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Scratch One Friendly- Russian Air Defense At Work
Published 1 years ago
This short footage purportedly depicts a Russian aircraft being shot down by friendly (Russian) air defenses.
This footage was captured from a vehicle as the occupants were driving in the area. While it is obviously difficult to confirm, with little more than a night-time fireball to identify, the video was submitted as a Russian aircraft being shot down by Russia’s own Air Defense system. There are several theories which possibly explain why this has occurred, from Russia jamming their own IFF frequency ranges in response to Storm Shadow strikes, to hastily trained Russian pilots forgetting to activate the IFF at all.
While this may seem hyperbolic or exaggerated, there is some credence to the Russian pilot issue- Russian pilots get far less training time than NATO partners like the US- at four years, Russian pilots typically have approximately 480 hours, with the US doubling that at around 925 hours. Furthermore, given a shortage of pilots, Russian instructors were sent to combat roles, which meant that their instructive experience was denied to new pilots. Whatever the cause of this mistake, it has cost Russia yet more aviators.
About the Author
Cole Simms
Cole Simms is an Air Guardsman, NASA enthusiast, police officer, and security contractor with particular experience in austere environments. Outside of work, he volunteers as a Stop The Bleed instructor for area schools. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and blends his knowledge and experience to write analysis for Funker530.