View Full Version : SAM fired at FAF Atlantique in Chad
24th Oct - PARIS, France (Reuters) -- A ground-to-air missile was fired at a French military aircraft on a reconnaissance mission in eastern Chad, but missed its target, the French armed forces said on Tuesday.
"Yesterday morning an Atlantique 2 patrol plane on an observation mission in eastern Chad detected a missile being fired. The plane was not hit," armed forces spokesman Christophe Prazuck said, adding that it was not known who fired the missile.
Rebels have attacked two towns in eastern Chad in recent days and appeared to be moving across the mostly desert country towards the capital N'Djamena, recalling a lightning assault on the city in April in which hundreds were killed.
L1A2 discharged
25th Oct 2006, 07:08
Must be time to surrender then, before moving on to collaboration.
mutleyfour
25th Oct 2006, 07:42
Or maybe its time to sell them hoardes of French armaments and then walk quietly away and leave it for Team America (**** Yeah) to deal with it!
tablet_eraser
25th Oct 2006, 13:52
Maybe it's time for Chiraq to do an "Ivorian" and order the FAF to annihilate the Chadian Air Force/Army on the ground...
brickhistory
25th Oct 2006, 14:00
Or maybe its time to sell them hoardes of French armaments and then walk quietly away and leave it for Team America (**** Yeah) to deal with it!
:ok:
Although, we don't really 'do' Africa, sorry.
West Coast
25th Oct 2006, 16:22
Neither does Europe. They'll talk a lot about it though.
Looks like the French Air Force and Army are a bit close to the action in Chad...
N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - Chadian rebels said on Tuesday they shot down a government military plane with a captured ground-to-air missile in fighting near the eastern town of Abeche, which they briefly seized at the weekend.
"The plane was shot down by a missile launched by our forces. It was attacking our positions," Mahamat Nouri, leader of the rebel Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD), told Reuters by satellite telephone.
A military source in Chad said a plane appeared to be missing in action after it failed to return to the air base in Abeche after a sortie on Tuesday morning, but he could not give any further details........
Foreign diplomats said they believed the plane shot down was one of two aircraft, thought to be Italian-made Marquetti fighters, which Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had made available to Chad's military in recent days to counter the rebel threat.
UFDD spokesman Ali Ahmat told Reuters the plane was shot down during fighting with government forces 40 km (25 miles) west of Abeche. He said a government helicopter had also been shot down, but that claim could not immediately be confirmed......
Nouri, a former defense minister who has turned against President Idriss Deby, said his men shot down the plane at around 6 a.m. (0500 GMT) with an anti-aircraft missile. "It was a SAM-7 missile which we took from Abeche at the weekend," Nouri said.
He said the aircraft had been bombing UFDD positions in the region of Abeche, the main town in eastern Chad which the UFDD occupied for 24 hours on Saturday before government forces re-established control.
Abeche is a major base for Chad's armed forces and is also used by a French military contingent, including a squadron of Mirage fighters, stationed in the central African country..........
N'DJAMENA, Chad (AP)- French troops, who have a base in the area 885 kilometers (550 miles) east of the capital, N'djamena, deployed to protect Abeche's airport and some 150 foreigners seeking refugee in an aircraft hanger there. Tuesday, about 50 foreigners and a few Chadians boarded two French military planes for evacuation to the capital....
Neither does Europe. They'll talk a lot about it though.
Yes we do. We send them countless millions of £ in aid, both government and charity. This then goes into the coffers of tinpot dictators so that they can buy more weapons to kill more enemy and civillians and the food and clothing go to his armies. This inturn can help create a bigger humanitarian disaster ....wash....rinse....repeat.
See, we do lots and lots...spiffing, lets have another rock concert.
The Helpful Stacker
28th Nov 2006, 15:55
Yes we do. We send them countless millions of £ in aid, both government and charity. This then goes into the coffers of tinpot dictators so that they can buy more weapons to kill more enemy and civillians and the food and clothing go to his armies. This inturn can help create a bigger humanitarian disaster ....wash....rinse....repeat.
See, we do lots and lots...spiffing, lets have another rock concert.
Sierra Leone turned out ok, but then again the mainland Europeans weren't really involved.;)
Rossian
28th Nov 2006, 16:42
I think if you do a little bit of digging that you will find that the Aeronavale (for it is they who operate the Atlantique 2) has spent a great deal of time in Africa; even from the days of the Atlantique 1. During the Rwanda crisis I remember seeing a news clip of French Paras going into somewhere or other and on the far side of the tactical Transall was an Atlantique. Doing what? I have my thoughts but I suggest you try and ask them.
The Ancient Mariner
LeCrazyFrog
28th Nov 2006, 16:58
Hang on I've got a better idea...
Why not wait for the yanks to declare Chad on the axis of evil, watch them send countless troops with lots of flash-whizz-bang gadgets they don't know how to use, watch how they make a right mess out of the country and observe how the brits follow them like a poodle...
That should do it :D :ok: :p
Rossian
28th Nov 2006, 20:17
Sorry LeCrazyFrog
Your reaction is as far wide of the mark as the atavistic anti-French comments in previous posts. We need to be prepared to accept the professionalism and skills of other people's military as on a par with our own. They may do things slightly differently from us but that does NOT diminish their capability. I speak having flown frequently with other Nato maritime crews and sailed with the French submarine service. Let's try and get away from the cheap "let's blame the French" mentality and jibes.
The Ancient Mariner
The French must be involved in more wars than we are. As well as being on the front lines in Chad, they´re in combat in the Central African Republic. Purely in self defence of course, I mean they flew in, were just doing a bit of the tourist thing and got fired at, what else could they do but return fire to defend themselves...
I love that phrase, "in an operation where we were present". I´ll remember that, it could come in useful in future... :E :E
PARIS, Nov 28 (Reuters (http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=L28169067&WTmodLoc=World-C4-Crisis-3)) - Government troops in Central African Republic, backed by French forces, have launched an offensive to retake a northeast town from rebels, and have recaptured its airport, a French military spokesman said on Tuesday.
French armed forces spokesman Christophe Prazuck said French troops fired in self defence during the operation on Monday to retake Birao, capital of Vakaga prefecture, which was seized on Oct. 30 by rebels opposed to CAR President Francois Bozize. "The Central African Republic defence minister has announced the retaking of Birao airport in an operation where we were present," Prazuck told reporters in Paris.
He said a French military transport plane flew the Central African Republic troops up to Birao, which is located more than 800 km (500 miles) northeast of Bangui in remote, rugged country. French troops led an intelligence operation to ensure the Birao airstrip was safe before the troops disembarked, Prazuck added.
"During this operation, the troops were attacked and retaliated. So French troops shot in self defence at rebels who were attacking them," he said........
Pontius Navigator
29th Nov 2006, 07:56
This could explain the KC135F flying in the weeds ne c'est pas?
As for European aid lining the pockets of tinpot dictators, surely not. I thought they banked it in Swiss Banks and spent the pocket mney in Knightsbridge.
Now if the Israelies bought 'arrods :}