As reports emerged claiming that Saudi Arabia plans to provide sophisticated arms to Syrian rebels to try to tip the balance in the war to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, opposing voices rose up as Russia warned the Kingdom against such a move, saying it would endanger security across the Middle East and beyond.

One question is vital to be asked: What are these ‘feared’ arms purportedly capable of changing the balance of forces?

The US-made FIM-92 Stinger is a surface-to-air missile designed to attack aircraft from the ground. This light, portable and easy-to-use missile had gained reputation during Afghanistan’s first war, enabling the mujahideen fighters to destroy the most feared weapon in the Soviet arsenal, a Hind attack helicopter. Stinger, which can hit aircraft traveling at nearly 16,000 feet, empowered the U.S. military to shoot down 270 aircraft over the past 29 years.

The SA-7 is a shoulder-launched antiaircraft missile that was first developed by the Soviet army in 1967. This portable weapon needs no more than six seconds to be fired and uses a heat-detection system to pursue a plane. The missile self-destructs after 14 to 17 seconds of flight if it misses its target. The SA-7 can reach altitudes of up to 12,000 feet, and can be accurately launched from more than two miles away.

Although the China-made FN-6 air defense system has been scarcely spread in Syria, it inflicted great losses to the regime’s warplanes. This missile can shoot down any aircraft traveling at a speed not exceeding 440m/second.

Another China-developed surface-to-air missile is the QW-3 that is deemed as the equivalent of the French Mistral. This missile which is only fired from a launchpad adopts the semi-active laser guidance system.