Russia Beefs Up Air Defense Tactics in Syria

The Russian military has beefed up its forces in Syria with a state-of-the-art air defense missile. 

The announcement comes a day after the U.S. moved to suspend direct diplomatic contact with Russia over ending the war in Syria. 

Russia has brought an additional, more advanced anti-aircraft and anti-missile S-300 defense system into northwest Syria to protect a Russian navy facility, CNN reports. 

U.S. officials said they have developed a "concern" over the missile.

Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook noted that Russia's goal is to fight extremism, but the Islamic State group and the al Qaeda branch in Syria don't have planes that could be targeted by such a system.

"I would question just what the purpose of the system is," he said.

When asked if the system posed a threat to U.S. aircraft or crews, Cook said, "It depends on how the Russians plan to use it."

If the missile is set up at a high altitude it will significantly expand Russian air defense coverage against Syria. 

Its location could possibly extend as far as the eastern city of Dier Ezzor, which will significantly change military battle tactics. However, U.S. experts said that the battle for Aleppo will not end quickly. 

"It has taken much of the regime combat power and much of the combat power that Russia has brought to theater in the form airstrikes, and the Iranian ground reinforcement," Jennifer Cafarella of the Study of War, a Washington-based institute, told The Associated Press.

"Those military forces are going to be occupied in Aleppo for some time. But after that I do expect that Damascus can become the focus," she said.

The new missile system, which shipped in over the weekend, is not yet operational.