Thursday - January 09, 2020

That Ruse Didn’t Last Long

The Ukrainian flight that crashed just outside the Iranian capital of Tehran was struck by an anti-aircraft missile system, a Pentagon official, a senior U.S. intelligence official and an Iraqi intelligence official told Newsweek.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, a Boeing 737–800 en route from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airpot to Kyiv’s Boryspil International Airport, stopped transmitting data Tuesday just minutes after takeoff and not long after Iran launched missiles at military bases housing U.S. and allied forces in neighboring Iraq. The aircraft is believed to have been struck by a Russia-built Tor-M1 surface-to-air missile system, known to NATO as Gauntlet, the three officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, told Newsweek.

Newsweek reported the flight that crashed just outside Tehran late on Tuesday was struck by the Russia-built Tor-M1 system also known as Gauntlet.

The two Pentagon officials told the magazine that the tragedy was accidental.

Reuters also cited US officials as it reported the plane was most likely brought down accidentally by Iranian air defences.

One US official said US satellites had detected the launch of two missiles shortly before the plane crashed, followed by evidence of an explosion.

Two officials said Washington believed the downing of the plane was accidental.

The Associated Press quoted two US officials saying it is “highly likely” an Iranian anti-aircraft missile brought down the passenger plane.

The crash occurred soon after Iran launched missiles at military bases housing US troops in neighbouring Iraq amid a confrontation with Washington over the drone strike that killed an Iranian general last week.

The Ukrainian International Airlines Boeing 737-800, flying to Kiev and carrying mostly Iranians and Iranian-Canadians, crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport, killing all 176 people on board.

Yes, “accidental” in that it was not officially sanctioned and ordered from the top down. And some unidentified Achmed will take the blame, if he’s ever found. Iran had fired 15 missiles into Iraq a few hours earlier, but managed to not hit anything. Pretty amazing, given that those missiles are precise enough to hit within 2 meters of their target; each carries a 650lb bomb in the nose. So either they missed on purpose (by agreement via back channel diplomacy; we KNEW the missiles were coming before they were launched, or because our guys can jamb or override their guidance systems), or the whole launch was just bearding the lion, trying to prompt a response ... like a bombing raid against Tehran, where they could then play the victim card while also shooting some Great Satan weapon out of the sky in full view of everyone in their capital city.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/ukrainian-airplane-shot-down-by-mistake-by-iranian-anti-aircraft-missile-pentagon-officials-believe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_missile_system#9K331_Tor_M1
https://www.rt.com/news/russian-tor-missile-unique-794/
https://www.armyrecognition.com/russia_russian_missile_system_vehicle_uk/tor-m2_tor-m2e_sa-15d_short_range_air_defense_missile_system_data_sheet_specifications_information.html
https://www.ausairpower.net/APA-Rus-SAM-AAA-Footage.html
https://www.ausairpower.net/APA-9K331-Tor.html#mozTocId307602

The reports say that the Iranians have the Tor-M1 system, but that’s old tech at this point. We have no idea if they’ve upgraded to the -M2 or later versions. Probably. While the system isn’t quite an “Iron Dome”, it’s pretty damn modern, mobile, linkable, jam resistant, fast firing, and effective. Each launch vehicle carries 2 packs of 4 of their 9331 anti-aircraft missiles, and can track and fire on multiple targets, small fast ones at low altitude, possibly while still moving. And now we know that at least 2 missiles were launched. With that good a system, that big, close, and slow a target, that means two hits, guaranteed.

The TOR-M2 / M2E is designed to attack aircraft, helicopters, aerodynamic UAVs, guided missiles and other components of high precision weapons flying at medium, low and extremely low altitudes in adverse air and jamming environment. The Tor-M2 missile system can be mounted on wheeled or tracked chassis. The Tor-M2 doubles the number of targets that can be engaged simultaneously by a single combat vehicle to four. The Armenian Armed Forces have received the latest TOR-M2KM surface-to-air defense missile systems, according to a statement published on December 21, 2019, to the official website of the Armenian Ministry of Defence.

So perhaps this is the actual revenge they promised, and the other missile attack was just a fireworks show. Now let’s find out just how many of the citizens of all those countries on board the plane were actually Iranian ex-pats, going home from a visit to the old country. Would Iran shoot down a plane filled with their own people, just to get some “sand cred”? Why not? We’ve got hundreds of SJW Climate Savers setting Australia ablaze to “prove their point”, and ... surprise!!! ... a large part of them are muzzy immigrants. Them people be nutz.
It’s possible that Iran didn’t know who was on board. They might not have cared if they had. It’s possible that this was a real accident, some nervous Abu at the controls, knowing that Great Satan was probably going to drop a shitstorm all over his capital city.  But there may have been Jeffrey Epstein “suicide” levels of planning here, wheels within wheels. And not all of those wheels would spin in Tehran.

The world will write this off as an accident, and quickly look the other way. The Assatollahs win, Trump wins, Boris gets to make some noise in London, Trudeau gets to go extra dhimmi in Canada. And Israel gets threatened. In other words, just another Thursday.

Good to know that our side has such a lock on Tehran that they can spot and differentiate two nearly simultaneous heat blooms (missile launches) coming from only inches apart. From space. The 9331 missile isn’t very big. 4 of them fit into a firing clip about the size of a king size mattress.

Posted by Drew458     on 01/09/2020 at 01:38 PM   
Filed Under: • muslims • Politics • Terrorists •  
• Comments (0) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

DISCLAIMER

THE SERVICES AND MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE HOSTS OF THIS SITE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF SATISFACTORY QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE OR ANY MATERIALS.

Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:

1. Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
2. Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing
3. Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly:
4. Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere

It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

THE INFORMATION AND OTHER CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE ARE DESIGNED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS WEBSITE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ALL PARTIES IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE AMERICAN COURTS. IF ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS CONSTRUED AS BEING CONTRARY TO THE LAWS APPLICABLE IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, THEN THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ACCESSED BY PERSONS FROM THAT COUNTRY AND ANY PERSONS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO SUCH LAWS SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO USE OUR SERVICES UNLESS THEY CAN SATISFY US THAT SUCH USE WOULD BE LAWFUL.

Copyright © 2004-2015 Domain Owner