Syrian/Iraq air war and conflict

[T_J]

The Russians are now flying their Su-34s in Syria equipped with R-27 (AA-10) and R-73 (AA-11) air-to-air missiles.

Russian Su-34 bombers, additionally equipped with air-to-air missiles, have set out on their first mission in Syria, said Igor Klimov, spokesman for the Russian Air Force.

“Today, Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers have made their first sortie equipped not only with high explosive aviation bombs and hollow charge bombs, but also with short- and medium-range air-to-air missiles," Klimov said.

https://www.rt.com/news/323992-russia-s ... r-missile/

[planesonthenet]

13:00
Unconfirmed reports appearing on Twitter relating to the loss of 2 RUAF helicopters near Lattakia. Sources are are quoting 2 tail numbers.

14:35
reports appearing saying reports of 2 helos shot down are false.

[22A]

Surprise! Israel's joined in.

https://uk.news.yaho...-055810992.html

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly acknowledged that his country's forces are involved in war-hit Syria, mainly to ward off the Hezbollah. Israel has been blamed for recent strikes on alleged Iranian arms transfers from Syria intended for the Lebanese Shia movement.
"We occasionally carry out operations in Syria to prevent that country from becoming a front against us. We also do everything to prevent weapons, particularly lethal ones, being moved from Syria to Lebanon," said Netanyahu, but did not provide any details of the operations.
Israel last engaged Hezbollah in an intense month-long battle in 2006. The country's leaders have repeatedly said they would not let the group obtain weapons. However, they have largely remained silent on specific strikes.
Netanyahu's comments came in the wake of Israel and Russia sealing a deal to coordinate operations of the two air forces in order to avoid incidents such as the recent downing of a Russian jet over the Turkey-Syria border.

[lowlevelRAF]

Talk in the on going debate, on BBC news, they have advised if the vote is 'yes' to back UK action over Syria. 2x Tornado's and 6x Typhoons will be sent? Wonder which Tiffie unit will be off, Lossie unit?

[Blackcat1]

Time to shine Typhoon , about time!!

[armra1972]

As an insider I can report that Typhoons will be sent to perform some particularly tight turns and impressive synchro routines with old prop aircraft before returning to base and being broke for a week.........you heard it here first

[22A]

OK, so listening to this evening's news, it looks as though by tomorrow morning, the RAF will have been in action over Syria.
1; Will we decide where to strike, or will we consult the Government of Syria about targetting?
2. If target areas are known, why aren't the French, Russians and other hitting them already?
3. If precise targets are known, why risk aircrew? A submarine launched missile with a high explosive rather than nuclear war head can do the same job.

As an aside, since late afternoon, low flying military aircraft have been passing over Peterborough. Is a station conducting a night flying exercise, or are the RAF already despatching a/c to the Med?

[reheat]

OK, so listening to this evening's news, it looks as though by tomorrow morning, the RAF will have been in action over Syria.
1; Will we decide where to strike, or will we consult the Government of Syria about targetting?
2. If target areas are known, why aren't the French, Russians and other hitting them already?
3. If precise targets are known, why risk aircrew? A submarine launched missile with a high explosive rather than nuclear war head can do the same job.

As an aside, since late afternoon, low flying military aircraft have been passing over Peterborough. Is a station conducting a night flying exercise, or are the RAF already despatching a/c to the Med?

I believe Coningsby and possibly Lakenheath are night flying this week, so these are probably your night flyers, not connected with Syria.

We will decide where to strike, as part of a NATO coalition.Each Air Force has different aircraft with different armament capabilities, and would be used for specific targets.

Mark one eyeballs on targets are always better than shoot and forget, like drones.

[plmc135]

Talk in the on going debate, on BBC news, they have advised if the vote is 'yes' to back UK action over Syria. 2x Tornado's and 6x Typhoons will be sent? Wonder which Tiffie unit will be off, Lossie unit?

Was mentioned this morning that the six Typhoons would be coming from Lossiemouth.

Paul

[reheat]

Monitor?

[Vulcanone]

Blackcat

Typhoon was dropping PGWs in Libya, so it has already proved itself and The Saudis have used it for Air to Ground too in Yemen.

T

[Gary]

Just a quick message, and it's not aimed at anyone in particular. Please remember this is a open forum and to view this section you don't have to be a member. The forum attracts service personnel and members of the press. So a little decorum in relation to when the RAF may deploy the extra jets etc. Also we hope people do not post rumours, the staff don't want to lock thread and stop members posting useful info on threads

[scottoz8]

I do back the bombing, sadly though, its Boots on the Ground, which will affect the final outcome. It will be interesting to see what the UN thinks of this, as Syria hasn't asked for the UK's help . Good to see us doing something about it ,as are the French.

[septic1]

Interesting though - UK's involvement, as I have read that Syria have not asked for our assistance like they did Russia?

C.

Russia is there on a totally different agenda ie trying to hold on to their only Mediterranean port by propping up their fellow pariah Assad, under the rather poorly guise of combating Isis and Terrorism. l have a feeling This might result in the spread of Isis into Chechnia and Dagestan, then Putin will be really busy !!

[Thunder]

The UN Security Council voted unanimously on the 21st of November for a resolution calling on all member states that can do so to take military action against Isis in Iraq and Syria. We are not at war with Syria never have been and not likely to be either in the foreseeable future we are going after IS, a terrorist group that have set their operations up in both Syria and Iraq. Everyone is wanting to get rid of IS including President Assad, so there will be no objection to this. The reason Assad asked the Russians to intervene is they are basically his only hope and he can somehow cling onto power.

[mark.alan.barnes]

Interesting though - UK's involvement, as I have read that Syria have not asked for our assistance like they did Russia?

C.

Russia is there on a totally different agenda ie trying to hold on to their only Mediterranean port by propping up their fellow pariah Assad, under the rather poorly guise of combating Isis and Terrorism. l have a feeling This might result in the spread of Isis into Chechnia and Dagestan, then Putin will be really busy !!

They are already in Georgia and Bosnia

[septic1]

Interest thening though - UK's involvement, as I have read that Syria have not asked for our assistance like they did Russia?

C.

Russia is there on a totally different agenda ie trying to hold on to their only Mediterranean port by propping up their fellow pariah Assad, under the rather poorly guise of combating Isis and Terrorism. l have a feeling This might result in the spread of Isis into Chechnia and Dagestan, then Putin will be really busy !!

They are already in Georgia and Bosnia

It seems like a sticky wicket for Vlad before long, its going to cost him not only in Roubles !
going horizontal mode now folks, night all.

[martmpf]

Just reported on BBC News at 04.14L that the MOD have confirmed that the RAF have completed the first mission in Syria

It was earlier reported on the BBC that two Tornado's departed Cyprus each with three Paveway bombs and returned without them about three hours later. A second flight of two more Tornado's departed some time later also with three Paveway bombs each. No BBC news on the second flight yet. Probably not yet returned.

Edit at 04.31: BBC saying now "unnamed military source", not MOD.

PS. The BBC have been broadcasting live from Akrotiri all night. Counting them out, counting them in.

[Thunder]

The BBC really are clueless, the way they are covering this you'd think we had declared an all out war on Syria. They seem to have forgot that we've been bombing IS over the border in Iraq for a year now. Certainly no need for all this live through the night coverage counting them out and counting them in malarkey. Just let the guys do the job that their trained for.

[Maurits37]

It is strange to see the RNLAF are conducting airstrikes in Iraq since October last year from Al Azraq in Jordan but no ops pictures or footages were published. But the French AF are almost provide daily action updates from the same location via their Facebook-page and or website...Now the BBC does the same..