This video, allegedly filmed on Mar. 7, 2012, shows rebels hitting a Syrian Arab Air Force MiG-23MS on the ground at Abu-Dhahur air base in the north west region of Idlib, with an AT-13 Saxhorn-2 (NATO designation for the Russian 9K115-2 Metis-M Anti-tank).
According to the Scramble Database, Abu-Dhahur is the home base of the 678 Sqn of the SyAAF.
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.
Although they were not conceived to play this kind of role, F-22 Raptors have emerged as some of the U.S.-led Coalition’s most reliable combat assets in supporting coalition planes during air strikes in Syria and […]
According to Israel Hayom daily, the Mig-21 fighter jet flown by a defecting Syrian pilot to Jordan last June was found to have been modified by the Syrian Arab Air Force to carry weapon of […]
Located between Aleppo and Idlib, Taftanaz is a major airbase in the northwest of Syria used to launch fighter jets and helicopter gunships against the rebel positions. A fierce fighting is currently taking place at […]
4 Comments
Full destroyed? I doubt.
I agree, damaged, maybe beyond repair, but not completely destroyed.
Nice shot. Not complete kill (its a small ATGM, warhead about as big as a soda can), but I doubt it will fly again in this war. The ATGM gunner showed a decent proficiency with the weapon. He knew what he was doing. Pre-firing checks, setup, establish firing position, take the shot (accurately and quickly), and exfil the area. Well done.
I found a video that appears to show the MiG-23 after the attack. The circumstances appear to be the same: the aircraft is sitting in front of a hardened aircraft shelter and has damage on the tail consistent with the rocket attack. If this is indeed the same aircraft, it hasn’t been moved in months. The aircraft appears @ 3:42 in the video.
Full destroyed? I doubt.
I agree, damaged, maybe beyond repair, but not completely destroyed.
Nice shot. Not complete kill (its a small ATGM, warhead about as big as a soda can), but I doubt it will fly again in this war. The ATGM gunner showed a decent proficiency with the weapon. He knew what he was doing. Pre-firing checks, setup, establish firing position, take the shot (accurately and quickly), and exfil the area. Well done.
I found a video that appears to show the MiG-23 after the attack. The circumstances appear to be the same: the aircraft is sitting in front of a hardened aircraft shelter and has damage on the tail consistent with the rocket attack. If this is indeed the same aircraft, it hasn’t been moved in months. The aircraft appears @ 3:42 in the video.
http://www.nytimes.com/video/2012/09/27/world/middleeast/100000001809375/fighting-for-idlib.html