"What Would a Naval Clash over Syria Look Like?" Topic

"It feels like 1973 again in the Mediterranean Sea. That's when the Soviet Navy administered a rude shock to Western navies in the Eastern Mediterranean, deploying a squadron that outnumbered the Italy-based U.S. Sixth Fleet during that year's Arab-Israeli war. America sided with Israel, the Soviet Union with the Arab powers. For a time it appeared the Yom Kippur War might ensnare the superpower navies. In other words, war between small Middle East allies might embroil the U.S. Navy and Soviet Navy in combat.

Sound familiar? What appeared unthinkable not that many years ago—a Russian-American naval war—now looms as a distinct possibility. The Trump administration has vowed to punish the Syrian regime headed by "Animal Assad" for using chemical weapons against the regime's enemies. For its part, Vladimir Putin's government has vowed to protect its protégé from American assault. War could ensue if Washington and Moscow persevere with their stated aims…"
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Today … the Syrian Navy would not be much of a threat to NATO Air & Naval assets. But the Russians would be going against the those NATO ships & planes in the Med. I.e. primarily the US, UK, France and maybe Italy … I'd think. Probably would be short and messy. Especially for the Russians. They don't have the assets in the Med[or at all] to take on US lead NATO by sea & air.

And just for the practice, to "secure their borders", etc. The IDF may have take out the Syrian AF & Navy. Just to be "safe" …

When I played a bunch of Harpoon, the catch phrase was "Eggshells armed with sledgehammers."

Russia has a decrepit navy with exception of its subs. Need to worry more about land based aircraft in Syria IMO.