"F-16 down" in Beirut

according to official Chinese news source:China News Service


www.chinanews.com.cn...

以F-16战机在贝鲁特被导弹击落 飞行员下落不明

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2006年07月17日 20:46

　　中新网7月17日电 据欧洲媒体报道，一家以色列空军F-16战机在黎巴嫩首都贝鲁特被导弹击中坠毁，飞行员下落不明。(章田)




in English:
according to European media reports,one F-16 fighter of Israeli Air Force was shot down by missile in Beirut.Pilot is missing"

I believe this has been totally denied by the Israeli Defense Force.

Something blew up over Beirut, but it may have been a misfire of one of their own rockets, as it doesn't seem that any Israeli planes have been lost.

Israel denies it still. I think they would know. Even if they deny it for 'misinformation' or propoganda purposes, it would get out eventually.

Israel almost never admits to losing warplanes, the Israelis are quite cagey about admitting to combat losses of any kind, and always have been.

Still it's entirely possible this is simply propaganda or wishful thinking on the part of Hezbollah. Lebanon has almost no air defenses whatsoever, so if a Barak or Netz got taken out, the question is "how?"

Indian news channels also reporting it on the breaking news-rotator at the bottom of the screen, but I'm not able to find ANYTHING to confirm online..NOt even on the websites of the very same news channels!!
Infact this is the first online piece of info I've got..

[edit on 17-7-2006 by Daedalus3]

A google search turns up nothing on this story so i think that it's pure bunk

I agree.

They were talking about it on the live news sources in the U.S. but it was quickly denied, probably before most sources had a chance to write about it.

If you really need a link, I've found one from (of all places) Bulgaria:

Just saw video of something that appeared to be a fighter jet going down, but Isreal is denying any of their planes being shot down. Guess we'll find out soon enough.

Israel's denials are rather besides the point, as the IDF always denies any of it's aircraft get shot down

They do so for sound tactical reasons a) if the pilot ejected, they dont want anyone out looking for him and b) it's never a good idea to let an opponent know when his tactics are succeeeding.

Unless the wreckage is recovered, chances are we'll never know.
Video of a plane going down is a pretty good hint though, where did you see it metalmom?

I saw the video, and it's certainly not a whole plane at least. I'm still believing the official story from the IDF since any lie would be quickly uncovered. As already said, wreckage would be found and be proudly paraded around by Hezbollah. Also I'm sure the pilot would have had family missing them

Here is some footage, and an interesting interview.

Video link(s) are just to the right.

Correspondent speaks about the crisis

sanc

The video I watched on CNN showed falling debris, but it would be a stretch to claim it was an F-16 based on the footage shown.

Everything I've seen or heard so far, what little there is, are "reports of" with no confirmations being made.


$.02

I posted this on another thread, but as this thread is about the subject and claims and counter claims, I thought I would post it here:

On the reports an Israeli F-16 has been shot down in Beirut, following CNN saying that Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation were showing footage of an burning object in the sky, I flicked through channels I can access, and turned to Al-Jazeera, who are showing LBC footage on loop of a white vapour trail moving towards the sky, then, a burning object, fast plummeting and spiralling towards the ground.

SAM strike? or the aircraft trying to gain altitiude while on fire, then plummeting?

From what I can make of it, it is certainly a size and shape of some sort of aircraft, somebody said helicopter, but this thing is moving too fast to the ground to be a helicopter I think.

I would add that Israel may deny they have lost a plane if a search is on for surviving pilot/s in a potentially hostile area.

We will just have to see....but as someone said, we may never know.

So far, I've not found footage of any wreckage of what looks like to be an Israeli plane downed on internet or news channels.

[edit on 17-7-2006 by Regensturm]

Correction Indian news channels say--->

"Hezbollah:F-16 shot down over Lebanon"
If its an F-16 then :

1) First ever combat kill of an F-16? besides the fratricide(claimed CCCP MiG-27 kill) of the PAF F-16 A/B in 1988 I think.

2) God help the Lebanese people.

Keep your panties on. The F-16 down theory has been reversed by the Lebanese themselves. What fell out of the sky was a canister that contained the fliers warning civilians to take leave of southern beirut.

Hezbullah is spreading false information to hold up morale.

ynetnews

At worst it is an Israeli UAV.

[edit on 17/7/06 by JudahMaccabbi]

Then the claim about the canister with leaflets is misinformation..(if its a UAV that is)
Why would you say 'at worst an Israeli UAV?'
If Hezbollah is capable of getting a AShCM to tatget a ship then a SAM doesn't look impossible to me...
Let's wait and watch..
Hope its not a F-16..

Here's the actual story. You linked the homepage..
[edit on 17-7-2006 by Daedalus3]

[edit on 17-7-2006 by Daedalus3]

HAHA...Thats almost as good as "swamp gas from venus....."

I saw the footgae on the BBC and whatever it was, it was heading towards the earth at a fair pace. It also looked rather sizeable. It's either a Hezbollah rocket or a plane.

Well if the wreckage fell into the sea, it would not be found.

It's hard to tell what the truth is, as neither the IDF nor Hezbollah are exactly what I'd describe as "reliable sources"

It's hard to see how Hezbollah would take out an F-16 though, as I doubt they have any SAM's beyond MANPADS, and I presume the IAF is smart enough to keep their fighters high enough that a shoulder-fired missile won't have the range to hit them.



No way, the US has lost several F-16's to enemy action, over both Serbia and Iraq.
All to SAM's IIRC.

The IAF is reputed to have lost one or two to enemy action as well, although I don't expect them to 'fess up anytime soon...

[edit on 7/17/06 by xmotex]

Maybe it ran out of gas and was trying to pull into a Citgo?

Just saw that video on the ynet link...
Looks like the same missile that was launched was coming down in flames..
..
hard to say..