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India-Pakistan
Pak jets 'sent to confront US drones'
2008-09-14
Pakistan has ordered its jet fighters to confront any attack by the US-led coalition forces on the tribal belt near the Afghan border. Air force fighters have carried out sorties in the tribal region for the first time after US missiles attacks killed dozens of civilians, sources said on Saturday.
Those'd likely be the F16s they were so hot to buy from us, wouldn't they?
Air Force Chief Marshal Tanvir Mehmood, meanwhile, said that the Air Force could respond to violation of the country's air space by the US forces if the government issued orders.

Tribal elders and witnesses in Miranshah told local news networks that they had seen Pakistani fighter planes hovering over North Waziristan. They had also seen warplanes flying towards the Afghan border area.

Earlier, Pakistan's army chief General Ashfaq Kayani issued a harshly-worded statement, criticizing cross-border attacks by the coalition forces from Afghanistan and vowing to defend the country "at all cost".

The Air Force's decision followed bloody incursions by the US ground troops into the tribal belt as well as a string of missile strikes by US-operated drone aircrafts. The reaction comes after US President George W. Bush endorsed US military raids inside Pakistan without Islamabad's agreement.
Posted by:Fred

#25  If it's timed right, once might be enough, NS. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2008-09-14 22:40  

#24  So are pilots. It would only happen once.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2008-09-14 22:12  

#23  C'mon folks, it's a basic ploy, while they're out chasing drones a flight of bombers takes out their landing field.

For added nasty, take the field out as they're on final approach, be sure and have a couple of fighters to make sure their landing is a messy one shoot them down as they make their final flare just before touchdown.

No base, no planes, old tactics.

Posted by: Redneck Jim   2008-09-14 22:11  

#22  C'mon folks, it's a basic ploy, while they're out chasing drones a flight of bombers takes out their landing field.

For added nasty, take the field out as they're on final approach, be sure and have a couple of fighters to make sure their landing is a messy one shoot them down as they make their final flare just before touchdown.

No base, no planes, old tactics.

Posted by: Redneck Jim   2008-09-14 22:11  

#21  I don't think they're going to want to start downing our drones. Especially if the cost is the destruction of their air force. Fighter aircraft are expensive to replace.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2008-09-14 21:23  

#20  That's why they're calling these Arc Lite.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2008-09-14 19:04  

#19  Importantly, in another article, off Drudge, it was noted that US drones are now flying in groups of three!

Any of you AF types, what does this mean, other than three times as much firepower? Is there a tactical advantage to this? I note that B-52s at least used to fly in groups of three on Arc Light missions.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2008-09-14 18:48  

#18  To rescue their buddies? Sure.
Posted by: john frum   2008-09-14 14:50  

#17  John... would they move if one of those camps just disappeared?

Posted by: 3dc   2008-09-14 13:43  

#16  The Pakistanis will do all they can to protect their jihadis. They provide it with crucial leverage against Afghanistan and India. Pakistan will not give up jihad.

There are known terrorist compounds less than a kilometer from Peshawar garrison with its sixty thousand regular army troops. They havn't moved.
Posted by: john frum   2008-09-14 12:25  

#15  I had the impression from another article here that the packs might be stepping up enforcement - maybe the additional air power is cover for that.
Posted by: Bobby   2008-09-14 11:29  

#14  F-16 loiter time? Distance of Predator country from F-16 bases? From Afghan air space 'safe haven'?
Would be a 'shame' if an F-16 missile overshot a Predator and accidentally slammed into a militant Madrassa (but I doubt they can aim that well.)
Posted by: Glenmore   2008-09-14 09:17  

#13  Tribal elders and witnesses in Miranshah told local news networks that they had seen Pakistani fighter planes hovering over North Waziristan.

They have Harriers?
Posted by: Raj   2008-09-14 08:45  

#12  JFM, are you suggesting the report would be more credible if it came from the MSM? As far as I can tell, they're working for the same boss.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2008-09-14 08:13  

#11  JFM,
Right you are, sir. On the other hand, my understanding is that with well trained pilots, a superb C3 system (including AWACS) and better mods of the F-16 than the Pakistanis have (their birds aren't as good as ours, and are missing some...um...key systems)they might be able to locate and bring down a drone.
The Paks have none of those things.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2008-09-14 08:02  

#10  
JFM nails it.
Posted by: lotp   2008-09-14 07:49  

#9  Gee, DoD and DoS, how's the alternate Georgia-Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan supply route shaping up?

Word is that the grand reopening of the trans-Persia portion of the Silk Road is almost at hand. Well that or the correction of Afghanistan's status as a landlocked nation.
Posted by: AzCat   2008-09-14 05:31  

#8  For heaven's sake, am I the only one who is able to hover his mouse over the link and notice that this is from an IRANIAN agency?
Posted by: JFM   2008-09-14 05:08  

#7  The Air Force's decision followed bloody incursions by the US ground troops into the tribal belt as well as a string of missile strikes by US-operated drone aircrafts

Is that true? Perhaps GWB intends to finish up as America focuses on lipstick.
Posted by: Betty Grating2215   2008-09-14 04:49  

#6  Or is it another case of not planning ahead?

Oh, I'm sure W just flipped this decision out there without thinking about it a bit.
Posted by: gorb   2008-09-14 04:43  

#5  You just know that every single fast mover pilot in the region that belongs to the US is sitting there itching for a "Avenge the Predator" mission if Paks are insane enough to fire on one of the drones.
Posted by: Silentbrick   2008-09-14 02:54  

#4  The Predator is great for doing somersaults, all the way to the ground.

Gee, DoD and DoS, how's the alternate Georgia-Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan supply route shaping up? Or is it another case of not planning ahead?
Posted by: ed   2008-09-14 01:15  

#3  I wonder what can pull more G's on a turn?
Posted by: Procopius2k   2008-09-14 00:49  

#2  I say we take the F-16s back and use'em to fly missions inside Pakistan.
Posted by: Mike N.   2008-09-14 00:23  

#1  solution = UAfighters
Posted by: mhw   2008-09-14 00:16  

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