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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Israel downed 2 Syrian MiGs last September over sea |
| 2005-02-11 |
| Diplomatic sources said Israel Air Force F-16 multi-role fighters intercepted and downed two Syrian MiG-29 fighter-jets last year. The sources said the dogfight took place in September 2004 over the eastern Mediterranean Sea. This was the first engagement between Israeli and Syrian fighter-jets since the 1980s. The sources said the air battle took place when Israel Air Force fighter-jets buzzed the Syrian city of Latakia, a port used by Iran for the shipment of weapons to Hizbullah. The Washington-based Reform Party of Syria first provided details of the Israeli-Syrian dogfight. RPS said the air battle took place on Sept. 14, 2004, adding that both downed pilots were rescued by Syrian military helicopters, Middle East Newsline reported. RPS, quoting a European source, said the Israeli fighter-jets used an Israeli-origin Python-4 air-to-air missile to down one of the MiG-29s. The other Syrian MiG-29 was shot down by a U.S.-origin AIM-9M Sidewinder. The pilots of the MiG-29s were identified by RPS as Maj. Arshad Midhat Mubarak and Capt. Ahmad Al Khatib. Diplomatic sources said the Syrian losses led President Bashar Assad to accelerate efforts to procure advanced anti-aircraft systems from Russia. Syria has requested a range of anti-aircraft systems, including the SA-18, TOR-M1, S-300PMU2 and the S-400 systems. The most likely Russian sale to Damascus is that of the SA-18, the sources said. They said Russia would supply the first SA-18 short-range systems — either directly or through a third country — within several months. In January, Russia and Syria — overriding objections from Israel and the United States — agreed on the sale of the SA-18 to Damascus. Russian officials said the sale of the SA-18 would not violate any international arms agreement. "Russia has cooperated with Syria for decades, and my country is convinced that Syria has a strong right to get defensive weapons," Russian ambassador in Tunisia Aleksei Tserub said. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #10 I wonder if the Israeli pilots were grrrlz? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-02-11 11:14:30 PM |
| #9 Please don't praise the trolls. |
| Posted by: gromky 2005-02-11 10:45:15 PM |
| #8 This does help explain why the Syrians are so fired up to get some decent anti-air missiles. Which, five months after delivery, won't work because the "officers" confiscated the maintenance manuals. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-02-11 8:07:15 PM |
| #7 Better stock-up on HARMS. |
| Posted by: raptor 2005-02-11 7:49:15 PM |
| #6 I hope worldtribune.com is not turning into Debka--Salt to Taste. If it's true, ching ching, badanov. |
| Posted by: Poison Reverse 2005-02-11 7:35:53 PM |
| #5 This does help explain why the Syrians are so fired up to get some decent anti-air missiles. Nothing like a gentle reminder from the IAF as to how impotent the Syrian air force is to make Babyface realize he needs some big guns. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2005-02-11 5:54:57 PM |
| #4 The first rule of air combat: Never chase anything bigger and meaner than yourself - you might catch it. |
| Posted by: mojo 2005-02-11 4:35:16 PM |
| #3 both downed pilots were rescued by Syrian military helicopters VIRGINS ON HOLD... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-02-11 4:06:15 PM |
| #2 I will be tipping a nice glass of good white wine in honor of the IAF for the two air victories. |
| Posted by: badanov 2005-02-11 4:04:15 PM |
| #1 This is the same source that had the Chinese helicopters sinking a Indian sub yesterday. We got secret wars going on nobody told me about? |
| Posted by: Steve 2005-02-11 4:00:09 PM |