Re: [GZG] [Real World] Russian Mig 29 shoots down Georgian UAV

[Oerjan Ariander <orjan.ariander1@xxxxxxxxx>]

Sylvester Wrzesinski wrote:

> >Whose airspace was it?  If it wasn't Georgian they don't have any say.
>
>Assuming enough time and aireal recon, one could probably ID the section
>of coast that is in the footage to some degree of certanty. There's only
>a small portion of coast it could be, realistically.

Abkhazian airspace... which in Georgian eyes means "Georgian" in a similar 
way as many Serbs still consider Kosovar airspace "Serbian" :-/

> >Is it standard procedure for jet fighters to attack airborne targets
> >from the front?

When the target is very small, unarmed, *very* slow-moving compared to the 
jet fighter, and its heat signature is pretty much the same all around, 
there's not very much difference between the various approach angles...

>Okay, without knowing the exact model of UAV,

It was a Hermes 450, yes.

>That beign said, it seemed damn ballsy to do it. The missile might be a
>bit of overkill, but assuming that they wanted it down quick and for
>sure, it's the best way to do it.

Small, slow-moving targets are very difficult for a fast-moving fighter to 
engage with guns...

> >Is it possible the owners of the airspace had Russian aircraft?

Abkhazia has no "real" fighters, no. They do have a few trainer jets (Czech 
Aero L-39s IIRC) that can be armed, but they don't look anything like the 
fighter seen in that video :-/

Photos of Hermes 450, Aero L-39 and Mig-29 (the comments are a week out of 
date though):
<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/22/01119/8324/864/500511>

FWIW the Russians are involved in Abkhazia in roles similar to NATO in 
Kosovo, ie. peace-keeping and enforcing no-fly zones for the former ruling 
power. Unfortunately they don't seem to have defined exactly where those 
no-fly zones are though...

Regards,

Oerjan
orjan.ariander1@xxxxxxxxx

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
-Hen3ry


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