A major power has not fought a major war against another major power for decades. And while this longstanding “great power peace” has been accompanied by measureless benefits (avoiding nuclear war, etc.), one challenge is that new weapons remain largely untested on the battlefield. With the rapid technological advancements of the past decade, the Syrian conflict has provided a real-world training ground of sorts for Russia, the U.S. and Iran, as they deploy weapons and technologies in combat for the first time. Since entering the conflict and propping up the failing Syrian government in 2015, Russia has tested jets, cruise missiles, and several other weapons for the first time. This week, Putin himself identified the Syrian campaign as a training ground where the Russian military has successfully tested and even developed new weapons systems, where they “excelled” vis-a-vis foreign equivalents.
Source: Putin says Russia perfected weapons based on Syria campaign
