U.S. Navy has scored the first air to air kill against a Syrian Air Force fighter jet on Sunday evening. A U.S. Boeing F/A-18E Super...
U.S. Navy has scored the first air to air kill against a Syrian Air Force fighter jet on Sunday evening.
A U.S. Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet shot down a Syrian pro-regime Sukhoi Su-22 fighter bomber aircraft after it attacked Syrian Democratic forces (SDF) positions.
At 6:43 pm local time, the Syrian regime Su-22 dropped bombs near SDF fighters south of Taqbah.
The coalition forces quickly reacted in accordance with the rule of engagement in collective self defense of coalition partner forces and shot down the aircraft immediately.
Syrian Defense Ministry confirmed the downing but claimed the jet was targeting ISIS positions.
The ejected Syrian pilot Ali Fahed was reportedly taken into custody by SDF.
The Soviet developed Su-22 fighter bomber is a swing wing aircraft that entered service in 1970 and was derived from the Su-7.
Syrian Su-22s employs unguided munitions, mostly general purpose bombs, cluster bombs and incendiary bombs and unguided rockets. Attack tactics involve low to medium altitude flat bombing runs with pull up after rocketing or bombing, with decoy flares fired for self-defense.
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| Syrian Su-22 prepared for flight at Shyrat air base. |
Several Syrian Su-22 and MiG-23 fighters were destroyed in April 2017 when U.S. striked Syrian Shyrat Air base with Tomhawk cruise missiles,
