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What downed that F-117

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posted on Aug, 10 2004 @ 11:32 PM
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Hey guys im trying to find out what downed that F-117, any solid links on that? did the pilot survive? This happend a while back forgot what conflict. Im sure you remember it was the only one that was downed. Did the enemy get their hands on that tech? Or did we stike the target in time?


Thanks



posted on Aug, 10 2004 @ 11:43 PM
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Originally posted by RealisticPatriot
Hey guys im trying to find out what downed that F-117, any solid links on that? did the pilot survive? This happend a while back forgot what conflict. Im sure you remember it was the only one that was downed. Did the enemy get their hands on that tech? Or did we stike the target in time? Thanks


AWST did a bit on the shootdown. Several factord were cited:
1) the plane used the same egress route on sucseive nights
2) A jammer was pulled off its mission to support a B-2
3) They think that the pilot flew under cloud cover and was highlighted byt he clouds
4) the plane may have lost its stealth for some reason. Even a loose screw can cause the F-117 to be detected.

The pilot ejected and was recovered. The military official word is they did not want to bounce the wreckage due to all the civilians around it.

However, in a recent thread someone suggested that the bomb strike on the Chinese embassy was targeted on the wreckage.



posted on Aug, 10 2004 @ 11:56 PM
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4) the plane may have lost its stealth for some reason. Even a loose screw can cause the F-117 to be detected.


I believe the F-117 was wet, and that is what caused it to become less stealthy.

About the wreckage, didn't the military say there was no harm in losing this technology as it was out of date?



posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 03:10 AM
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Of course they are going to say its no harm done . But I imagine they were not to happy to hear it wasn't recovered. Also the main reason it probably got shot down is what FredT said the F-117 had been using the same routs for it bombing runs. It doesn't take a genius to shoot you down if they know your flight path.


[edit on 11-8-2004 by WestPoint23]


jra

posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 04:03 AM
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I've heard another theory (emphasis on the theory). I have no links to support this and i don't know if it's been discused and dismissed or what, but i'll try to explain it as best i can.

The theory I heard was that they had used a differnt/new radar system that could detect the stealth fighter sort of. The theory was that the radar didn't so much as detect the aircraft itself, but looked for where there was no ambient radiowaves or what have you. (not sure if it was radiowaves or just normal background radiation or what). Basicly they just looked for the hole in the sky, so to speak.

But again that's just one of the other theories that i've heard, it seems plausible to me, but obviously take it with a grain of salt. Out of the other theories, i'd say the most likely would be a combination of the 1st and 3rd ones.

Incase you haven't seen pics of the wreckage (you probably have though) here is a link to a bunch of them, just scroll down to the bottom of the page. www.globalsecurity.org...



posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 11:37 AM
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Thanks guys, very informative as usual



posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 11:47 AM
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All of that talk on the Serbs using a cell phone to detect the plane seems farfetched. A phone would never be powerful enough. There are too many other logical explanations to explain how it went down to buy that.



posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 12:26 PM
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There are radars which are not affected as much by low observable aircraft, epsecially by those which allegedly kept their weapon bay doors open a bit too long. That's the story i heard.



posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 12:35 PM
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Cell phones themselves were not used. The cell network, which is a grid of transmitters, provides a constant microwave "shine" into the sky. A radar antenna could then detect a moving "blind spot", where the ambient scattered microwaves were not present because of the plane's shadow. They call it a passive radar.



posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 01:04 PM
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I highly doubt the Serbs had a full PCL system set up. It would take very powerful equipment that is way out of their league.



posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 01:11 PM
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The Nighthawk was shot down by a good old WWII practice of Flak ahead of what you can see. Just because its stealthy to electronics does not mean its invisable to the naked eye. The pilot ran into a field of fire of AA guns and was brought down by Flak damage.

The F117 lacking afterburners and supersonic performance is limited in its escape possibilities when confronted by a field of AA guns. Whereas a high performance fighter will tack up and AB straight up to "outrun" the range of fire from AA/Flak guns.



posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 02:46 PM
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that is my understanding as well Robertfenix.

Basically, I heard that they were given a tip off as to what day the strike was going to happen. That, combined with knowing the flight path of the F-117 let them basically fill the air with AA fire.



posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 02:53 PM
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Originally posted by robertfenix
The Nighthawk was shot down by a good old WWII practice of Flak ahead of what you can see. Just because its stealthy to electronics does not mean its invisable to the naked eye. The pilot ran into a field of fire of AA guns and was brought down by Flak damage.

The F117 lacking afterburners and supersonic performance is limited in its escape possibilities when confronted by a field of AA guns. Whereas a high performance fighter will tack up and AB straight up to "outrun" the range of fire from AA/Flak guns.



I agree with robertfenix also. All the Radar stealth in the world wont help you if people know your are comming and can see you with the naked eye. Good old Flak can bring you down all the same if they see you.

I see this as the reason the US is interested in optical stealth.



posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 03:15 PM
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wow... check out this article... seems the russians may have helped in a way:

news.bbc.co.uk...

-koji K.

[edit on 11-8-2004 by koji_K]



posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 03:18 PM
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Originally posted by American Mad Man
that is my understanding as well Robertfenix.

Basically, I heard that they were given a tip off as to what day the strike was going to happen. That, combined with knowing the flight path of the F-117 let them basically fill the air with AA fire.


No, they placed their AA along likely escape routes for some important targets and then proceeded to shoot at the sound of the jet. Do to weather conditions at that time it is possible that they got a visual sighting, but there was no radar signature until the aircraft started taking damage.



posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 06:52 PM
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This is why we need faster stealth aircrafts like the raptor. The same thing happened in 91 over Baghdad the whole sky lit up with AAA fire hoping to shoot down our F-117 but they luckily missed. So if the same thing happened in 96 our pilot would have escaped unless they had a hint on his flight path.



posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 07:41 PM
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the system ya all talk about is called CELLDAR, the brithish have it so therefore they cant have it!

if your saying it went down cuz it was wet that would mean, NO STEALTH missions during back weather like rain (unlikely i think).

1 thing they could have used is TAMARA or KALCHABRA on which they can get their hands easily!



posted on Aug, 11 2004 @ 08:30 PM
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Originally posted by WestPoint23
This is why we need faster stealth aircrafts like the raptor. The same thing happened in 91 over Baghdad the whole sky lit up with AAA fire hoping to shoot down our F-117 but they luckily missed. So if the same thing happened in 96 our pilot would have escaped unless they had a hint on his flight path.


Thats one fo the reasons why the mission profiles are usually at high altitude. Random AAA could care less if you are stealth or not. Faster has its advantages, but if the tactics are poor and you loose your stealth, you may be toast....

One of the advantages of the Raptor, and the JSF is that the maint. of the stealthy aspects of them is supposed to be much much easier

[edit on 11-8-2004 by FredT]



posted on Aug, 13 2004 @ 07:50 AM
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I heard the air strike on the Chinese Embassy was deliberate and related to the the downing of the F-117. The Embassy had provided, or was the base for a Chinese developed technology that was able to locate stealth aircraft by detecting the disturbance the aircraft makes as it passes through the air. This is analagous to the French satellite based technology that can detect submerged submarines by the minute disturbances they make on the surface of the ocean. By detecting these disturbances you can then infer the presence of the craft.



posted on Nov, 25 2004 @ 12:00 PM
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This is what I heard:

A MiG-21 "improved" it's stealth with it's GSh-23L cannon and a SA-6 shot it down...

The MiG-21 stumbled upon the F-117 by pure luck...

This was posted on another forum at www.world.guns.ru




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