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So, things are getting more and more interesting. Russia goes to Assad's aid to 1) secure bases in the Med 2) show how courageous Russia was vs. U.S. cowardice to fight Daesh (at least that is the propaganda) and, often overlooked 3) as a place to test out new equipment and tactics that is relatively low intensity. With the loss of equipment throughout their deployment, the loss of manpower (their mercs especially, at the hands of our own arty recently), and a more confusing and less secure existence in Syria thanks to U.S., Turkish, Kurdish, and Iranian (et al.) assets has their systems , technically belonging to Syria) shut off (if we are to believe them, which I don't necessarily) so as not to create any unnecessary losses, especially at the hand of Israel, who even the Russians know are just a third party defending themselves. The Russians recognize this and respect it, even as they are defacto backing Iranian interests all over the Mid-East. This means the Syrians also realize the futility of going after Israeli aircraft, but also there were likely Russians in/around this and other air defense systems providing guidance to the Syrians. Maybe the Russians are tiring of this foray, seeing that they are getting trickles of losses of equipment and men and really are not interested in another, smaller-scale Afghanistan adventure. The kicker is that if they largely leave now they get to potentially avoid a larger regional conflict, but with the fringe benefit of not losing their "latest" systems they can take those systems home and improve on them now that they have had experience in a conflict. With the Syrian civil war all but over, the Russians might be wise to move their remaining equipment to their naval base(s) in the region and simply hold ground.
Equipment is only as good as its operators, no matter how advanced or automated.
Running towards targeted assets . . .
So, they forgot to hit the power button on their Pantsir-S1, so it died. Got it... good stuff, Alex. Your wonderings are my conclusions. Look back at all the air campaigns we’ve conducted against these systems. It’s been quite a long time since they’ve proven themselves, perhaps not since SA-2s were engaging B-52s and their buddies over Vietnam. Not that any pilot should ignore them, but show all due respect...due respect. Watching that video...that one dood was very, very unlucky not that his bros faired much better. Maybe he was running back to hit that power button...
In years gone by the Russians called any of their exported weapon systems the 'monkey' version. i.e. it's a less sophisticated version of the ones protecting the Rodina.