Militants Down Egyptian Helicopter, Killing 5 Soldiers

New York Times ^ | January 26, 2014 | DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

[Seizethecarp]

Islamist militants shot down an Egyptian military helicopter in the Sinai Peninsula with a surface-to-air missile over the weekend, raising new alarms about the terrorist insurgency that developed there in response to the military takeover last summer.

The attack — described by witnesses, documented in a video released by the militants, and confirmed by three people briefed on the Egyptian government’s investigation — validated longstanding fears that such weapons would spill into Egypt and beyond after the Libyan civil war tore open Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s fearsome arsenals.

Known as manpads, for man-portable air defense systems, the missiles can bring down commercial airliners if they are flying at low altitude, as during takeoff and landing.

Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, a militant group based in Sinai that has claimed responsibility for an escalating series of attacks on police and soldiers, said in a statement posted on jihadist websites that it had succeeded in “downing a military helicopter with a surface-to-air missile and killing its entire crew in the area around the city of Sheikh Zuweid” in North Sinai, near the border with Gaza. The group, which quotes Al Qaeda leaders in its online video statements, said it had targeted the aircraft “in an area clear of residents to preserve the lives of Muslims.”

[Eagles6]

hussein obama, jarret, powers, soros. Their plan is working.

[fella]

Isn’t the Strela a knock-off of the old redeye?

[fella]

Can’t help but wonder if any of these will show up at the Winter Olympics.

[ArmstedFragg]

I tend to agree with the commenter who said it looked like a miss coincident with the on-board counter measures malfunctioning. I didn’t see any actual point of impact. Comments?

[lostboy61]

A great deal of the older Russian handhelds are so old the warhead are inert. This doesn't mean they won't fire, track and put a very nice whole in your aircraft. We do the same thing with the Stinger as it has a good tell date on it. That way years later we will not have them used on us.

[xone]

Yes, back when the Sovs actually had to steal our tech.

[xone]

on-board counter measures malfunctioning

No kidding, if it can't deke an SA-7.

I didn't see any actual point of impact

The motor had burned out so the plume disappears. Flying too high and as you said ECM inoperable. Said 5 officers dead, crew chief now an officer?