Coalition Plane Crashes in Syria

[Sun Who]

IS claims it has shot down a Jordanian fighter jet and captured the pilot. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-30596474)

Not good if true. Potentially a lot of political capital for IS. Although, it could spin either way given Jordan is an Arab state.

Sun.

[Could be the last?]

Unfortunately, I don't think the 24 hrs in the 'Monkey House' will be prep enough for our guys, if they find themselves in a similar situation!

May his God protect him.

[rh200]

Hmm, wonder how they will play it? quick beheading on Youtube, or milk it for all its worth. I guess it will come down to how they think the Jordanians will play it.

[dctyke]

Rh 200, would you be saying the same choice words if it was a raf pilot, show some respect.

[Wander00]

Good luck to the pilot. May his God go with him

[Simplythebeast]

That Pilot must be going through hell. As will his family. He is from the Coalition and as such is one of the good guys. He has my respect and I hope by some miracle he gets through this.

[MPN11]

My deepest sympathy to the pilot and his family. I cannot even imagine what he will be undergoing.

As Dave Allen used to say, "May your God go with you."

[downsizer]

If it were me, I'd want a 500lb'er on my location ASAP. Fcuk letting them have their fun with me.

[Nige321]

Do the Jordanians (or any others) have CSAR in reach?

Can't imagine he's going to have an easy time...:(

[Beermonkey]

Echo dctyke's words - let's not have anymore retarded commentary please. This is a brother pilot, which means something to some of us here.

Inshallah, his ordeal may be swiftly over.

[AreOut]

CSAR? I doubt that would work in the middle of their stronghold...you'd only lose more people.

[NutLoose]

Such awful news, one hopes he eventually gets home to his family.

[smujsmith]

Bad news indeed, particularly considering the brutality of the terrorists who may be holding him. Let's hope that Jordan can come up with a prisoner trade or another such deal. It certainly brings home the terrible consequences of having to abandon your aircraft over IS held territory. There's no doubt that the guys patrolling and operating there deserve our respect. Let's hope this brave man is released unharmed.

Smudge

[VinRouge]

Downsizer, I would wish for a fekking Moab, smack bang in the middle of raqqa.

Thoughts with him, his sqn mukkas and his family. :(

[pr00ne]

Vinrouge,

Are you turned on by indiscriminate mass murder and mutilation?

Do hope thus guy is either rescued (unlikely) exchanged (being an Arab might help here) or has a swift end.

Thoughts to all in harms way.

[barnstormer1968]

All I can say is that I hope this man has the easiest time that can be possible ahead of him.

My prayers are with him and his family.

[dagenham]

Let's hope that the feeling of goodwill does spread and trust his God goes with him.

Today of all days should remind us all of brothers we have temporarily lost contact with and why we invest time and our lives to try to get them back.

When we succeed it makes it all that easier to go on the next one, knowing we don't leave anyone behind.

[rh200]

Rh 200, would you be saying the same choice words if it was a raf pilot, show some respect.

Has nothing to do with disrespect for the pilot, got every thing to do with disrespect for the enemy. I would say the same thing if it was a RAAF pilot.

The fact is we are dealing with scum, and I guess as pilot in those circumstances are do you really want to be captured alive by them.

[Chesty Morgan]

Rh 200, would you be saying the same choice words if it was a raf pilot, show some respect.

Well in that case it's called the Royal Air Force, or if you must the R.A.F. Show some respect!

[jolihokistix]

Three people alluded above to 'his God'. I find this dangerously divisive, and gives the ignorant on both sides an excuse to see a gap where none exists.

As it is often said, there is no God but God. Muslims who think Allah is somehow different or superior are a) without experience of God and b) blaspheming under the tenets of their faith.

The only difference between the God of Abraham is the way that so-called 'believers' of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths dress him up and decorate him, and the books and scriptures they write.

Allah=Jehovah=God.

The various messengers, apostles, prophets etc., bless their little cotton socks, are a different matter, and allowed to be different.

Just saying... :p

And praying that he will one day be reunited with his family. Honour between enemies, etc.

[Roland Pulfrew]

Interesting, I see some anti Assad censorship on the site. The pro-Assad comments have been removed, whilst the pro-terrorist ones have stayed. Apologies for the topic creep; thoughts still with a brother pilot and his family.

[Tourist]

Jolihokisix

What are you wittering about?

Who cares which sky fairy people are deluded enough to believe in?

Poor guy on our side is deeply in the poo and the one thing I can assure you is that his fate is in human hands.

[Sun Who]

This is the poor bugger we're talking about:

Moaz Youssef al-Kasasbeh



Born in the city of Karak in Jordan in 1988, he is 26 years old
Has been a Royal Jordanian Air Force pilot for six years
Currently holds the rank of flight lieutenant
One of eight children, he got married in July


http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/79931000/jpg/_79931371_0a385bc0-573d-4b8b-96e6-ed609a5c36cd.jpg

[rh200]

Has anyone heard anymore about how it happened. There seems to be a bit of confusion on that, mechanical failure?

[ShotOne]

Roland, well said! JoliH, if you find reference to "his God" divisive, that's nothing to the IS view. Those Muslims who have adopted "Western" ways, including their "brother" Arabs, are every bit as loathsome in their eyes as we are.

[Basil]

dctyke and Beermonkey, If you are Air Force then I feel that your comments to rh200 were a little harsh; if you are not, then they don't count at all.

I recollect, as an RAF pilot, about fifty years ago, a training manual about aircrew escape & evasion and interrogation. The last sentence: 'You may be captured by a savage enemy who is not signatory to the Geneva Convention; that is the price of freedom and democracy.' As chilling then as the plight of Lt al-Kaseasbeh is now.

[SRMman]

What are those components being held up in one of the news photos - do they look like they're from an F16?

[Danny42C]

It has long been known that a religious maniac with a sharp sword is the worst of all enemies, and that is what we are faced with here. Any appeal to their humanity is vain; they might negotiate over an offer of an immense ransom, but we have rightly set our face against this, for: "if you pay anyone Danegeld, you never get rid of the Dane" (Kipling) - your nationals become the hostages of choice. The only hope is: he is more valuable to them alive than dead.

So it's a case of God (of your particular belief) help him, for no human power can do so now.

I would think our Intelligence is working overtime to discover what kind of weapon (if it was a weapon) was used, for if it can claw down a Jordanian modern ground attack aircraft, a Tornado (a 40+ year old design) might be next.

We were supremely confident in the invulnerability of the U-2 until one day over Smolensk....

D.

[dagenham]

I only mentioned his God in the same terms dave Allen said may your God go with you.. It's a personal choice and a personal relationship with almighty

[Sop_Monkey]

I would like to have a cyanide capsule to chew on if these animals come to rescue me.

[Lima Juliet]

I do wish the BBC and others would get ranks right - it even shows it on his captured ID, so it isn't that hard!

He is a 1st Lieutenant "MOLAZIM AWAL" (ملازم أول) which is the second rank of officer in Royal Jordanian Air Force. It is portrayed by two stars on the shoulder which are clearly visible on his rank slides.

Anyway, back to the main thrust of the thread. Good luck old boy and I'm thinking/hoping things turn out for the best for you.

LJ

[ShotOne]

So much for sanitising his uniform before flying into harms way.

Odd that we can sympathise personally with the dreadful plight of someone when they have a job we can relate to, while other unfortunates in the region are mentioned only as obstructions to whacking the bad guys if at all.

[Sun Who]

Danny 42C said:

I would think our Intelligence is working overtime to discover what kind of weapon (if it was a weapon) was used, for if it can claw down a Jordanian modern ground attack aircraft, a Tornado (a 40+ year old design) might be next.Islamic State did not shoot down Jordan plane, says US (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-30600500)



Sun.

[AreOut]

so who shot it down and how would they know it anyway? Assad SAM bases are now far from Raqqa.

Also any MANPAD has chance to take down an F16 flying relatively low, flares will not work every time.

[Sun Who]

I think the implication is that it wasn't shot down. Possibly the crash was caused by factors other than enemy action?

Sun.

[Hempy]

Yes, but the US would probably say that anyway, for a variety of reasons. Unless the NTSB have checked the wreckage..

[Pontius Navigator]

Henry, the problem with denial is what to say when the evidence is produced.

They were caught out when they denied the truth of the U2 shoot down.

[Sun Who]

Hempy said:

Yes, but the US would probably say that anyway, for a variety of reasons. Unless the NTSB have checked the wreckage.. True and in this instance, I have no special info. However, if the pilot made calls prior to the aircraft crashing, outlining issues with the airframe that had nothing to do with enemy action, then the cause would be known. I'm not saying that's what happened, but it seems as likely as ISIS successfully engaging a Jordanian fighter, at altitude.

Sun.

[AreOut]

small chance it happened exactly over Raqqa, also this was probably not the first time they fired a missile, one had to hit

[Sun Who]

Maybe, maybe not. If the aircraft was performing on-call air interdiction, then much of its airborne time may have been over Raqqa. There again, as you say, maybe they just got lucky.

Sun.

[Danny42C]

Roland Pulfrew (your #21),

Perhaps it's beginning to dawn that Assad has the only "boots on the ground" available to deal with ISIS.

Turkey is standing aside; Israel is very wisely concentrating on self-defence (unless her security is threated).

The West is all talk and no action (the US will not deploy troops and we can't).

That's about the size of it.

Danny.

[Roland Pulfrew]

Danny

I know. What I was talking about was that pr00ne's post criticising the democratically elected leader in Syria has remained, but several posts pointing out that the terrorists are just as guilty of slaughter, in fact who are probably even more indiscriminate and more evil, have been deleted by censors unknown.

Let's face it "we" have backed the wrong side in Syria, just like we did in Egypt and Libya. And I still hope our brother pilot is reunited, unharmed, with his family.

[Richard G]

Not that surprised given the Kingdom are flying very old hand me down Falcons (no pun intended), suppose it was only a matter of time though and it can happen to anyone, even with shiny new kit...

Saudi's will probably pay 'ransom' on behalf of the Kingdom (behind the scenes) with a prisoner exchange, and he will be home in a few months...(think positive)

Photos circulated in the media show CAVOK at the time so rather surprising the bad guys were not targeted by all manner of "assets" to prevent capture and give enough time for a CSAR EVAC... then again perhaps we have far less "assets" on station at anyone time than I am led to believe...