Oh No, Not Again. LOL.

Israel didn't get the message the first time, they try it again and...again almost 90% of their missiles are shot down by Syria's by far not the newest air defense. 

МОСКВА, 3 сентября. /ТАСС/. Истребители израильских ВВС выпустили 24 ракеты по целям на территории Сирии, силы ПВО страны уничтожили 21 ракету. Об этом сообщил в пятницу журналистам заместитель руководителя российского Центра по примирению враждующих сторон в Сирии контр-адмирал Вадим Кулить. "Около 01:30 3 сентября четыре тактических истребителя ВВС Израиля F-15 из воздушного пространства Ливана нанесли удар 24 управляемыми ракетами по целям на территории Сирийской Арабской Республики", - сказал он.По словам контр-адмирала, "дежурными силами сирийских ПВО из находящихся на вооружении вооруженных сил САР комплексов российского производства "Бук-М2Э" и "Панцирь-С1" уничтожена 21 ракета".

Translation:  MOSCOW, September 3. / TASS /. Fighters of the Israeli Air Force fired 24 missiles at targets in Syria, the country's air defense forces destroyed 21 missiles. This was announced to reporters on Friday by the deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of the Warring Parties in Syria, Rear Admiral Vadim Kulit. "Around 01:30 on September 3, four Israeli Air Force F-15 tactical fighters from Lebanese airspace launched 24 guided missiles at targets in the Syrian Arab Republic," he said. In service with the armed forces of the SAR, the Russian-made Buk-M2E and Pantsir-S1 complexes,  destroyed 21 missiles.

As I state non-stop, current Western stand-off weaponry is no match for modern networked (truly Integrated, not the "integrated" BS of Iraqi ancient Air Defense) air defense, especially if this AD is integrated with modern EW means. But Israel will, obviously, continue to try, using Lebanese air-space (how predictable--hiding behind helpless) to break through, but with kinetic effectiveness of Syria's AD approaching 90%--I don't know what counter-measures, if any, Syrians use--one can obviously easily and reliably extrapolate combat effectiveness of newer Russian AD complexes when integrated with advanced ECMs. I just want to remind that two years ago I had to respond to some Swedish "expert" on Russia's air defense technology. Latest air battles in Syria's skies answer pretty much most of the question on the combat effectiveness of Russia's older AD technology and on the questions I raise on this blog and in my books non-stop: what happens when the West encounters not some backward third-world opposition but people who actually have tools and do shoot back. 

That explains the reason why Saudis signed this on August 24:

Saudi Arabia and Russia on Monday signed an agreement to develop joint military cooperation between the two countries, according to the Kingdom’s deputy defense minister. “I signed an agreement today with the Russian Deputy Minister of Defense Colonel General Alexander Fomin between the Kingdom and the Russian Federation aimed at developing joint military cooperation between the two countries,” Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman tweeted.

Weapons DO form geopolitical reality, they always did, economics always followed. Modern economies create modern weaponry, the most advanced economies initiate revolutions in warfare. Simple as that. But it is this simplicity which is most difficult to grasp by many in the West. Without much fanfare Russia floated few days ago another 114,000 ton Aframax tanker at Zvezda wharf near Vladivostok. 

The contract for another three 50,000 ton displacement supply vessels was also signed by Zvezda. Sadly, you can watch the video (in Russian) only on YouTube. I suggest you do--pictures speak louder than words. I wonder what would shares of Almaz-Antey, Kupol and KBP Instrument Design Bureau be worth if appraised correctly today. I am sure Raytheon wouldn't like it, wink, wink.