THE ‘FITTER’ SHOOTDOWN

    ‘War Party 304’ launches from the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) on June 6 for an ‘Inherent Resolve’ mission. This aircraft has been credited with the kill on June 18. 

At approximately 18.43hrs local time on June 18, a US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet operating over Syria shot down a Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) Su-22M4 ‘Fitter’ fighter-bomber near Tabqah. The aircraft was, according to a US Central Command (CENTCOM) news release, attacking the Syrian Democratic Forces-held town of Ja’Din. The report said that US coalition aircraft ‘conducted a show of force and stopped the initial pro-regime advance toward the SDF-controlled town’. It added: ‘Following the pro-Syrian forces’ attack, the Coalition contacted its Russian counterparts by telephone via an established ‘de-confliction line’ to de-escalate the situation and stop the firing.’ The Su-22 subsequently began attacking SDF fighters south of Tabqah and was shot down by the single-seat F/A-18E, which was operating from the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) in the Sixth Fleet Area of Operations in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Shootdown.

 The F/A-18E (reported as BuNo 168914/ AJ304) was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 87 ‘Golden Warriors’ (also known as ‘War Party’), which is assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8. Its pilot engaged the ‘Fitter’ and initially fired an AIM-9X Sidewinder close-range heat-seeking missile, which was defeated by flares launched by the Su-22 pilot. The Super Hornet then reengaged and fired an AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile), which hit the ‘Fitter’ despite being fired from relatively close range. Col Ali Fahd, who was reported as flying the 70th Fighter-Bomber Brigade Su-22 from its base at Tiyas, was able to eject and was later recovered safely, according to local sources. It marked the first shootdown of a manned fighter by a US aircraft since May 4, 1999, when Lt Col Michael ‘Dog’ Geczy, US Air Force, downed a Serbian MiG-29 with an AIM-120 fired from his F-16CJ during Operation ‘Allied Force’. The CENTCOM release commenting on the latest incident said: ‘The Coalition’s mission is to defeat [so-called Islamic State] in Iraq and Syria. The Coalition does not seek to fight Syrian regime, Russian, or pro-regime forces partnered with them, but will not hesitate to defend Coalition or partner forces from any threat.’ It added the message that the engagement of the ‘Fitter’ was due to the fact that the pro-regime force’s actions would have directly impacted forces that are helping in the campaign against IS. ‘The Coalition presence in Syria addresses the imminent threat IS in Syria poses globally. The demonstrated hostile intent and actions of pro-regime forces toward Coalition and partner forces in Syria conducting legitimate counter-IS operations will not be tolerated.’

A Syrian Arab Air Force Su-22 like that shot down in June. 

The implications.

The shooting down of the Su-22 came between two other incidents in which US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles gunned down Iranian-built Shahed 129 drones that were being operated by Syrian government forces as they too targeted SDF forces. The two drones were downed on June 8 and June 20. The SDF is thought to be playing a pivotal role in the campaign against IS in Syria, including the advance on Raqqa, the self-declared capital of IS. The US and Russia have agreed a demarcation line amid what is a confused picture in the areas around the IS stronghold, and Ja’Din was supposed to be in SDF hands. However, pro-regime forces moved into the area and clashed as US Navy Super Hornets maintained a close watch from above. As many as fve ‘Fitters’ approached the area and as soon as one dropped its weapons on or close to SDF positions, the Navy fighters pounced, with orders to open fire. It clearly shows that the US is unwilling to accept any pro-regime actions that threaten its allies on the ground in Syria, and which in turn could undermine efforts to defeat IS. It also launched the air-to-air kill tally of the Super Hornet, which has recently been in action over the region with impressive loads of up to 10 GBU-32 1,000lb Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs). The US military is flying top cover over Syria almost 24 hours a day, and any SyAAF aircraft getting airborne with an intent to strike ‘protected’ targets will apparently be engaged with little ceremony if it threatens US-allied forces.

VFA-87 CAG Bird.

Combat Report courtesy of Combat Aircraft Monthly.