FPV Drone Use In Syria

As clashes between the Syrian National Army and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) escalate, the YPG-dominated SDF is increasingly using first-person view drones against Syrian National Army personnel and vehicles.

Yet, it is not clear how long the group can sustain their use. 

On social media, SDF-affiliated channels provide links that allow supporters to provide payment, akin to fundraising methods in Ukraine. It is not clear how much monetary support the group will get, but the YPG, which heavily populates the SDF, is popular amongst anti-authoritarian and leftist groups in the West. 

While the group is utilising FPV drones as a conventional sort of air power against the SNA, the group is also funneling fighters through a series of tunnels built to avoid the omnipresent threat of Turkish aircraft and drones, which back SNA forces. 

Dispersal and cover, both made easier by the tunnel systems, look to be of great importance to the SDF as it lacks sophisticated anti-air systems.