Pics : Downed F-117, downed F-16, damaged F-15, shot down Tomahawk in Kosovo

During the Gulf war, much to the Pentagon’s chagrin, F-117 Stealth light bombers were detected by the British and the Iraqis with antiquated radar systems. During the bombing of Kosovo, one F-117 was shot down by Yugoslav anti-aircraft with a Russian made missile of 1964 vintage.

A second F-117, though not downed, was severely damaged during the conflict.

From an American source : web.mit.edu...

But really, whats the big deal? one was downed and one was damaged in two separate conflicts? Thats pretty good going especially for a first generation design 25 years down the line, isn't it?

The official description of 'stealth' is 'Low Observability', not 'Complete Invisibility' or 'Magically Invulnerable' I think its a bit of a non story blown out of proportion actually.

Originally posted by waynos
But really, whats the big deal? one was downed and one was damaged in two separate conflicts?

Both were hit in the same Kosovo confilct.

Thats pretty good going especially for a first generation design 25 years down the line, isn't it?

The missile system that hit it was Russian 1960's tech. Imagine what their latest S-500(tested and to be deployed in late 2009) is capable of.

Originally posted by Stealth Spy
The missile system that hit it was Russian 1960's tech. Imagine what their latest S-500(tested and to be deployed in late 2009) is capable of.

And the F-117 is early 1970's technology. Imagine how the S-500 will fare against the F-22?? Besides, we have gone on ad nauseum about the conditions that enabled the Serbs (Im amazed they had the time to even fire off thier SAMS, what with all the atrocities they were busy commiting) to down the F-117

Ah, I confused the Gulf War reference by scanning too quickly, however it still stands that one shot down and one damaged isn't exactly devastating.

Also the age of the missile doesn't change the fact that the definition of stealth is merely 'Low Observable', you know that means less visiible and more likely to survive, not 'invisible and bullet proof'. How much more obviously can I spell that out? The point of stealth is that fewer of your assets are destroyed in combat, it is not possible to guarantee that none of them are.

Some of these post make it sound like it was some super SAM or AAA that shot down the F-117 in kosovo, but wasn't it infact plain aa-missiles fired in a bunch to a known position of the aircraft? I remember reading that someone was arrested for selling the information about the route, altitude and time of the F-117's in kosovo. Correct me if I'm wrong, makes more sense than the wilder theories of jammed bomb bay doors and such.

Double post edited

[edit on 2-6-2005 by Stealth Spy]

Originally posted by PsykoOps
Some of these post make it sound like it was some super SAM or AAA that shot down the F-117 in kosovo, but wasn't it infact plain aa-missiles fired in a bunch to a known position of the aircraft?

Pentagon officials confirmed that the aircraft was tracked by an unidentified radar and that two surface-to-air missile were fired at the F-117.


Russian Minister of Defense announced that the aircraft was brought down by a Russian-made SA-6 mobile SAM working in concert with a ground radar.

Link

Check out this thread : Yugoslavia's secret SAMs

Im totally sure that the F117 can be shot down relatively easily with modern missles. I can predrict a future without missles. Planes will be so stealthy that missles need to be soo sensitive that they will track birds instead of planes.

^^ I agree


Check out these threads too :

Stealth detection systems

This might not be far away from now (no offence intended) :


India's electron-accelerated pulse-power gigahertz microwave beam weapon : KALI

[edit on 2-6-2005 by Stealth Spy]

Stealth spy, its ok you don't have to worry about causing offence with every pic you post That is just an impression of a potential future combat, likewise I wouldn't find a picture of the german plane shooting down a british one offensive. The reasdon I objected to the other one was because it had a very specific implication as I explained in my u2u. I will carry on disagreeing with you but carry on having your say

dude, for some reason, this always sounds like propoganda trying to persuade us to support and join the russain or indian cause or somthing.....

I read the link, but I don't think it meant a B-2. The following sentence after it referred to the previous incident and said "B-52". I don't think the US lost any 'buffalos' in that particular conflict though.

Well, doesn't that prove that no aeroplane is unwinsible...

Has anybody ever claimed that any aeroplane is 'unwinsible? I don't think they have.

ha ha, post edited because I spelled unwinsible wrong

[edit on 4-6-2005 by waynos]

A B-2 Getting Shot. HA! Thats almost as ludacris as the Yahfake, er, I mean, Yahweh, guy. HA!!

Not ludicris at all.

You have to remember stealth is defined as "low observable" and not "invisible".

A B2 can be shot down just as easily as any other plane if it can be found... increasingly this is becoming possible

Originally posted by FredT

Originally posted by Stealth Spy
The missile system that hit it was Russian 1960's tech. Imagine what their latest S-500(tested and to be deployed in late 2009) is capable of.

And the F-117 is early 1970's technology. Imagine how the S-500 will fare against the F-22?? Besides, we have gone on ad nauseum about the conditions that enabled the Serbs (Im amazed they had the time to even fire off thier SAMS, what with all the atrocities they were busy commiting) to down the F-117

The F 117 is not early 70's technology it was mid 80's tech. The first supposed stealth aircraft was the F 19A Frisbee.

The F 117 is not early 70's technology it was mid 80's tech. The first supposed stealth aircraft was the F 19A Frisbee.

Jaysus wept! The fictional 'F-19' now has a subtype and a name

This is getting more like the UFO board every day

[edit on 9-6-2005 by waynos]

Actually I was reading a webpage the other day and they claim that they confirmed TWO B2s were definately shot down, and a third was hit, and crashed into a mountain, but they couldn't find the wreckage. Now what makes this really impressive is that this supposedly happened in 1999, but I saw one of the ones that was "shot down" do a flyby last year at a NASCAR race, low enough that the cameras could show the name and tail number on the gear doors.