Islamic State training pilots to fly in three jets: Syria monitor

[k98nights]

Islamic State training pilots to fly in three jets: Syria monitor

Islamic State jihadists held a military parade after they cptured the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on June 10, 2014

By Sylvia Westall

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iraqi pilots who have joined Islamic State in Syria are training members of the group to fly in three captured fighter jets, a group monitoring the war said on Friday, saying it was the first time that the militant group had taken to the air.

The group, which has seized land in Syria and Iraq, has been flying the planes over the captured al-Jarrah military airport east of Aleppo, said Rami Abdulrahman, who runs the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Reuters was not immediately able to verify the report and U.S. Central Command said it was not aware of Islamic State flying jets in Syria.

U.S-led forces are bombing Islamic State bases in Syria and Iraq. The group has regularly used weaponry captured from the Syrian and Iraqi armies and has overrun several military bases but this was the first time it had been able to pilot warplanes.

"They have trainers, Iraqi officers who were pilots before for (former Iraqi president) Saddam Hussein," Abdulrahman said.

Smoke rises from a village on the outskirts of the Syrian town of Kobani, seen from near the Mursitp …

"People saw the flights, they went up many times from the airport and they are flying in the skies outside the airport and coming back," he said, citing witnesses in northern Aleppo province near the base, which is 70 km (45 miles) south of Turkey.

It was not clear whether the jets were equipped with weaponry or whether the pilots could fly longer distances in the planes, which witnesses said appeared to be MiG 21 or MiG 23 models captured from the Syrian military.

“We're not aware of (Islamic State) conducting any flight operations in Syria or elsewhere,” U.S. Central Command spokesman Colonel Patrick Ryder said.

“We continue to keep a close eye on (Islamic State) activity in Syria and Iraq and will continue to conduct strikes against their equipment, facilities, fighters and centres of gravity, wherever they may be.”

Pro-Islamic State Twitter accounts had previously posted pictures of captured jets in other parts of Syria, but the aircraft had appeared unusable, according to analysts and diplomats.

The countryside east of Aleppo city is one of the main bases of Islamic State in Syria, where the al Qaeda offshoot controls up to a third of the country's territory.

http://news.yahoo.com/islamic-state-training-pilots-three-captured-jets-syria-094406157.html

[MyLadiesDaddy]

It'll be the fastest dog fight in aviation history when those retards meet my brothers from

KMCAS air wing.

PRAY FOR REVIVAL EVERYDAY

another day closer

[paperboy]

THREE fighter jets?  No problem!   Take 'em out while they are sitting on the runway - and do it Quick.   

[new york kevin]

It'll be the fastest dog fight in aviation history when those retards meet my brothers from

KMCAS air wing.

PRAY FOR REVIVAL EVERYDAY

another day closer

And my sons and daughters from MCAB and Naval Pacific Fleet in San Diego, Ca. I pray God's hand of protection, skill, wisdom, guidance, grace and mercy upon all who are fighting, and will be fighting in Iraq War III on our behalf. In Jesus's holy name I pray.

LGD, whasup?

[MyLadiesDaddy]

And my sons and daughters from MCAB and Naval Pacific Fleet in San Diego, Ca. I pray God's hand of protection, skill, wisdom, guidance, grace and mercy upon all who are fighting, and will be fighting in Iraq War III on our behalf. In Jesus's holy name I pray.

LGD, whasup?

Amen my brother.

PRAY FOR REVIVAL EVERYDAY

another day closer

[boosterbglee]

One of ours can take out all three of theirs in a matter of minutes...no problem! 

[k98nights]

Of course these are planes we probably just delivered to them

[Brinx65]

There's really only two logical explanations for this.

 

1.   There's someone on the ground with a remote control in his hand charging people for a quick jet ride.

 

2.    ISIS is tired of suicide car bombings and want to see if  their A$$ can actually be shoved thru their skull as they do a face plant from being shot down.

 

 

Thanks for the post K98 !

[blitzer]

I totally agree that this bunch would not last long against any REAL fighter pilots from about any country.  However, I do see one fairly good threat from them on this platform, we already know they love to suicide, and we know they use trucks and airliners to do it.  Now, imagine some jacked up camel farmer, in a REAL tactical jet, I don't care if it is an old 21 or 23, it is still a serious tac fighter, and it has a fairly decent set of ECM and countermeasures on board, now imagine one of them attempting to fly one into our ships in the Gulf, or any other fixed target.......

 

I am not saying that they will do real good, I am not saying that we probably couldn't shoot their asses down, but I would like to remind you what a handful of those idiots did a few years ago with a damn ski boat up against the USS Cole.

 

In my 25 years in SOG, one thing I learned real damn quick; do NOT underestimate your enemy, that is a fools path.  And secondly, when you are dealing with a truly commited individual, and or one that is moved by a religous zealousy, you can NEVER EVER ignore that drive and ambition to accomplish or at the least, TRY to accomplish their goal.  Because they are already accepting of their death.  And if an assasin is willing to die, in order to get his target, he or she is damn hard to stop.

 

And history is full of examples of that fact.

 

Just sayin'.....

[okane]

An ISIS controlled airfield?  Chances are they are the only ones there .... light it up.  Bye Bye, planes, pilots and trainers.   

[tankdude]

I totally agree that this bunch would not last long against any REAL fighter pilots from about any country.  However, I do see one fairly good threat from them on this platform, we already know they love to suicide, and we know they use trucks and airliners to do it.  Now, imagine some jacked up camel farmer, in a REAL tactical jet, I don't care if it is an old 21 or 23, it is still a serious tac fighter, and it has a fairly decent set of ECM and countermeasures on board, now imagine one of them attempting to fly one into our ships in the Gulf, or any other fixed target.......

 

I am not saying that they will do real good, I am not saying that we probably couldn't shoot their asses down, but I would like to remind you what a handful of those idiots did a few years ago with a damn ski boat up against the USS Cole.

 

In my 25 years in SOG, one thing I learned real damn quick; do NOT underestimate your enemy, that is a fools path.  And secondly, when you are dealing with a truly commited individual, and or one that is moved by a religous zealousy, you can NEVER EVER ignore that drive and ambition to accomplish or at the least, TRY to accomplish their goal.  Because they are already accepting of their death.  And if an assasin is willing to die, in order to get his target, he or she is damn hard to stop.

 

And history is full of examples of that fact.

 

Just sayin'.....

I'm with you on that one.  Just becasue they are terrorists or fanatic zealots does not mean they are dumb.  Their tactics and techniques continue to evolve. I don't believe they are training to take on coalition pilots. They know that would be a useless gesture - but think about what one of their big goals.  To attack Baghdad.  LIke you said - a good set of countermeasures, a decent route,  and some luck - next thing you know you have a true "kamikaze" style attack on Baghdad -

[uncirculd]

Rookies in flight.  Perfect!  On the bad end, too bad they were not using 757's full of them.   Especially crash coarse from the Iraqi forces.

Be nice to get them as they take off.  Who knows, maybe they will fly the planes into something.   So evil.

Edited October 17, 2014 by uncirculd

[RAGARCIA62]

I kinda think they won't even get off the ground. They be like, "oh damb, too fast for me". And crash the jet on take-off.