"Military plane" down near Bahrain: CNN
 

CNN TV "Newsbar" reporting a "military" aircraft down near Bahrain. No details at all on their site. Anything further?

Prayers for a quick and safe rescue.

Bahrain aircraft down
 

The first loss of a Bahrain Air Force F16 was reported in the local press today. Unofficially it was in the sea at night, almost certainly fatal, possibly the Squadron boss. My source says the water is too deep at the sight for normal divers to get down. Disorientation?

From the Gulf Daily News (one of Bahrain's 2 English Language newspapes)

International search underway for missing Bahraini F-16 pilot


By ROBERT SMITH

MANAMA:

An international search and rescue operation was underway yesterday to locate a missing Bahraini jet which disappeared on Saturday night.Its pilot, who has been named by relatives as 38-year-old Abdulaziz Snan Al Dossary, was also still missing yesterday.

Bahraini, American and Australian rescue teams have been involved in patrols to the north of Bahrain, where the F-16 vanished from radar screens.

"We co-ordinated efforts between several US ships and Bahraini ships," US Naval Forces Central Command spokesman Commander Hal Pittman told the GDN yesterday.

"There were also US, Bahraini and Australian aircraft involved in the search."

The Royal Bahrain Air Force jet is thought to have gone down during a routine training flight over the northern Gulf.

It is said to be one of around 20 F-16s bought by Bahrain from the US.

"We lost contact at around 8pm on Saturday when the plane disappeared from radar," Bahrain military sources told the GDN yesterday.

"The number of search operations is growing.

"Everyone in the area has been involved in the search."

Two US Navy ships, a US Coastguard ship and several Bahraini ships - including the Bahrain Coastguard - were involved in rescue efforts.

Helicopters and patrol aircraft were also deployed to the area.

The cause of the accident is still unknown.

...ends...

From a local Middle Eastern newspaper...
 

"Manama - Bahrain denied a report in a Kuwaiti newspaper that one of its military pilots defected to Iran in a Bahraini Air Force F16 that went missing last month. "The information published in AL Qabas newspaper, citing diplomatic sources, concerning the loss of an F16 and a Bahraini pilot are baseless." an Army spokesman said.

The rest of the article covered the history of the incident and that a Brit company specialising in underwater salvage is still assisting in the search and recovery of the jet.

The Al Qabas newspaper reported on Thursday the 9th that the Bahraini pilot had feld and was seeking political asylum.

The plot thickens....

:cool: