While the military is perfectly capable of over-stating potential enemy capabilities and downplaying what we can do if they want to discourage intervention, this assessment matches what I've been able to see from afar:
“For all the talk of no-fly zones, Syrian aircraft are not that relevant,” says a senior US military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey has noted that only 10 percent of casualties sustained by Syrian opposition forces are being imposed by air power. The other 90 percent come from direct fire or artillery.
And while I'm confident we could beat down Syria's air defenses, it would not be risk-free. For the minimal gain, do we want to risk losing pilots and crew killed or captured?
Again, Assad's air power isn't decisive. If we really want to help the rebels, send them weapons and ammunition to capture or besiege the air bases. The planes have to land somewhere, after all.
