Air to Air kill over Raqqa
 

CNN reporting that a US F18 splashed a Syrian SU22 which was attacking US backed forces near Raqqa.

https://cdn.liveleak.com/80281E/ll_a_s/2017/Jun/18/LiveLeak-dot-com-e2d_1497820763-21478648_0_1497820773.jpg?oIYq6gQ7kTvhdjpRhteacvyOcrXLTT1iT-LDwu5E2d02meVeGDFa9h3aYykjf7N8&ec_rate=499

Interesting. First US Navy air to air since first gulf war I believe. Guess carrying those sidewinders and AIM-120's over Syria was a good idea after all...

A fine illustration of the mess in and around Syria.
After consulting my dance card, I am not sure who these people are.
Splitters?

US supported coalition of Kurds and Syrian Arab fighters. The Kurds are drawn from the PYD/YPG groupings which Turkey claims (with just reason) are linked to the PKK terrorists in Turkey. The authorities (Met Police) are very active against the PKK in the UK - mainly London.

Simples!

Has any Western Air Force fighter ever been shot down by another fighter in the Middle East ?

The last time a Royal Air Force fighter, flown by a Royal Air Force pilot, shot down another fighter was in 1948. It was a Spitfire on Spitfire engagement, believed to be Israeli but turned out to be Egyptian.

Cazalet, I read the question the other way around. An RAF fighter was shot down by Israeli aircraft in 1949 (one of 5 lost)

The loss of a F-18 to a Iraqi MiG-25 on the first night of GW1



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Speicher

Unless anyone knows different this is what happened ?

An that was my old 14 Sqn Boss Tim McElhaw.

westernhero: thanks for that, I'd not seen that point being made before by someone who was on the mission.

F-14 / F-18E
 

Su-22s have provided first-for-the-type kill opportunities for US Navy aircraft for 36 years now!

Russia warns US-led coalition over downing of Syrian jet
 

In The Graudian:-

As I posted on JB, somewhat edited:
The Russian response is unfortunate, but it is quite understandable. The situation is a many vs many with a variety of people backing various factions and thus creating chances for error/getting in each other's way. (see the Turk/Russian issue of a shoot down last year)
A variety of forces on the ground are getting air support: except for air support by SAF for Assad's forces, all air support seems to be sourced from various outsiders. Given the mess that this whole thing is, I'd say that something like this was bound to happen. (The Turk F-16 on the Frogger was a clue).


Assad doesn't trust "the West" with much of anything, so an overture like "hey, let's all gang up on the ISIS crew and sort the rest of this out later" is a likely no-sale transaction. Therefore, the many vs many continues.

You are the pilot of a fast jet, and you see some aircraft attacking your ally from the air, or setting up for another target run? What do you do?

I wonder if there was a better way to deal with this than "weapons free" given that (I think) this happened in Syrian Airspace (more or less). Probably not. I suspect this engagement fit a clear RoE.



President Trump authorized the Tomahawk attack on a Syrian air base (some months back, vis a vis the chem weapons attack, reported to be from that base) and I suspect that (given the SU-22 being the delivery platform for that event (alleged)) someone's logic chain at the CJTF (or in DC, since Micro Management is alive and well) was "we are preventing a gas attack" or something like that. Might just have been "stop the attack on our allied ground forces."

It's A Big Freaking Mess that Just Got Messier. :ugh:

What could go wrong with President chump in charge ?

Guns or missile??

I believe British a/c will be targeted also.

Have we heard from the Pprune Moscow bureau yet?

Anyway, I see the RAAF are staying on the ground for a bit now...

Less expensive than getting blown out the sky i guess. I thought the ozzies had bigger b**** than that but seems i'm wrong.

Dan Brown

I am sure the Australian serving personnel will do whatever is required of them. Political masters on the other hand..........

Also, perhaps having a pause to think about the situation may not go astray. Lonewolf put it very well "It's A Big Freaking Mess that Just Got Messier."