From Russia to the West and NATO

According to Colonel Khaled al-Mutlaq, a military researcher, military doctrine is an unwritten constitution that defines the direction of a country’s armed forces and forms the foundation on which modern armies are built.

As al-Mutlaq wrote in the newspaper Elaph, doctrine determines how military power is used to achieve political and strategic goals, influenced by history, culture, geography, technological development, and available resources.

Mutaz al-Sayyed, a researcher and journalist at the Syrian Center for Security and Defense Studies (Misdad), told Enab Baladi that global military doctrine is divided into two main schools: the Eastern (Russian) doctrine and the Western (NATO) doctrine.

Syria’s new leadership, under a declared government plan, seeks to adopt a hybrid national doctrine based on loyalty to the state rather than to a party or individual. It aims to integrate the advantages of the Western doctrine in technological efficiency, rapid deployment, and maneuverability, while drawing from the human and societal resilience found in the Eastern doctrine.

This requires updating training curricula, introducing modern military sciences, and maintaining field endurance and a long-war combat mindset.

All the new plans, according to al-Sayyed, emphasize enhancing the role of artificial intelligence and the use of drones for reconnaissance and attacks. The goal is to build a professional army capable of rapid intervention anywhere in Syria and safeguarding national borders.

Military researcher Rashid Hourani said the new army must foster a positive relationship with the Syrian people, unlike the previous regime’s forces, and should play a role in promoting civil peace. The defense minister has made similar statements several times.

The army’s function beyond doctrine

Military analyst Brigadier General Ahmad Hamadeh believes the Syrian army needs more than a defined combat doctrine. It requires the right doctrine, organization, experience, weapons, advanced training, and a proper combat hierarchy.

Hamadeh told Enab Baladi that both Eastern and Western schools define combat doctrine as a set of systems, instructions, and beliefs that enable an army to fight an enemy or achieve objectives derived from the nation’s overarching principles. In other words, doctrine defines the army’s goals and the reasons it fights.

Beyond doctrine, members of the new army must receive extensive training, as no fighter can perform effectively without gaining the skills, experience, and knowledge needed to apply them on the battlefield—whether on land, at sea, or in the air.

This includes different forms of defense and offense, urban and mountain warfare, ambushes, and combat in special environments and forests, each requiring specific tactics and weapons.

Combat doctrine and high morale, Hamadeh said, are decisive in winning battles. They can make a major difference or create balance even when facing an adversary with advanced weaponry.

As for the army’s function, Hamadeh explained that it is not limited to defense. Although it is called the Ministry of Defense, tasked with protecting Syria’s territory and sovereignty, its forces can shift from defense to offense in the event of external aggression or internal threats.

Training, he added, is designed to prepare units for multiple roles beyond defense, driven by the need to safeguard the state, the revolution, the land, and the borders.

The role of defected officers

After the Syrian uprising began in 2011, defections occurred within the army of deposed president Bashar al-Assad. Many defected officers joined the Free Syrian Army, while others stayed away from any armed group.

After the regime’s collapse, the Ministry of Defense formed committees to receive applications from defected officers and organize their records by rank, specialty, and specific criteria. It also recalled those dismissed for security or political reasons.

The ministry told Enab Baladi it considers reintegrating defected officers important due to their accumulated military expertise and knowledge.

The ministry has begun appointing some defected officers to leadership positions under a comprehensive plan to benefit from their skills in building the new Syrian army, with ongoing studies for additional appointments as needed.

According to the ministry, more than 2,000 defected officers have joined the new army out of 3,500 who were interviewed.

Military researcher Rashid Hourani told Enab Baladi that 85 percent of defected officers have been assigned to military departments and units matching their specializations, focusing on organization and training.

Mutaz al-Sayyed said that some defectors have been out of service for long periods, exceeded combat age, or missed periodic qualification, making their roles largely symbolic. Their contributions now focus on training, administrative, logistical, and operational oversight.

Women’s representation in the army

Syrian women volunteered in military colleges for the first time in 1981, following a speech by former president Hafez al-Assad at the graduation ceremony of the third paratrooper class.

Female volunteers trained at the male officers’ war college in 1981 and 1987 until a women’s military academy was established. They did not play combat roles before 2011.

During the Syrian uprising, major changes occurred, and manpower shortages led to increased recruitment of women.

Regarding women’s presence in the new Syrian army, the Ministry of Defense press office told Enab Baladi that the ministry views women as playing a pivotal role in Syrian society across all fields and is developing qualification and training programs that enable their participation in medical, administrative, and technical duties.

The ministry has opened recruitment for academic graduates from engineering and technical institutes to join its workforce.

However, women’s inclusion in combat units is not part of the ministry’s current plan.

Mutaz al-Sayyed said women’s representation in the new Syrian army remains almost nonexistent, limited to administrative and support positions.

Recently, recruitment opened for women in Latakia (northwestern Syria), marking a first step, especially as negotiations between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continue over military integration.

Al-Sayyed said that trained civilian women in first aid, medicine, and military communications technology could contribute to civil-military units supporting the army’s rear bases.

Military researcher Rashid Hourani added that under Assad, women were recruited as a “decorative” element, and their roles did not warrant military ranks. For instance, a mechanical engineer might have been granted a rank. Today, recruitment is based on qualifications rather than rank, allowing women to hold administrative and technological positions.