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Kfir mishap averted
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ThinKing
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 26 Mar 2007 23:11:30 GMT Report for Abuse
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Guys,
Could this be a ploy to draw the fighters to Vanni for ...something..? 'cos I cannot see any other reason to come all the way to Katunayaka. Why would they take such a risk and loose the element of surprise and gain nothing?? Just for media or diaspora? Is that the way they work?
Wouldn't they have been better off going to Minneriya or even Palaly? Or even a Navy base for that matter.
I have no idea about this stuff. Just my two cents!
Edited By - ThinKing - 26 Mar 2007 23:13:05 GMT |
snake2
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 27 Mar 2007 07:31:10 GMT Report for Abuse
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Thinking,
The media and diaspora goodwill goes a long way for the tigers.
Also important is the morale of their fighting troops
Without an occasional mental boost, Prabha boy can't expect to hold them all together
Added to that with the new Migs being highly capable God knows when one of them will be dropping a goodbye present in his cozy bunker
Also maybe Chuck Junior has still to do his final year senior project at his Aeronautical Uni.
Maybe he designed the frame to carry the bombs on |
Eksath
Joined: Dec 2006
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 27 Mar 2007 09:39:33 GMT Report for Abuse
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Guys,
Lets keep this in perspective.
A light aircraft sneaking in at tree top height is very easy to do. At night, all one has to do is follow the coast down from the north and one is deposited at CMB which due to the civilian airfield would be lit up like an XMAS tree.
To counter such a threat, atleast two aircrafts would have to be kept ready five status with pilots sitting in the cockpits ready to go. Even the US, did not do this post cold war until after 9-11
The time taken to configure a jet and go thru checklist, get ground clearance from ATC, taxi to end of the 04/22 single runway at Katunayake and get departure clearance so not to jeopardize civilian aircraft on approach to CMB would all delay the response time. . Alternatively, an AWACS system with loitering aircraft flying AIRCAP will be needed.
The LTTE aircraft threat is over 10 years old. Originally, general aviation was banned in Sri lanka circa. 1996 to limit sources of aircrafts to the LTTE. Even in the late '80s they attempted fabricate a small aircraft and it captured by the Indians. Given the media spin, there appears to a mythic capability attributed to the LTTE needs to be seen as the smoke and mirrors it is. Looking at the pictures, this aircraft is a very light aircraft which can by nature of its size (also small radar signature) be hard to acquire and shoot at in the dark by. At low level it would have the element of surprise being relatively quiet. the flip side beign it cannot carry toomany external stores. Those bombs look awfully small. Effective lift is probably -500lbs including pilots.
I see no armor plating on the pictures released. By looking at the construction, this type of aircraft will be very vulerable to high velocity fire from even a small caliber
The damage appears to me superficial at this stage. The spread out nature of the airbase with the jet assets far from the engineering/vip helicopter hangers limits the time over target the enemy aircraft can spend. Hence the admitted two helicopters damaged could be the multiple Mi-17 that were on the ramp awaiting maintenance
There are also some old Mi-24s in storage in the open. And atleast one Y-8. The Bell 412s usually reside in a hanger.
The SLAF should further implement hardened shelters for the aircrafts and incoperate AAA batteries. Scrambling aircrafts to chase these down will be too cumbersome. However, aircrafts may be needed to neutralize the airborne threat at other targets that lack AAA.
This raid appears to be more for the media and supporters of the LTTE now. A max. of 8 bombs could not neutralize the SLAF jet attack capability. This incident further allows the airforce to get more air assets as they have been very effective against the LTTE. It shows that the LTTE considers the SLAF a very serious threat to their very own existence hence the strike.
my two cents. |
BurgherBugger
Joined: Mar 2007
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27 Mar 2007 10:42:37 GMT Report for Abuse
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| I quite enjoy reading all you guys postings and cant help but think guys are living in a different country. What with all the AWACS and Air Defence Missile systems you guys talk about one would think this is a developed country. Sri Lanka does not have the finances for all that most of you talk about. The LTTE goes and get some aircraft that cost a couple of thousand dollars and the result is that we end up paying a few hundred thousand dollars for counter measures. Surely there is a cheaper and more effective way of countering this menace. We also wouldn?t need any of these hi tec equipment if the dam forces did their god dam job properly. Even the 2001 attack was a success for the LTTE because of the Air Forces complacency, lethargic attitude and lack of understanding of their enemy. Someone has to be held responsible for this and this Air force base should be moved out of BIA. |
nemesislk
Joined: Mar 2007
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27 Mar 2007 10:43:05 GMT Report for Abuse
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Hey guys, gals & Mr.MIG-29c
let me ask again a question i posed some time back:
A question out to all inc Mr MIG-29C
What MANPAD's/SAM system would you think is best for SL?
Some thing big like:
OSA-AKM, STRELA-10M, NORINCO's TY-90, US Avenger system, Pantsyr S1 or Rafael's Spyder ?
or smaller like :
Mistral,Starstreak,Stingers, SA-18, SA-16, QW-3, FN-6?
I know our boys have a Israeli made quad 20mm AAA, some ZU-23-2 23mm AAA, some 40mm Ack Acks & a lots of 12.7mm HMGs with 7.62mm GMPGs for AD now. But I don?t think any of them are coupled with a radar system, and automatically 'locks on' the target.
Are they?
The 14.5mm AAA is also a very good low cost low level AD gun system (I think)
The chinese are making a copy of the Skyguard 35mm AAG system. may be we could buy some of them?
What do you guys think we should get for our AD?
Edited By - nemesislk - 27 Mar 2007 10:57:10 GMT |
Nightfox78
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 27 Mar 2007 10:45:01 GMT Report for Abuse
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Media victories, military victories and realities on Tamilnet
Some interesting points to note from Tamilnet's latest report..
..Whilst the government says only two helicopter gunships were slightly damaged, airmen coming off duty told reporters in Colombo that several SLAF jet bombers were put out of action by fierce fires which broke out in the hangars struck by the LTTE aircraft. Up to 40% of the SLAF's strike capability has been knocked out, they said..
Interesting how this story about alleged revelations of damage to local/international media by off duty airmen is not being carried by any other news sources other than tamilnet!!.. Why is that??..
..Meanwhile, only two propeller-driven Pucara ground attack aircraft and a seaplane took off from Katunayake all day Monday..
Two points to raise here: First; the Pucara is no longer in active service with the SL Air force, with the last remaining aircraft at the Ratmalana Museum. Second; so where did the Mig's take off from then since they were based their just last week!!.. Why is that??..
..In an analysis comment for rediff.com, B. Raman, a former counter-terrorism chief of India's intelligence service, RAW, said that the LTTE airstrike had damaged or destroyed several aircraft.
''Two helicopters, reportedly given by Pakistan, were badly damaged. There was also some damage to the Israeli aircraft of the Sri Lankan Air Force,'' he wrote..
Where in this statement by B.Raman does he say anything was destroyed!! is ''Some damage'' the same as ''destroyed''?? .. Why is that??..
So it appears tamilnet is now indulging in a few media victories over reporting on genuine ground realities :)
Lest we forget!!.. this was the same website that reported just last week that a 250lb Mk81 bomb exploding 25m from a child will only result in a few scratches!!..
There you go :)
A little reminder to tamilnet..
''Everyone needs a volume control;
When you shout every day and make everything a catastrophe;
No-one will hear you when you need to say something really important.''
Edited By - Nightfox78 - 27 Mar 2007 10:46:43 GMT |
Su33
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27 Mar 2007 11:51:56 GMT Report for Abuse
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Nice analysis Nightfox and you too Eksath :-)
Eksath - any idea why we havent seen any Kfir action even before the ltte raid?
Edited By - Su33 - 27 Mar 2007 11:53:41 GMT |
Respect
Joined: Jul 2005
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27 Mar 2007 12:14:45 GMT Report for Abuse
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any idea why we havent seen any Kfir action even before the ltte raid?
http://www.nationalsecurity.lk/fullnews.php?id=4983
Hopefully ther are saying the truth ! |
Su33
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27 Mar 2007 12:21:00 GMT Report for Abuse
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Respect,
thanks for the link.....probably they heard me hee
anyways if one is waiting eagerly for the next Sunday times situation report here's a preview:
'This air attack appears to have taken the air force by complete surprise, and this is confirmed by the delayed response, by which time the attackers have been able to return to base,' said Iqbal Athas of Jane's Defence Weekly.
'It is a significant threat for a number of reasons. What they did, although they may have failed to achieve their target, is to demonstrate that they have such a capability,' Athas said
http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=COL7170
So, Tamilnet caught lying again lol.......like i said before they really need someone who knows military stuff. Even i know more than they do lol
Pucaras taking off....yeah rite!
Edited By - Su33 - 27 Mar 2007 12:22:38 GMT |
Su33
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27 Mar 2007 12:28:17 GMT Report for Abuse
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Ok guys normal service has resumed..
Simultaneous Air Strikes destroy LTTE bases
Sri Lanka Air Force gun-ships carried out a massive air strike targeting the LTTE bases in North of Mannar, North of Puliyankulam and South of Thoppigala yesterday(26) and this afternoon, Tuesday the 27th of March.
The Air Forces sources said that these simultaneous air attacks targeting three LTTE bases were launched with SLAF super sonic MIG and Kfir fighters according to on-time information received through intelligence sources.
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20070327_05
And apparently yesterday when tamilnet reported MiGs operating, actually it was both Kfirs AND Migs. Poor ltte cant recognise which is which. |
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