"The problem is that their missiles are being transformed from
less-effective weapons into precision weapons that will enable their use
against military bases, airports and military depots, which is a very
worrying development," the source said.

Syria upgrades missiles thanks to Iranian support
By Barak Ravid Last update - 06:47 08/02/2008
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/952358.html

Syria has successfully developed a new surface-to-surface missile that would
enable it to target with greater accuracy Israeli installations - such as
airports, ports and factories - according briefings recently presented to
senior ministers.

According to the information, Syria developed the new missile with Iranian
support, which is further indication of the tight strategic bonds between
the two countries. Much of these strategic ties revolve around military and
intelligence cooperation.

sraeli defense circles estimate that Damascus and Tehran shared technical
know-how that has allowed Syria to upgrade the Iranian-made Zelzal
surface-to-surface missile. The missile has an operational range of
approximately 250 kilometers and is capable of carrying an especially large
warhead. It is believed that the missile is more accurate than other similar
surface-to-surface weapons in the Syrian arsenal.

This comes at a time when Israeli defense sources have expressed growing
concern at the rearmament program of the Syrian armed forces, mostly with
arms transfers from Russia.

Among other weapons, Syria has recently acquired the Pantsyr air defense
missile system, which is a self-propelled system capable of firing between
eight and 12 missiles, that can pose a substantial threat to Israeli air
force aircraft.

Damascus has also procured modern anti-tank missiles with alleged
capabilities of neutralizing the most advanced main battle tank of the IDF,
the Merkava Mark IV.

However, the head of Mossad, Meir Dagan, told the Knesset Foreign Affairs
and Defense Committee that at this stage the Syrian defense acquisitions
appear to be defensive and that there are no indications that Damascus has
any plans to initiate a military action against Israel.

Meanwhile, a political source noted Thursday that there is a discernible
effort on the part of Syria to improve its missile arsenal - both in terms
of range and accuracy.

"The problem is that their missiles are being transformed from
less-effective weapons into precision weapons that will enable their use
against military bases, airports and military depots, which is a very
worrying development," the source said.

There is growing concern in Israel that the missile arsenal of Syria will be
transformed from being a "blind" strategic weapon, into a precision-strike
weapon.

Syria has a significant missile arsenal. During the Second Lebanon War
Hezbollah fired many volleys of 220mm rockets of Syrian make against Israel,
causing significant casualties in Israel.

According to Israeli estimates, Syria has tens of thousands of rockets of
this type, as well as smaller-caliber and shorter-range missiles. In
addition, they have Scud-C and Scud-D ballistic missiles with ranges of
500-800 kilometers, which can effectively strike every part of Israeli
territory.