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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Friend or Foe System not to blame for downing of Russian aircraft off Syrian coast: MoD

2018-09-21

Quite probably it was an overexcited Syrian technician or several who felt keenly the need to shoot something at those horrid Israeli bombers when the secondaries started cooking off like cannons in the 1812 Overature. Most assuredly the Russian system is capable of determining Russian friendlies; whether it is still able to recognize Israeli aircraft as foes is a very different question.

[AlMasdar] The Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) System is not to blame for the downing of the IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft off the coast of Syria on Monday evening, the Spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Defense, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said this morning.

Maj. Gen. Konashenkov said that there were no precedents for transferring Russian IFF systems to other states, including the Syrian Arab Republic.

"The IFF system of state recognition is strictly individual for each state, and even for weapons and military equipment exported from Russia within the framework of military-technical cooperation, it has never been installed. All this fully applies to the domestic air defense systems delivered to the Syrian Arab Republic," Konashenkov said.

Furthermore, the IFF system that is used by the Russian military is only used by aircraft and air defense systems that are Russia.

"The IFF system of state recognition used by Russia is only used by aircraft and air defense systems identified as Russian. There have never been any precedents for the transfer of such a system, together with Russian identification codes, to another state, and in principle cannot be," Konashenkov added.

Both Syrian and Israeli leaders have offered their condolences for the death of the 15 Russian servicemen, while also blaming one another for the downing of the IL-20 aircraft.

Posted by:trailing wife

#8 so the takeaway is that Russian recon planes are as stealthy as a locomotive....

To be fair, a lot of people use civilian passenger airframes for surveillance, recon and maritime patrol. We certainly do. They were never meant to be stealthy.

Posted by: SteveS 2018-09-21 14:52

#7 so the takeaway is that Russian recon planes are as stealthy as a locomotive....

Posted by: Punky Jaith7709 2018-09-21 11:46

#6 Link to Bernardz #5.

Posted by: Besoeker 2018-09-21 09:35

#5 Worth a read
https://theaviationist.com/2018/09/19/lets-recap-everything-we-know-about-the-russian-il-20m-shot-down-by-a-syrian-s-200-missile-system-yesterday/

Posted by: bernardz 2018-09-21 09:27

#4 We're assuming an outside actor didn't change the air defense system's settings.

Yes, well, hmmm. May need to take this discussion to the Burg 'high side.'

Posted by: Besoeker 2018-09-21 08:29

#3 We're assuming an outside actor didn't change the air defense system's settings.

Posted by: Rob Crawford 2018-09-21 08:27

#2 US Army Field Manual (FM) 3-52, Chapter 4, beginning on pages 4-1, Airspace Control Measures.

Fairly basic stuff for operations in a combat theater or zone, unless of course you're a Russian or a Muzzie. Cool, easy to understand graphics. The author uses both fast mover and cargo aircraft as well as nifty box illustrations for the non-reader.

Posted by: Besoeker 2018-09-21 08:16

#1 If that's the case then how can the Russians and Syrians effectively interoperate in Syria?

There have never been any precedents for the transfer of such a system, together with Russian identification codes, to another state, and in principle cannot be,

Wouldn't the question be if the Syrians gave the Russians the codes/information they'd need to make Russian aircraft identify themselves as friendlies to Syrian air defense?

Posted by: Elmerert Hupens2660 2018-09-21 08:03

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