Fencer Shot Down

[Thogey]

The incident is very interesting. Part of me, the dark sick part, says cool!. I thought the days of air to air combat were over.

The Su-24 (Fencer)is a very old airframe, a bit older than the F-16 fighting falcon. It is surprising the Russians, with all their new super badd-ass fighters are actually using these in combat.

The Turks probably used aim-9s,(sidewinder) about a $75K missile. These are a great value. I'll be sorry to see the F-16 leave our inventory. Other than the P-51, it is probably the best, all around, combat aircraft ever built.

You will probably see more advanced Russian planes entering the fray.

[AdamsSamoa]

Thought it was a FrogFoot... Any way Fighter (F-16) vs bomber SU-24...

My Bad... Srogfoot is the SU-25.... Always liked that name.

[Thogey]

Yea I guess it really wasn't a fair fight.

Su-24 was kind of a counter punch to F-111s. They used to call these things Fighter/Bombers. These were the weapons Reagan used against Kadaffi in 85 in retaliation for a Paris night club terrorist attack.
Although I'm not sure I've ever heard of an F-111 air to air victory.
They SU-24s had multiple counter air capabilities chaff flares air to air missiles.
Plus they can really haul ass. I'm curious how the combat sequence went down. This SU24 was probably nor rigged for an air engagement here.
According to the news the Russian crew was not surprised. They probably did not expect and air engagement though.

We will see an increased Russian fighter presence in the area. You can expect more of this.

[68Camaro]

The facts are always hard to come by for us peons but I suspect the Russians have been pushing the limits of Turkish airspace in that part of Turkey that sticks into North Syria. At that location you can fly from Syria into and out of Turkey back into Syria while traveling in a straight line, and whether on purpose or by accident the Turks apparently decided they were tired of it.

Syria 2015. Serbia 1914. Scary comparison. It's a fused powder keg with way too many insane people holding lit matches.

[knibloe]

I was saddened to hear that the pilots were shot after they had ejected. It is one thing to down the plane, but sad that at least one of them was killed.

[blackrabbit]

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_125052.htm

NATO supports the shoot down, and is not in contact with Russia. The cold war is heating up.

It should be mentioned that many ISIS fighters come through Turkey and Turkey is the primary destination for ISIS oil "smuggling".
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/24/vladimir-putin-turkey-isis-terrorists-warplane-analysis