https://www.yahoo.com/news/did-russian-missile-really-hit-235000925.html

Or is this just fake news?


Did a Russian Missile Really Hit an Israeli F-35?
Did a Russian anti-aircraft missile hit one of Israel’s new F-35 stealth fighters?

Pro-Russian media are claiming that an Israeli F-35I was hit and damaged by a Russian-made S-200 surface-to-air missile during an Israeli air strike in Syria earlier this month. Israel says one of its F-35s was damaged—after colliding with a bird.

The story begins on October 16, when Israel announced that its aircraft had struck a Syrian SAM battery near Damascus that had fired two hours earlier on Israeli reconnaissance planes flying over Lebanon. The attack damaged the missile battery, and no Israeli aircraft were hit, according to Israel. Coincidentally or not, the incident happened the same day that Russia’s defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, arrived in Israel for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

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However, Southfront.org, a website that covers the Russian military and its intervention in the Syrian Civil War, suggested a different story. “According to the available information, the Syrian Defense Forces used a S-200 missile against the Israeli warplane,” Southfront claimed.

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Southfront could not resist pointing out that a much-vaunted F-35 stealth fighter had been hit by a missile that dates back to the 1960s. “This Soviet-made missile is the most advanced long range anti-aircraft system operated by the Syrian military. Even in this case, it’s old-fashioned in terms of modern warfare.”

However, the evidence cited by Southfront seems rather tenuous. Hours after the Israeli military announced the strike on the Syrian missile battery, Israeli media reported that an Israeli F-35 had been damaged by a bird strike two weeks before (Google translation here). The plane reportedly landed safely, but the Israeli Air Force did admit that it wasn’t sure whether the plane will fly again. Israel has taken delivery of only seven F-35Is so far, with a total of fifty on order.

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“The incident allegedly took place ‘two weeks ago’ but was publicly reported only on October 16,” Southfront noted. “However, Israeli sources were not able to show a photo of the F-35 warplane after the ‘bird collision.’”

Southfront didn’t explain why the Israeli Air Force would feel a need to release a photo of a damaged stealth aircraft. As U.S. defense website The Drive points out, the F-35 is just entering Israeli service now, and wouldn’t likely be flying missions over Syria just yet unless there was some kind of emergency (and Israel has plenty of F-15s and F-16s to handle those right now). Nor is it optimized for the kind of photographic reconnaissance missions that Israel flies over Lebanon.

As The Drive summed up rather neatly, “Although we cannot rule the possibility out entirely, as Freud would say—sometimes a bird strike is just a bird strike.”

In any event, what’s most interesting about this story isn’t whether an F-35 was hit by a Russian missile. Like the existence of UFOs, the story may or not be true, but we need more than circumstantial evidence to give it any credence.

No, the interesting part is that the F-35 has become such a symbol of U.S. technological prowess—or incompetence—that any rumor that an F-35 has been damaged or shot down in combat will draw attention. Russia and its boosters will pounce on any suggestion that an F-35 has been hit, and no doubt the pro- F-35 crowd will counter those suggestions accordingly.

Already there are reports—again, just reports—that Israeli F-35s have flown combat missions. Given that the U.S. and Israeli air forces are among the most active in the world, sooner or later the F-35 will really, truly see combat. But the rumors are out there now.

This is just the beginning.

Michael Peck is a contributing writer for the National Interest. He can be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Image: An F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter takes off on a training sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in this March 6, 2012 file photo. Canada is poised to buy 65 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets, sources familiar with the process told Reuters, marking a major renewal of Canada's fighter fleet and helping contain costs of the expensive defense program. REUTERS/U.S. Air Force photo/Randy Gon​

Israeli media reported that an Israeli F-35 had been damaged by a bird strike two weeks before (Google translation here).

How can a fighter jet of $100Million cruising at a subsonic or supersonic speed be damaged by a bird collision nitori olohun?

Shey, the birds were made of titanium alloys niii?

Zoharariel:


How can a fighter jet of $100Million cruising at a subsonic or supersonic speed be damaged by a bird collision nitori olohun?

Shey, the birds were made of titanium alloys niii?

It's possible that it occurred on take off or at low altitude and damage couldve been to the engine via ingestion. Anyway its all speculation.

Best way to destroy US ships - cargo ships.
Best way to destroy US planes - flock of birds.
If their best fighter can be grounded by a bird, I wonder what the S400 will do to it.

Whyem15:
Best way to destroy US ships - cargo ships.
Best way to destroy US planes - flock of birds.
If their best fighter can be grounded by a bird, I wonder what the S400 will do to it.

what wouls s400 do?

Mazeltovscotty:
what wouls s400 do?

Exactly this!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPFJ1qQjNFI

I want to clarify something here.

First, it wasn't just the Syrians that claimed they shot down an f35 but the Jewish media that rushed head, tooth and nails to "defend" that an f35 was "damaged" by a bird and not by a missile.

Now, the multi million dollar questions;

Why on earth would the Jewish media run to defend the f35 the same day that Syrian air forces fired at Israeli planes?

Logical answer: cause a plane was actually hit and damaged.

2. Why on earth would the Jewish media and the army made public that the said f35 was damaged a WHOLE TWO WEEKS Ago, which was never reported, and it's now they deem it fit to publish the story ?

Logical answer: it's clear that a plane was actually hit and that plane is an F35.

If anybody can't put the pieces together, I wonder what else they would believe.?

By the way, isn't it the same plane that pass the bird certification plane flawlessly? How can a bird damaged such a plane and render it "unserviceable".?

Sentiment is a disease that block the mind of men. It is logically clear that a plane was hit and by the IDF and Jewish media conduct, that plane was an f35. It is only a man shrouded in sentimental delusion that would want to believe otherwise. Until someone can tell me how a $406 billion research worth state of the art multi-purpose fighter was grounded and rendered unserviceable by a bird, this testimony is hereby sustained and confined to the infamous chronicles of Soviet Era missiles.

The B-2 Spirit of Missouri and the F117 stealth fighters must be rejoicing and singing the Liverpool anthem deep in the 1999 Serbian hell they belong that, after all, they have never walked alone.

Americans have been scammed and raped big time.

Zoharariel:

Exactly this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPFJ1qQjNFI

lolzz, like seriously? a "demo" video.

ocelot2006:


It's possible that it occurred on take off or at low altitude and damage couldve been to the engine via ingestion. Anyway its all speculation.

At supersonic speed? Yet the same plane pass the bird certification test flawlessly.... ? I dey Laugh o...

Mazeltovscotty:
what wouls s400 do?

Ask NATO allies that are buying it and boasting it can take down NATO's most advanced aircrafts.

Whyem15:

Ask NATO allies that are buying it and boasting it can take down NATO's most advanced aircrafts.

lolz. Operation cricket mole comes to mind.

Whyem15:

Ask NATO allies that are buying it and boasting it can take down NATO's most advanced aircrafts.

lolz. Operation cricket mole comes to mind..

Appleyard:


At supersonic speed? Yet the same plane pass the bird certification test flawlessly.... ? I dey Laugh o...

Points to take note of:

1) You DO NOT take off at supersonic speed.

2) Breaking the sound barrier at low altitude is almost NEVER authorized due to it's negative effects on nearby buildings (e.g. Shattered windows, ruptured ear drums). And there's the limited reaction time in case something goes wrong.

So yeah, don't laugh yet..

ocelot2006:



Points to take note of:

1) You DO NOT take off at supersonic speed.

2) Breaking the sound barrier at low altitude is almost NEVER authorized due to it's negative effects on nearby buildings (e.g. Shattered windows, ruptured ear drums). And there's the limited reaction time in case something goes wrong.



So yeah, don't laugh yet..

Did they tell you it was about to take off when it was hit?

ocelot2006:


It's possible that it occurred on take off or at low altitude and damage couldve been to the engine via ingestion. Anyway its all speculation.

Nay. The bird was made of diamond....

Pathetic liars.

Zoharariel:


How can a fighter jet of $100Million cruising at a subsonic or supersonic speed be damaged by a bird collision nitori olohun?

Shey, the birds were made of titanium alloys niii?

At high speeds bird strikes can do great damage to a planes airframe depending on the size of the bird

FarahAideed:


At high speeds bird strikes can do great damage to a planes airframe depending on the size of the bird

But not for a $100 million dollar plane, especially one that pass the bird certification test flawlessly.

Appleyard:


But not for a $100 million dollar plane, especially one that pass the bird certification test flawlessly.

Is that not why the aircraft made it to base safely despite being damaged

FarahAideed:


Is that not why the aircraft made it to base safely despite being damaged

Even if we are to go by this theory (which from your angle is possible) then we can safely say that Lockheed Martin scammed the American people by lying about the plane's quality all this while? That is, the plane is just an expensive piece of junk, not better than the likes of the F16, and sukhois, lol... No wonder Canada ran away from the deal earlier on.

Notwithstanding, the valid point remain that something more than a bird hit took place. The conduct and back and forth stories put forward by the IDF and the Jewish media validate that argument.

Besides, shrapnels from the exploded S-200 can also damage the plane and cause it to land safely, as against direct hitting ..... That's a fact.

nothing made by the soviets or Russians is old fashioned take it or leave it. Russia would produce a 10 million dollar weapon and it would still be very active and powerful in 40 years time.

America would produce a 80 million dollar weapon and in 5 years time such weapon would be obsolete. why? corruption

the level of corruption in the U.S is alarming. all US produced weaponry are so over hyped and over priced. The U.S military industrial complex should be the most corrupt organization in the world. Using tax payers money supplied to them by their stooges in Washington to produce weapons whose price are massively inflated. eg a weapon that should be produced at 20 million dollars would be inflated to 100 million dollars then sold at 180 million dollars. Scam!!

Appleyard:


Did they tell you it was about to take off when it was hit?

You may want to read my first post (the last sentence to be specific). When you're done, book a class on COMPREHENSION for yourself. You need it.

Appleyard:


Nay. The bird was made of diamond....

Pathetic liars.

You may want to read my post again, dimwit. You do know what "speculation" means within this context, right?

ocelot2006:


You may want to read my post again, dimwit. You do know what "speculation" means within this context, right?

Speculation tht a $100 million worth plane was taken out by a bird, and the story was published two weeks later after an enemy air fire encounter? Guy don't get me disappointed..

bonechamberlain:
nothing made by the soviets or Russians is old fashioned take it or leave it. Russia would produce a 10 million dollar weapon and it would still be very active and powerful in 40 years time.

America would produce a 80 million dollar weapon and in 5 years time such weapon would be obsolete. why? corruption

the level of corruption in the U.S is alarming. all US produced weaponry are so over hyped and over priced. The U.S military industrial complex should be the most corrupt organization in the world. Using tax payers money supplied to them by their stooges in Washington to produce weapons whose price are massively inflated. eg a weapon that should be produced at 20 million dollars would be inflated to 100 million dollars then sold at 180 million dollars. Scam!!

The MIC and the establishment that controls it is the reason why the world will never know peace. They profit from wars, and for wars to be fought, they need weapons. That's where the rape and scam comes from. It will surprise you to know that the then popular and overhyped B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber that was so costly only manage to drop five bombs in its entire career. And just as they rate the government through that piece of garbage, is the same way they are raping the American people today through the useless flying coffin called F-35.