Originally Posted by
Sunfish
Would an Su25 engage in a pull up manoeuvre to allow an R60 homing missile to lock on to a higher altitude target? The Russians allege the military aircraft their radar painted began to climb just before MH17 went down.
R60 is IR - would go for an engine. Also a much much smaller warhead (than a BUK), would take out an engine, might not be fatal (much smaller civilian aircraft have survived). It _might_ take out a wing, and I think there are some witness reports of the plane falling with a wing off. However, that wouldn't account for the damage shown to cockpit fuselage panels in the photos, and I am not convinced it would account for breakup of the fuselage at altitude and bodies falling away from the main wreckage. My feeling is a BUK looks a lot more likely.