BREAKING: Reports Claim ISIS Just Captured al-Asad Air Base

originally posted by: oletimer
Unconfirmed report on Twitter of "Intense Air Activity" 5 hours ago. This is an Airforce Base after all, and they have their own planes and Helicopters, in fact, its much much larger than the town of al-baghdadi. Googl e Maps

Also, unconfirmed video from the same timeframe, supposedly of fires onbase near the end of a runway.

I saw this video earlier when looking for information on this story...and it was an ISIS post showing a fire on the base THEY say they started.
I was a bit dubious of it's authenticity...given the source.

a reply to: IAMTAT

I absolutely agree. It also doesn't show much of anything.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Except that they would have been on alert, and would have seen the Toyota pickups coming from miles away.

a reply to: oletimer

And they'd have to recover at another base. They control most of the town now, so they'd be able to be on the approach and departure path they'd have to take. They'd be extremely vulnerable.

a reply to: stumason

Anyone who has served understands the importance of the chain of command.

a reply to: onequestion

What's going on with this story? Why did everyone go quiet here? Did the group jump threads?

How come no main stream media reports?

a reply to: Zaphod58

You are correct, ISIS would be very vulnerable in-route to the base. :-)

There are multiple exit routes out of the base heading away from the tiny town, and Kubaysah is only about 10 miles south thru the desert if need be.

originally posted by: SylentWeaponz
How come no main stream media reports?

www.reuters.com...
www.foxnews.com...
www.washingtontimes.com...

source: twitter.com...

a reply to: oletimer

MANPADS have a several mile range. No pilot would want to fly out of an area where they know that there are at least dozens of MANPADS ready to fire at them while they're low and slow, with no chance to get away from it.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Which reminds me, what kind of arms do you suppose the couple dozen Heli's on-base have? I can't make out what kind they are.

Google Maps

originally posted by: Lysergic

originally posted by: SylentWeaponz
How come no main stream media reports?

www.reuters.com...
www.foxnews.com...
www.washingtontimes.com...

Yes thanks. It happened here to. Most all msm seemed to break in with the news. Then almost immediately, barely make mention in the crawl. I even checked local news. Local said it was a minor incident that is now under control. That was it. Seems after following this thread. It's not that minor of an incident.
Is it under control?
I'm asking out of concern.

a reply to: oletimer

Door mounted guns. They're Blackhawks. They mount several different types of guns in the door positions.

a reply to: Lysergic

Thank you, Just got caught up.

Kay San here we come....should be a happy hunting grounds for those A10s if ISIL decides to play army this time....
otherwise they may just hide out in town and blame the civilian deaths on the air support....
They need to ring that base with cluster munitions....

a reply to: Zaphod58

Just guns? Nothing else?

Black Hawk

The S-70 is qualified as a launch platform for the laser-guided Hellfire anti-armour missile. The Black Hawk can carry 16 Hellfire missiles using the external stores support system (ESSS). The ESSS has the capability of carrying a 10,000lb payload of missiles, rockets, cannons and electronic countermeasures pods. The helicopter can also accommodate additional missiles, supplies or personnel inside the cabin. The S-70 can mount 7.62mm or .50-calibre machine guns in the windows.

US Army Black Hawks are fitted with the Goodrich AN/AVR-2B laser threat warning system.

a reply to: Bigburgh

There may very well be a heavy bombing from the air campaign currently taking place around the base.
We'll have to see what reports come through over the next 8 hours or so.

originally posted by: IAMTAT
a reply to: Bigburgh

There may very well be a heavy bombing from the air campaign currently taking place around the base.
We'll have to see what reports come through over the next 8 hours or so.

Thanks. Seemed everything came to a halt all the sudden. And I got nervous.
Thanks much.

This appears to be a good Twiiter Page on this:
twitter.com...