Iran's "spy-in-the-sky" gone! How sad!

DEBKAfile ^

[Daviddownunderinnz]

loses its only AWACS as Ahmadinejad threatens the world DEBKAfile Exclusive Report

23 Sept. Up above a big military parade in Tehran on Tuesday, Sept. 22, as Iranian president declared Iran's armed forces would chop off the hands of any power daring to attack his country, two air force jets collided in mid-air - one Iran's only airborne warning and control system (AWACS) for coordinating long-distance aerial operations, DEBKAfile's military and Iranian sources disclose. As the soldiers marched past, followed by a line of Shehab-3 missiles and an air force fly-past, planned to give Ahmadinejad a dazzling send-off for New York and add steel to his UN Assembly speech, the AWACS' collided with one of escorting planes, a US-made F-5E. Both crashed to the ground in flames. All seven crewmen were killed. The loss of this airborne control system has left Iran's air force and air and missile defenses without "electronic eyes" for surveillance of the skies around its borders.

[Daviddownunderinnz]

Looks like the way is now clear to wipe them out!

[AFreeBird]

The F5E has an override that allows the US to send commands to the autopilot. We told the F5 to crash into the AWACS. :)

[FUBO]

Shame the debris didn’t fall on I’mANutJob

[PIF]

Where it landed is bigger symbol that hitting Lil' WackJob - hitting the Original Carter-Made WackJob. Eye witnesses reported that the flaming planes landed on the mausoleum burial site of the Islamic revolution's founder Ruhollah Khomeini, a national shrine. According to Western observers, no distress signals came from either cockpit indicating that the collision and explosions were sudden and fast. DEBKAfile's military sources say the disaster was a serious blow to the Iranian Air Force not long after its first and only AWACS went into service in April 2008. It was a renovated version of the Russian Ilyushin 76, part of Saddam Hussein's air force before it was transferred to Iran in 1991 during the first Gulf War. Tehran hired Russian technicians to carry out renovations and install up-to-date radar. At the launching ceremony of the upgraded AWACS, Air Force commander Brig. Gen. Ahmad Miqani boasted its new radar systems were made in Iran and able to spot any airplane or missile at a distance of 1,000 kilometers from Iran's borders. The loss of this airborne control system has left Iran's air force and air and missile defenses without "electronic eyes" for surveillance of the skies around its borders.

[driftdiver]

Your link didnt work.

[EternalVigilance]

Considering the source, who knows what any of the facts about anything are here.

But, from a military standpoint, the idea that ONE AWACS could do much of anything to protect an entire country the size of Iran is ludicrous.

[Steely Tom]

Russia will sell’em a new (slightly used) one for 10x the fair price. Obama won’t lift a finger to stop them, nor will anybody else.

[Joe Boucher]

Do not bet russia doesn’t lend them one real quickly.

[mkjessup]

Eye witnesses reported that the flaming planes landed on the mausoleum burial site of the Islamic revolution's founder Ruhollah Khomeini, a national shrine.

Ol' Ruhollah can't catch a break, when he finally croaked off from cancer of the colon, the mobs of frenzied mourners almost dumped his body out of the cheap casket and into the street, NOW they get a reminder that the Assahollah is indeed, burning in Hell on Satan's "Crispy Critter" setting.

Looks good on him.

[csvset]

Eye witnesses reported that the flaming planes landed on the mausoleum burial site of the Islamic revolution's founder Ruhollah Khomeini, a national shrine

A bad omen. They'll have to slaughter some goats or something to make up for that.

[wally_bert]

[BuffaloJack]

> Shame the debris didn’t fall on I’mANutJob
Eye witnesses reported that the flaming planes actually landed on the mausoleum burial site of the Islamic revolution’s founder Ayatolla Ruhollah Khomeini, a national shrine.
http://israelinsider.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2018399%3ABlogPost%3A47120

[Daviddownunderinnz]

Sorry, this is the link again. It is for week ending 25 September, 2009

http://www.debka.com/

[SampleMan]

But, from a military standpoint, the idea that ONE AWACS could do much of anything to protect an entire country the size of Iran is ludicrous.

Generally true, although it could have been useful against the Israelis, given their limited avenues of approach. That said, one AWACS isn't exactly going to provide 24/7 coverage. It would have required some blind luck or good intel to be in the air at the right time to detect an air strike.

However, I'm starting to think that the Israelis are going to have to put commandos on the ground to fully destroy the facilities and that will equate to long duration and almost certainly heavy losses (perhaps almost suicidal). In such a scenario, an Iranian AWACS could be a major problem. In any event its a good think if it is now twisted debris.

[Right Wing Assault]

Allah is not pleased with planes and radar!

[metalcor]

By now there would be some confirmation of the crash site, if not the type of plane(s). Had it landed on this site, (and face it, what would be the odds?), there would be independent verification by now, so that makes me doubt the entire story other than the part where some plane crashed and 7 died.

[PIF]

Tee-hee

G-d moves in mysterious ways...

[Charles Martel]

Ol' Ruhollah can't catch a break, when he finally croaked off from cancer of the colon, the mobs of frenzied mourners almost dumped his body out of the cheap casket and into the street,

IIRC, several individuals in that crowd helped themselves to "holy relics". You know - chunks of the Ayatollah's beard, a few of his fingers... that sort of stuff.

[MissDairyGoodnessVT]

perhaps Allah wishes to use scented notepaper?

[A.A. Cunningham]

Actual title:

Iran loses its only AWACS as Ahmadinejad threatens the world