[Goose]

Russia lost another A-50 AWACS. Some impressive footage in this thread of the plane shooting off flares and trying to avoid. One missile explodes a distance away, but another takes it out. 

https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/176...47199?s=20

The range from front, ~210km, seemed to be longer than known PAC2 Patriot interceptor distance. Some rumor that an old S-200 system could have done it. Or maybe it was the Russians, as they claim.

All true. However, it has long been suspected that the Patriot ranges were intentionally understated. I find it hard to credit that the Russians shot down their own AWACS. If I am a Russian missile battery I wouldn't be in a hurry to fire at a target with a large radar cross section. Ukraine doesn't have any of those, and if they did they wouldn't get anywhere "near" a Russian missile battery. Also, who in their right mind fires off flares to deflect/confuse a radar guided SAM? The guys on the A-50 should know if they are being illuminated. Chaff yes. Flares no. Makes one wonder about both the video and/or the Russian "cover story". Could it have been a Russian fighter that did it?

[Goose]

Russia lost another A-50 AWACS. Some impressive footage in this thread of the plane shooting off flares and trying to avoid. One missile explodes a distance away, but another takes it out. 

https://x.com/bayraktar_1love/status/176...47199?s=20

The range from front, ~210km, seemed to be longer than known PAC2 Patriot interceptor distance. Some rumor that an old S-200 system could have done it. Or maybe it was the Russians, as they claim.

All true. However, it has long been suspected that the Patriot ranges were intentionally understated. I find it hard to credit that the Russians shot down their own AWACS. If I am a Russian missile battery I wouldn't be in a hurry to fire at a target with a large radar cross section. Ukraine doesn't have any of those, and if they did they wouldn't get anywhere "near" a Russian missile battery. Also, who in their right mind fires off flares to deflect/confuse a radar guided SAM? The guys on the A-50 should know if they are being illuminated. Chaff yes. Flares no. Makes one wonder about both the video and/or the Russian "cover story". Could it have been a Russian fighter that did it?