Honestly, all this wingman's interview sound fishy.

A_Van, good points on MANPAD origins; it's been some years, but I recall seeing some info on the North Koreans selling MANPADS to selected customers for a number of years. Been over a decade since I saw this, but as you say the black market is alive and well.

Lonewolf, in case it's "Igla"[SA-18 Grouse], no question, it can be any source from about 36 countries it was officially imported + black market. But IF it has US (or other NATO country) origin...

Sadly as far as the political big picture is concerned it probably doesn't really matter who the OEM of the MANPAD really is/was when you take into account who is carrying out the investigation.

Even if it is of Russian or Chinese origin I really wouldn't be surprised to see the investigation coming back with a US or NATO origin as that is most likely to fit the required political agenda.

Someone is probably searching the shelves for enough bits to back the story already.


I say Chinese because IMHO everything that NK does is done following a quiet nod/request from their neighbours.

Last two days added on Israeli F16 and one Tukish heli downed in Syria.

My condolences to the family and friends of the pilot, what a sad but brave way to go, far better than what they had no doubt planned for him, one would imagine it will make those attempting to take pilots in the future more cautious and may aid their survival chances.

"I say Chinese because IMHO everything that NK does is done following a quiet nod/request from their neighbours."

Plenty of evidence that hat isn't true - NK goes it's own way - especially for $$$ sales
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/27/chin...e-decline.html

" The decades-long strategic relationship between Beijing and Pyongyang is looking increasingly strained.

Traditionally reluctant to coerce Pyongyang, but under heavy pressure from Washington, the world's second-largest economy has been increasingly clamping down on its historical ally. Beijing has banned domestic lenders from doing business with North Korean clients in addition to halting certain exports in compliance with international sanctions — recent figures, however, showed a 3.7 percent annual increase in bilateral trade during the first nine months of the year.

The Chinese are increasingly realizing the North's nuclear program is harming Asian security, Renmin University associate professor Cheng Xiaohe told the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in a recent podcast.

But tensions between Xi and Kim aren't new. Since Kim came to power, the bilateral relationship has entered a period of abnormal relations marked by a decline in economic ties and lack of political solidarity, Cheng said.