Syrian revolution puts instructions on how to shoot down a regime helicopter on-line

June 25, 2012 Syria

David Cenciotti

Mil Mi-8/17 Hip and Mil Mi-24 (25) Hind gunship helicopters (alongside made-in-Iran drones) have been Assad’s main tools against the oppositors.

That’s why the rebels have put the instructions on how to shoot down an helicopter on-line: the Syrian Revolution 2011 page on Facebook (with about 514K likes) has published a short text that provides hints on how to target a chopper.

Here’s a (rough) translation (provided by Bing)

To all free people free national army …I’ve observed recently that some of the rebels are targeting aircraft alasdet as if they had parked in the air! Any that are targeted directly without taking account of space and time which will reach the plane and shot/shell at the same time!.In fact this is known for both served in the air force and Army aviation use, but to deliver this information to both HSS and the rebels and especially for newcomers to our free hero; we Dear Heroes to leave some distance between the plane and the access point, so that the shot hit the target in the appropriate place and time.The picture below shows a correction and payment when you reference x. And then the plane will arrive and she shot/shell, so drop goal.The seasoned in correction and drop aircraft can estimate the distance accurately, but affiliated with new free army needs to train and practice and awareness. Valnnshar dear HSS this image to all activists and perhaps up to members of the rebel army stationed on the fronts free in most Syrian cities.

Screen dump from Facebook

H/T to @bjoernen_dk for the heads-up

Syrian air war escalates: the Mil Mi-24 Hind gunship makes its debut against rebel forces (theaviationist.com)
Video: Free Syrian Army’s anti-aircraft fire aiming at regime’s gunship helicopter (theaviationist.com)
An entire Syrian Air Defense Battalion defected, (possibly) bringing some new anti-aircraft weapons in rebel hands. (theaviationist.com)
Video: DIY anti-aircraft pick up used by Free Syria Army to shoot down Assad’s helicopters (theaviationist.com)
Russian Attack helicopter shipment to Syria stopped. By cancelled insurance. (theaviationist.com)
Syria update: the attack on Hama (theaviationist.com)

About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.