"Easy pickings" - yes, I agree.
No fighter cover for the Georgians and their Hermes 450 TACTICAL UAS (there's a big difference between this 90kt UAS flown by a non-aviator and a Reaper that can fly at 250kts and operated by an experienced aviator).
Absolutely no reaction from the H450 operator. Any experienced combat pilot would have throttled to idle (minimising the IR signature for the IR guided missile) and descended (being a slow speed target in main beam clutter making a radar guided shot tricky). Finally min ranging the weapons opportunities to the MiG driver by breaking towards it.
Sadly I see none of this from the H450 operator (note not pilot) and they just watch the shot coming until it hits them. First rule of air combat is "never ever give up", this joker gave up before the shot was even fired!
LJ
Last edited by Lima Juliet; 15th Jan 2011 at 21:02.