Syria.

MDAA dates the Yakhont firing to 16 November 2016 and describes it as the first use of Bastion in a surface-to-surface capacity. Jamestown, citing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's report to President Vladimir Putin, also describes Bastion's first real battle use in Syria as ground-target strikes rather than sea-target engagement.

Sources: CSIS SS-N-26 Profile, MDAA P-800 Oniks Profile, Jane's Bastion-P Syria Report, Jamestown Bastion Foreign Policy Tool

Narrative

The documented Syrian use was not an anti-ship engagement. It was a land-attack strike by Bastion road-mobile coastal-defense launchers using the Oniks/Yakhont missile family. The launch context placed the weapon on the Syrian government and allied side of the war because the firing was part of Russia's intervention in support of Damascus and was directed at anti-government armed groups.

The sources separate possession from use. CSIS notes earlier Syrian acquisition and display of Yakhont missiles, but the conflict-use claim here rests on the November 2016 firing from inside Syria. CSIS records uncertainty over whether the missiles were launched by Russian or Syrian forces; MDAA, Jane's, and Jamestown attribute the relevant strike reporting to Russia or Russian official statements.

Sources: CSIS SS-N-26 Profile, MDAA P-800 Oniks Profile, Jane's Bastion-P Syria Report, Jamestown Bastion Foreign Policy Tool

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Sources