Originally Posted by
Just This Once...
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The Russian propaganda machine made a strange choice in claiming tactical aircraft dropped free-fall weapons though.
Sounds like misinterpretation.
Can you please elaborate more on what you wrote?
It was written in the Russian "propaganda" (quoted by TEEEJ) that
"F-15 and F-16 aircraft launched air-to-surface missiles. The Tornado airplanes of the UK RAF launched eight Scalp EG missiles."
Isn't it true that both F-15, F-16 and Tornado can carry A2S missiles?
Or, do you call SCALP and, e.g. AGM-158B and likes "free fall weapons"?
Originally Posted by
Just This Once...
....
The absence of successful SAM engagements against these mystery aircraft is also going to be difficult to explain.
It was immediately mentioned after the strike that "coalition" aircraft did not approach the Syrian AD complexes close enough so these AD means were shooting at missiles only. The Syrians were talking about ranges of 10-25 km (mentioning Buk).
Neither the above aircraft were threatening (long-range) Russian SAMs in north-western part of Syria (as it was agreed prior to the strike), so there was no need to use them at all.