Syrian/Iraq air war and conflict

[Vulcanone]

I don't know the completion timeline for integration work of Brimstone or Storm Shadow onto Typhoon. But it will have to be ready in about 3 years as the OSD for Tornado is still 2019 as far as is known.

Tim

[Malcolm]

I don't know the completion timeline for integration work of Brimstone or Storm Shadow onto Typhoon. But it will have to be ready in about 3 years as the OSD for Tornado is still 2019 as far as is known.

Tim

IIRC release to service is supposed to be Storm Shadow in 2017 and Brimstone in 2018. I think Brimstone is supposed to be carried on a multi rail launcher (called aarrrggg can't remember) , allowing 3 missiles per pylon, so 6 in total.

[mirage41]

6 in total seems a step back for me - seen 41 Sqdn Tornardoes go out with a lot more than that tucked underneath.

[Malcolm]

6 in total seems a step back for me - seen 41 Sqdn Tornardoes go out with a lot more than that tucked underneath.

It appears from various web sources that up to 18 Brimstones can be carried on 6 rails, together with 4 AMRAMS/Meteors, 2 ASRAMS and one centreline tank. However, I doubt that's a realistic wartime payload, and some of the brimstone rails would be replaced by extra fuel tanks and/or Paveway 2/4 's for when you need a bigger bang.

http://eurofighter.airpower.at/bewaffnung.htm

[EGDR]

The Int'l Spectator ‏@intlspectator 5m5 minutes ago
BREAKING: Dutch Parliament authorises airstrikes in Syria against ISIS

https://twitter.com/intlspectator/statu ... 7694895104

[Gary]

WRITTEN BY: GEORGE ALLISON FEBRUARY 3, 2016
On Friday, Tornado, Typhoon and Reaper combat aircraft from RAF Akrotiri, launched a large scale assault on Islamic State

Supported by a Voyager tanker the aircraft flew armed reconnaissance missions over north-east Syria and northern Iraq. Near Mosul, the Typhoons conducted two attacks with Paveway IV precision guided bombs. Across the border in Syria, two pairs of Tornados worked in close cooperation with an RAF Reaper to target a group of Daesh defensive positions and a large tunnel complex with several entrances.

Air strikes to now focus on hitting command centres and supply lines while continuing to avoid civilian casualties.

RAF combat aircraft have already stepped up strikes in recent weeks. Ministry of Defence figures show that UK air strikes have risen from a monthly average of 29 between May and October last year to more than 80 in December. In the first week of January the RAF conducted 31 strikes.

According to the Ministry of Defence:

“RAF Reapers were in action again on Saturday 30 January. In the area of Ramadi, they conducted two successful attacks with Hellfire missiles against an armoured truck and a mechanical excavator, while a patrol along the border with Syria destroyed another engineering vehicle, used to build defences and attempt repairs to damage from coalition air strikes, near Al Qaim.

On Sunday, a Tornado GR4 flight provided support to the Iraqi army in and around Ramadi: our aircraft used a Brimstone missile to destroy a large truck-bomb, and three Paveways to destroy terrorist positions, including a heavy machine-gun team which had been previously attacking the Iraqi army. In northern Iraq, Typhoons conducted two Paveway attacks on a group of terrorists caught in the open near Mosul, and, slightly further south, a Daesh-held building. A pair of Typhoons also patrolled over eastern Syria, where they employed Paveways to destroy two large clusters of defensive positions.

On Monday 1 February, two Tornados flew reconnaissance and close air support for the Kurdish peshmerga in northern Iraq. Near Kisik Junction, they used a Brimstone missile and three Paveways to attack three rocket launchers and a Daesh vehicle, then over Qayyarah, a further Brimstone and Paveway destroyed an ammunition truck and a mortar position. Typhoons operated in the area of Ramadi, where they conducted successful attacks on three terrorist strongpoints.”

Info from https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/3587-2/ ... n=socialUK Defence Journal

[22A]

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/crew-saves-pi ... 27588.html
A quick-thinking refuelling plane crew saved a fighter pilot who faced having to eject over Islamic State territory.
The F-16 had been trying to refuel in mid-air when the pilot discovered a malfunction with his fuel system, which meant he could only fly for 15 minutes - nowhere near enough to reach safety.
Instead of leaving the pilot to cope with the emergency himself, the US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crew managed to escort him back to its base while refuelling every 15 minutes to keep the jet in the air.
The Air Force did not reveal where the incident took place or which country the F-16 pilot was from.

Meanwhile; Russia has dispatched a new ship armed with cruise missiles to the Mediterranean, the navy announced Saturday, as reports said it is bound for Syria.
The Zelyony Dol, a patrol ship armed with Kalibr cruise missiles that only joined the Black Sea fleet in December, departed for the Mediterranean, the Black Sea fleet said in a statement.

[Lofty89]

USAF sending B-52s to fight ISIS in the spring

Article here

[Mavke]

lets hope they fly out of Fairford ....

[page_verify]

Although Fairford is about 1,000km closer, they'll use Diego Garcia like they have for the last 15 years.

[T_J]

Interestingly a pair of OV-10 Broncos have been involved in operations.

The twin-engine Broncos—each flown by a pair of naval aviators—completed 134 sorties, including 120 combat missions, over a span of 82 days beginning in May 2015 or shortly thereafter, according to U.S. Central Command, which oversees America’s wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Central Command would not say exactly where the OV-10s were based or where they launched their attacks, but did specify that the diminutive attack planes with their distinctive twin tail booms flew in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led international campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2 ... -isis.html

[MRTT]

Appears a dog has been hit by an RAF Tornado on landing at Akrotiri, dog has died.

[Gary]

Sky News are reporting a Syrian jet has been shot down South of Aleppo, some Twitter sites are saying it's a SU-22




Edit :- Pilot has been capture https://twitter.com/michaelh992

[MRTT]

Sky News are reporting a Syrian jet has been shot down South of Aleppo, some Twitter sites are saying it's a SU-22




Edit :- Pilot has been capture https://twitter.com/michaelh992

Been confirmed on Twitter that it is an Su-22, not good.

[Tally-ho]

Any Syrian jet shot down is good news to me.

[MRTT]

Any Syrian jet shot down is good news to me.

That's lovely...not!

[MRTT]

Unconfirmed reports that a USAF fighter has been shot down, awaiting more details.

EDIT: Pentagon confirmed that no aircraft has been shot down/

[MRTT]

Russian helicopter downed in Syria, no word on casualties.

[paddyboy]

Total loss of crew, apparently

[welshandy]

This on the BBC this morning. Apparently Syrian Jets were attacking an area where US Special Forces were & the US Scambled Jets to intercept. No shots fired as Syrian Jets turned away . http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-37136536