A report in a Russian military journal claims that half the planes Russia lost in its war with Georgia last year were shot down by friendly fire.

The article, in the Moscow Defence Brief magazine, also claims that Russia lost a total of six military aircraft, two more than it is admitting to.

Originally posted by djvexd
reply to post by FredT

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Really? I was unaware of that. Details?

Due to the U-2's extreme operating altitude, Soviet attempts to intercept the plane using fighter aircraft failed. Moreover, the U-2's course was out of range of several of the nearest SAM sites, and one SAM site even failed to engage the violator since it was not on duty that day. According to the official version of the event (see below for alternative, plausible versions), the U-2 was eventually hit and brought down near Degtyarsk, Ural Region, by a salvo of fourteen SA-2 Guideline (S-75 Dvina) surface-to-air missiles. The plane's pilot, Gary Powers, successfully bailed out and parachuted to safety, although in doing so he violated his orders to destroy the aircraft were he to be shot down[citation needed]. Powers had been issued with a modified silver dollar which contained a lethal, shellfish-derived saxitoxin suicide pill, although in the event he did not use it.[5] In bailing out, he neglected to disconnect his oxygen hose and struggled with it until it broke, enabling him to separate from the aircraft. A subsequent missile salvo also hit the aircraft, further damaging it and would likely have killed Powers outright. He was captured soon after parachuting to earth in Russia.[3]

The SAM command center was unaware that the plane was destroyed for more than 30 minutes.[3] One of the Soviet Mig-19 fighters pursuing Powers was also destroyed in the missile salvo.[6] The pilot was posthumously awarded the Hero of Soviet Union[citation needed], though his death was not mentioned in the award.

en.wikipedia.org...

Originally posted by northwolf
reply to post by gimme_some_truth

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They actually do suck... only thing the Russians trust is numbers Example