Video: Assad's gunship helicopter shot down by rebel forces in Damascus, Syria

August 27, 2012 Syria

David Cenciotti

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

Video: Rebels down Syrian Arab Air Force Mig-23BN fighter jet in East Syria (theaviationist.com)
This may be the first video taken on board a Syrian Arab Air Force gunship helicopter during a mission against the rebels (theaviationist.com)
Video shows Syrian Mil Mi-25 gunship releasing flares. A sign that rebels got their hands on MANPADS? (theaviationist.com)
Syria: Mig-21 firing rockets caught on tape (theaviationist.com)
Video: Syrian Arab Air Force Mil Mi-25 high altitude bomb attack on Daal, Syria. (theaviationist.com)
Hip helicopter videos from Syria (including footage of a Mil Mi-17 shot down by rebels) (theaviationist.com)
Here is why the alleged video of a Syrian regime helicopter downed by rebels doesn’t show a shot down gunship (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.

Simon Wolfers says:

August 27, 2012 at 12:57 PM

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.
captain says:

August 27, 2012 at 5:10 PM

For some reason it reminds me of Banda Bassotti’s version of the SAM song
Tim UK says:

August 27, 2012 at 5:46 PM

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.
Noha307 says:

August 27, 2012 at 6:34 PM

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
Tanango says:

August 27, 2012 at 10:22 PM

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.