MOSCOW, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Russia will use the experience of its military operation in Syria to develop new weapons, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Thursday.
As the military-industrial enterprises are creating advanced weaponry, which will be put into service in the near future, it is important to take into account the Syrian experience in research and development, Shoigu told a weaponry modernization conference here.
The Russian Aerospace Forces started airstrikes against terrorist groups in Syria from Sept. 30, 2015. The campaign was later joined by the country's Navy force.
The minister said many of Russia's modern weapons have been tested in difficult conditions of the desert and have generally shown their reliability and efficiency.
The Russian Armed Forces have gained practical experience of firing long-range precision-guided weapons from surface ships and submarines from the waters of the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean, Shoigu said.
He added that in Syria Russia used Kh-101 air-to-surface cruise missiles with a range of up to 4,500 km for the first time in a real combat situation.
