Posted on 09/23/2014 3:37:48 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The timing of this incident is rather curious, to say the least. Israel announced today that a single Syrian Su-24 fighter jet crossed over into Israeli airspace over the contested Golan Heights, prompting the IDF to shoot it down with a Patriot battery. This apparently took place while the US and its Arab partners launched air strikes elsewhere in Syria:
The Israeli military shot down a Syrian fighter jet that infiltrated its airspace over the Golan Heights on Tuesday morning — the first such downing in decades, heightening tensions in the volatile plateau.
The military said a “Syrian aircraft infiltrated into Israeli air space” in the morning hours and that the military “intercepted the aircraft in mid-flight, using the Patriot air defense system.”
The military would not say what type of aircraft was downed and said the circumstances of the incident were “unclear.”
A defense official identified the downed aircraft as a Sukhoi Su-24 Russian fighter plane. Previously, it was reported to have been a MiG aircraft. He said the Syrian jet penetrated 2,600 feet into Israeli air space and tried to return to Syria after the Patriot missile was fired.
The Washington Post reports that the pilot may have been trying to attack villages in the region that rebels had seized, but Israel wasn’t going to take any chances:
The Israeli military said that it was investigating the circumstances of Tuesday’s incident. But it did not appear that the Syrian aircraft’s mission was aimed at Israel, but instead at anti-regime rebel forces that last month captured strategic points along the frontier between Israel and Syria.
In a statement, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said that the Syrian aircraft had crossed into Israeli airspace
(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...
The US and her allies are probably using a variety of counter measures that might confuse the jet. Like radar jamming for SAMs, etc.
Russkie rip-off of the F-111F, and not as good. Surprised it still flew ;-)
Can we borrow Bibi and the Israeli military for a week or two?
Assad’s plate is full right now. The hated Jews are the least of his worries.
That Sukhoi was probably due to be scrapped. Might as well make it into an international incident.
Half a mile? And he didn't make it out?
Boy, that's some serious "payin attention" by the Israelis.
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Syrian fighter jet shot down by Israel over the Golan Heights
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