You missed our ill-judged venture into the Sudan in 1882 of your list. I'm sure there are others too.

Back on topic, this is looking like a deconfliction cock-up, the Isralis only gaving the Russians minimal notice of their intent. Could well of been deliberate of course, suggesting the air defences in the area have been improved, and that the Syrian military is moving valued kit to to the area to better protect it.

It has been confirmed in the Russian media that the Syrians shot it down using an old S-200 SAM. The bodies and aircraft fragments and debris are being collected by the Russian ships.
The Israeli aircraft played a simple trick approaching the shore nearly along the line-of-sight between the S-200 and Il-20 and warning the Russians about their intended attack just 1 min in advance through a "hot line" (as Russian media say). It was reported that it was too late to remove a slow Il-20 from the dangerous area.
The Russians are angry about Israel. Anyway, the Syrians are to be blamed in the first instance, IMHO.

Politics aside.

Thoughts to the crew.

They are airmen like the rest of us.

Assume you know this from Russian media reports?

Could have been pre-planned, opportunistic or just plain old happenstance - we will, of course, never know. Either way the Syrians must have known there was a rather large, slow friendly in the area.

Well once the SAMs had been launched, it was ...

IFF can be fooled:
https://www.dlab.ninja/2012/04/mig-in-middle.html

I was told the Il-20 was doing a photographic survey of local cathederals for a forthcoming RT feature documentary, but wasn't able to get closer because of all that snow.

PDR

When you're in cahoots with the target, that's all the warning you're going to get.

Anyway, Putin was rather "mild" talking about this tragedy while addressing condolences to the families. He called it a tragic accident that cannot be compared with deliberate shooting by a Turkish plane a couple of years ago.

Perhaps the Israelies got sick of Ivan tipping off the Syrians about targets and finding the target has moved or defences have been alerted or even enhanced and chose to shorten the warning time?
i wonder if the IDF/AF hit their target in spite of an Ilyushin possibly running interference?
Be lucky
David

Using air corridors and approach paths is a well used tactic, one the Israeli have used several times before.

It was also a similar S-200 (SA-5) system that downed an Israeli F-16I not so long time ago.

Eerily, one of the early novels about a nuclear apocalypse and the aftermath, Alas, Babylon, triggers its war with an errant Sidewinder missile firing over...... Latakia, Syria. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alas,_Babylon

59 years on, and still the sore festers.

Nomad, more like a Britannia, than the Vanguard.






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Most likely the COOT was not sniffing for red systems. The SA-5 was designed to hit transport size/type targets like the COOT, and I don't think the COOT is carrying any type of counter measures. Furthermore, even with some RWR gear available and indication of an inbound missile, the COOT i to slow to defeat the missile by maneuvers alone.

F16Guy, I would be surprised if they filtered out friendlies, more likely their systems were shut down if they were on recovery. Not unusual to unload the 'take' once off task ready for a quick seaplane and into analysis and debrief.

Reasonably sure that, once detected / sufficient time, the SA-5 can be defeated by a manoeuvring large aircraft...