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<i>Israel downed 2 Syrian MiGs
last September over sea



SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, February 11, 2005
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.
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Edited by - tritonal on Feb 11 2005 11:58 AM

<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle> I would not take this as the only incident since the 80's.

"RickUSN-

That was intelligent and useful Mudd.

But it certainly is what Ive come to expect.

Mindless babbling with no intent to either enlighten or inform.

I cant say it is the only incident however when I was real low on the food chain (I am still real low in the food chain) in my navy years I worked TAD in the forward wardroom and I remember some of the stories my pilots used to tell me about stuff that happened on the boat and at sea that never made it into the news. Mudd I am sure you are far more in the loop than I , but I am pretty sure your right. I know there were far more frays between the Libyans and the Navy than we ever knew about even though they never made the news.

By this time tomorrow I shall have gained either a pearage or Westminster Abbey........Nelson

_________________
YGBSM !

Its true, It is also routine for isreal Pilots in training to Cross into foriegn airspace stirring the pot so to speak. Sometimes lead is Exchanged, taunting AAA/Sams and someone is either limping back or walking. They have always operated in a wartime footing.

Their is even a Female Mig Ace Flying for an African Nation.

Its only the Top of the Food Chain that gets the "Commercial attention"

Plenty of action going on in the minors.

"RickUSN-

That was intelligent and useful Mudd.

But it certainly is what Ive come to expect.

Mindless babbling with no intent to either enlighten or inform.

I wonder if it's anthing like the SEALS: Their successes will go always unmentioned. If you read something about them, they've blown it.

BTW, anyone hear of a secret Israeli base in the mountains of the Golan Heights? I've heard my friend say that he was touring there once and all of the sudden an F-16 popped out of the ground and flew away.

DIdhe see a Hoola Hoop Near By? <img src=newicons/anim_lol.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/anim_lol.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/anim_lol.gif border=0 align=middle>

"RickUSN-

That was intelligent and useful Mudd.

But it certainly is what Ive come to expect.

Mindless babbling with no intent to either enlighten or inform.

Russia selling arms to the enemies of the United States and her allies, so what else is new? Putin, go ahead and continue to sell Igla's to Syria and nuclear reactors to Iran, see where that gets you!

Good to see some American made hardware take out some of Russia's finest - that has to make potential suitors such as say India certainly ponder their forthcoming jet fighter decision.

DId he see a Hoola Hoop Near By?

Dude that was to funny.

By this time tomorrow I shall have gained either a pearage or Westminster Abbey........Nelson

_________________
YGBSM !

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

Good to see some American made hardware take out some of Russia's finest - that has to make potential suitors such as say India certainly ponder their forthcoming jet fighter decision.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>
Its mainly training not the hardware. India does'nt buy substandard stuff from Russia.
We would like to buy US equipment, but past sanctions have made us a little cheesy. But the changing geopolitical relationship between US and India could change things.