A Mil Mi-8 Hip gunship helicopter, being extensively used by the loyalist forces in Syria, has been shot down by the Free Syrian Army (reportedly using a ZU-2-23) on Aug. 27.
After the Mig-23BN shot down on Aug. 13, this is a new success of the increasingly accurate rebel’s anti-aircraft artillery fire.
Here’s another view of the wreckage falling into the ground.
H/T to @troublejeet for the heads-up
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The downing of a Syrian helicopter after being hit by ‘a projectile’ appears to add weight to the recent reports of CIA smuggling US made Stinger missiles (aka Manpads) into Syria. More reasonable proof of the “not weapons” speech by H. Clinton as the big lie it was. It also, adds weight to Assad’s recent speech about Syria fighting a “foreign conspiracy”. Manpads are expensive weapons and need trained personnel to operate them successfully.
For some reason it reminds me of Banda Bassotti’s version of the SAM song
There is no way the CIA or MI6 are handing out stingers , they are the ones using them on the ground with the SAS and Delta/Seals.
Here’s a link to a high(er) quality screen cap of the helicopter on fire. Looks like he was hit on the starboard pylon. What interests me is the paint scheme on the helo – it looks to be civilian. Any ideas?
http://www.voanews.com/content/helicopter-downed-in-damascus-syria/1496178.html
Captain, ah yeah that’ll be the SAMs that the IRA failed to use successfully during the entire duration of their availability. A battle winning weapon and they failed to hit a thing with it. Lets see if Syrian rebels use their Strelas better.
There are doubts over the availability of Stingers in Syria though rumors abound, but certainly Strelas have been imported. Question is, who trained the rebels to use them. There is the possibility that no one has yet.