While the Fullbacks – ground-attack aircraft able to hit small and highly mobile targets – would appear to be the most appropriate aircraft for targeting Isis units, other aircraft at the base seem less suitable: the SU-30 Flankers, for example, are air-to-air warplanes with no obvious role against militants who do not have an air force.

The planes in Latakia are also protected by sophisticated SA-22 surface-to-air anti-aircraft systems