US Air-to-Air Kill
Combined Joint Task Force-Inherent Resolve (CJTF-IR) reports a US aircraft shot down a Syrian armed Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) after it fired on Coalition forces in Southern Syria today. The UAV was similar to a US MQ-1 Predator, and it was downed after attacking personnel training and advising partner forces in the fight against ISIS.
This follows another successful attack where Coalition Forces destroyed two Syrian “Technical” vehicles, essentially trucks with heavy caliber crew served guns.
“The Coalition’s mission is to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The Coalition does not seek to fight Syrian regime, Russian or pro-regime forces partnered with them. The demonstrated hostile intent and actions of pro-regime forces near Coalition and partner forces in southern Syria, however, continue to concern us and the Coalition will take appropriate measures to protect our forces.”
While not as satisfying as seeing SU-22 Fitter silhouettes painted on a F-14 Tomcat’s tail, this is the first air-to-air kill in about 20 years, and I’m sure the troops on the ground appreciated the effort.
Category: Politics
To bad it wasn’t shot down by an F35, that would justify that junk. (sarc activate)
Could a Flying FUBAR (*OOPS!*, F-35) even fire a shot without falling apart?
Being here, where the F-35 program is being developed, and having talked to both pilots and ground crew, the aircraft is shaping up to be a pretty damned good killing machine. One pilot told me that he really doesn’t understand the criticism, except that most of it comes from either non-military, or non-fighter aircraft people.
Maybe it will eventually be a great aircraft (even though it’s already astoundingly over-budget), but it WILL NOT be the be-all, do-all aircraft it’s being advertised as, and it WILL NEVER replace the A-10!
One wonders who is touting it was a “be all” plane? Last I heard it was supposed to be the “low” part of a high/low mix with the F-22, which they never should have stopped making.
Agreed the process has screwed the pooch. You would think after the F-111 they would have taken the lesson to heart. Next time let the Marines get their separate VTOL aircraft, and if you’re worried about commonality after that make the Air Force order a good Navy design. The AF shouldn’t object, even after the terrible luck they had with the FJ Fury and the Phantom II… [/sarc]
P.S. Something, eventually, will replace the A-10. I suspect it will be unmanned.
Scandal sells papers. Unthinking people eat it up, then repeat it.
I keep reminding people that the M-16, M-1 Abrams and M-2 Bradley all got a lot of bad publicity early on as well, but not many folks like to remember that. It’s too fun finding something to pound on.
We probably spent 80,000 dollars on the ammunition that killed that $10.95 drone.
Ahh, no. Similar to a MQ-1 Predator.
Still makes me wonder on the price tag and even further where it came from. Iran? Or the Syrian Govt? Hezbollah?
Fine question, MSG E. The MQ-1C Gray Eagle was $6.66 million a pop in FY 2016. And I’d bet Iran, but the important part is where it wound up.
As in the bottom of a smoking hole in the ground.
And if any SigInt assets were in the area. *place evil grin here*
So even if they blew $600k on ammo (which I doubt) that’s a good trade-off… 🙂
Good training.
Live fire excercise are the most fun of all military service!
Similar to a MQ-1 … isn’t it interesting how we develop some hardware and not long after …
“Wow! Look at that! It looks just like our (fill in the blank) thingie!”
” … this is the first air-to-air kill in about 20 years, and I’m sure the troops on the ground appreciated the effort.”
I appreciate it and I’m not even getting shot at.
😛
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-1_Predator#Other_users
“The Predator has been licensed for sale to Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.”
Hmmm….
Seems to me it was announced a couple of years ago that an errant Predator had landed in, and captured by, Iran. The phrase “reverse engineering” comes to mind.
Yes, because airplane designs NEVER look alike!
These designs are, what, 20 or 30 years old? Engineers come up with similar solutions to similar problems. By this logic Airbus ripped off Boeing, since they both make tube-shaped airliners with swept wings…
The MQ-1 first flew in 1995. That’s over 20 years ago. The MQ-9 first flew in 2001. That’s 17 years ago. These are not cutting-edge designs.
I must also point out that Israel has been a leader in UAV design for several decades. By this time the basics of UAV design & implementation are common knowledge.
Wanna bring up ISIS’s use of quadcopter drones yet?
Designs which used to be cutting edge, hence limited to real armies with real budgets, has gotten cheap enough that it’s not that hard to buy the stuff. That’s not to mention creative use of things like quadcopters.
So America is shooting down Syrian planes in Syrian airspace and bombing Syrian soldiers and convoys in Syria.
What authority allows us to do that?
Rules of engagement- it fired on Coalition forces, making it a valid target.
Having the biggest balls, the best weaponry, and fighting a common, evil, cause, pretty much determines that we can RETURN FIRE to any force that fires on us.
HOOAH!!
This is a good question. Obummer and Mclaim got us involved in the Syrian civil war before ISIS existed. We have no war authorization to get involved in this civil war and should not be sending weapons or advisors to the region. If we want to declare war on ISIS we should do that.
This president sure did inherit a giant mess. I don’t mind supporting the Kurds but why are we serving as Alqeda’s air force?
Wiping out (or degrading into uselessness) ISIS is a high priority for the US. Destroying their base in Syria helps deprive them of a sanctuary.
As you say, Trump inherited a lousy situation.