Saudi F-15 shot down over Yemen

[red_coreSix]

 

Pilot seems to enter afterburner and deploy flares shortly before the missile (probably manpad) strikes. Not really a lot known about this yet, whether or not he made it out..

 

More info: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-warplane/saudi-led-coalition-warplane-crashes-in-yemen-saudi-statement-idUSKBN1EW0NV

 

It was an F-15E as two pilots were rescued by SAR.

Edited January 9, 2018 by red_coreSix

[ebabil]

2 flares and afterburner. interesting. i beleive, he sterted his plane with win + home key and took off from the taxiway :)

 

btw, i heard that Yemenis, modified r-73 and r-27 missiles so they can be launched from the ground

[Nooch]

2 flares and afterburner. interesting.

 

Flying in a straight line certainly didn't help either.

[Drag80]

Engaging the afterburner must have given a better heat signature to the missile. No manoeuvre no turn only two flares. Real life is not DCS. It must be very difficult to avaid an IR missile.

[Texac]

Perhaps that is the second missile that hit the F-15, while the first one (not recorded, not available) made the Eagle unable to maneuver and evade the incoming missile while the flames are already exhausting out of the engine after the first hit, if there was that first missile.

[Emu]

Why would you put your afterburner on while using flares? "Don't pay attention to the flares missile, look over here instead."

[ram0506]

It`s very easy for gamers to criticize a real pilot, if they are trying to apply their PC-knowledges to real life circumstances. I`m sure the pilot was well trained; better than most of us here.;)

[red_coreSix]

It's highly likely the pilot was unaware of the missile. The flares could well have been preemptive, generally you don't fly straight with a missile inbound.

[Juuba]

A related video has a comment:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lkU7oxOmjY&lc=Ugw5qToStfP5OoCHXmJ4AaABAg

 

Khalid Al-Malki

9 hours ago

 

This video is completely FAKE! Allow me to explain why!

 

-This video is including 4 parts ( edited video)

- The first part is an old video and you can find it on YOUTUBE with an old date !

-The second part is that the FLIR system that they used! This system is used by FIREFIGHTERS on helicopters!! .. Check this out !

http://www.flir.com/surveillance/display/?id=64172&_ga=2.169479842.208751857.1515457125-2083289975.1515457125

- The third part at 1:52 they claimed that the pilot has noticed that there is missle coming to him and he dumped his fuel (according to the subtitle) ! Guess what ! Those were FLARES!!

As a pilot, the first thing I should do when my RWR tells me that there is a missile coming I should START MANEUVERING!! That guy didn't do anything!! Don't tell me that the fighter pilot was an idiot because the Saudi pilots flight hours comparable to NATO !!

-At 1:55 the missile hit the F-15 ! It seems that this missle has been made to scare you not to kill you !! The FLIR System showed no difference at all, I mean every explosion should blind this system for a second.. Check this out again!

And guess what happened next ! The F-15 has continued the flying with no problems at all after a missile hit it!! This is so funny !

-The last part at 2:17 you can see some real pieces of the Saudi tornado that it crashed yesterday due to TECHNICAL ISSUE over Saada and the crew have been rescued !

 

Just look to those idiots dancing and you will know that those people will not even be able to launch fireworks not SAM Missiles!

Edited January 9, 2018 by BIGNEWY
edited 1.1

[red_coreSix]

That comment makes no sense...

[Juuba]

Yeah, but it does show that at least the first part of the video (this longer edition) that has the F-15 flying around - is old.

[Emu]

It's highly likely the pilot was unaware of the missile. The flares could well have been preemptive, generally you don't fly straight with a missile inbound.

Argentine pilots did.

[Emu]

(probably manpad) strikes.

Why would you fly low enough to get hit by MANPADS unless you're in a helicopter? Or any IR missile for that matter, especially when the Saudis have the same precision guided bombs the USAF uses. Equally, I would expect far move damage from a missile capable of reaching high altitude. Nothing about this incident makes any sense.

 

To me this looks like a promo video with Yemen Air Force and new date stamped on it.

[red_coreSix]

Why would you fly low enough to get hit by MANPADS unless you're in a helicopter? Or any IR missile for that matter, especially when the Saudis have the same precision guided bombs the USAF uses. Equally, I would expect far move damage from a missile capable of reaching high altitude. Nothing about this incident makes any sense.

 

To me this looks like a promo video with Yemen Air Force and new date stamped on it.

 

You don't know how high he was, it makes a lot of sense if he was flying in MANPAD range, which can be quite high for modern designs. Why would he fly low? We don't know, could be a ton of reasons.

What do you mean by promo video?

[WildBillKelsoe]

I think he was alerted to drop flares by a ground unit or a wingman. His response was very late. Besides, the straight flying routine... It just doesnt make any sense. Besides all this if the missile tracked his afterburner, its not launch warned in his cockpit. Must have been a Strela or Igla.

 

Signed,

The Undrafted, Unqualified, DCS Armchair Wing Commander.

[Nooch]

Perhaps that is the second missile that hit the F-15, while the first one (not recorded, not available) made the Eagle unable to maneuver and evade the incoming missile while the flames are already exhausting out of the engine after the first hit, if there was that first missile.

 

One thing I find very odd though is: why is there a fireball before the missile hits? The fact that we see it appear progressively and not abruptly suggests that this part of the footage was unedited. Yet we see only one missile hitting the plane, not two.

Edited January 9, 2018 by Nooch

[Fri13]

2 flares and afterburner. interesting. i beleive, he sterted his plane with win + home key and took off from the taxiway :)

 

btw, i heard that Yemenis, modified r-73 and r-27 missiles so they can be launched from the ground

 

That video looks like that they did rebuild a new IRST system, throw a computer between and then just routed the IR missile launchers to system.

 

What you need to do is to get the IRST find the target, get "green light" and shoot.

 

And as the IRST is on gimbal, it seems that the system is automatic in search mode and autolocks to target when finds one. This way all that you need to do is to confirm that target is enemy (even by using binoculars) by some kind screen that IRST sees and launch missile.

 

And if you can get such system to be easily portable like a 2-4 missiles + launcher that you can mount to jeeps or trucks or even set on ground, you have very effective SAM system.

[Fri13]

Why would he fly low? We don't know, could be a ton of reasons.

What do you mean by promo video?

 

Maybe pilot thought being flying a DCS in multiplayer? You know, everyone is flying low there doing air quake...

 

And the video seems to be promo of the ground IRST system as begin and the end of the video there is the IRST system promoted rotating and seeking targets.

[Texac]

One thing I find very odd though is: why is there a fireball before the missile hits? The fact that we see it appear progressively and not abruptly suggests that this part of the footage was unedited. Yet we see only one missile hitting the plane, not two.

 

That the aircraft starts to burn up before the missile hits makes me to believe that there was a second missile involved which already hit the aircraft before the video begins.

 

And there is a possibilty that the first missile hit has been edited out or it was simply not recorded.

[Drag80]

The IR missile gives no warning in RWR. Only way to know is via smoke trail or if other friendly aircrafts warns you. Pilot cant react if he does not know. Moreover, most missiles are blast fragmentation which does not immediately blow an aircraft into pieces. However, the damage caused by fragments will eventually bring it down after some time. To me this video looks real.

[*Rage*]

Ground launched R27T?

 

Whats the burn time of an igla/stinger/strela?

Edited January 9, 2018 by ///Rage

[FistofZen]

Typical american exceptionalism. Video shows an F-15 being hit by an ground to air missile, pilot was definitely unaware of it and those flares popped too late.

[QuiGon]

The amount of wild speculation in this thread is indeed unbelievable...

[red_coreSix]

That the aircraft starts to burn up before the missile hits makes me to believe that there was a second missile involved which already hit the aircraft before the video begins.

 

And there is a possibilty that the first missile hit has been edited out or it was simply not recorded.

 

It's not burning up, he's lighting the afterburner.

[Nooch]

That the aircraft starts to burn up before the missile hits makes me to believe that there was a second missile involved which already hit the aircraft before the video begins.

 

And there is a possibilty that the first missile hit has been edited out or it was simply not recorded.

 

It's possible but then the first missile hit must have occured before the start of the video. The footage appears smooth and unedited.

 

The IR missile gives no warning in RWR. Only way to know is via smoke trail or if other friendly aircrafts warns you. Pilot cant react if he does not know.

 

I'd be suprised if current F-15s don't have missile launch sensors like they have in the A-10C.

 

Moreover, most missiles are blast fragmentation which does not immediately blow an aircraft into pieces. However, the damage caused by fragments will eventually bring it down after some time.

 

In theory they can. It depends on the angle of the shot, the way the missile detonated and the strength of the impacted aircraft's structure. Missiles usually come equipped with both a hit and a proximity fuse.

Edited January 9, 2018 by Nooch