ISIS/ISIL conflict in Syria/Iraq (No OpEd, No Politics)

Bringing down a Mi-35 is quiet significant, if the helicopter was properly operated. I hope more info on this comes out in the coming days. Anyways, the Iraqi forces have a significant surface to air threat against their assets there. That'll impact their operations somewhat, I guess.

Helicopter Shot Down By IS Rocket Launcher
The pilot and co-pilot of the Iraqi military helicopter were reportedly killed as Islamic State hit back against air operations.
18:10, UK, Friday 03 October 2014

Fighters from the Islamic State extremist group have used a rocket launcher to shoot down an Iraqi military helicopter, say officials.

The pilot and co-pilot of the Mi-35 aircraft were reportedly killed in the attack which happened between the towns of Beiji and al Senniyah in northern Iraq.

The shooting down of the helicopter showed the insurgents' ability to hit back against air operations by Iraqi authorities and the US-led coalition. ...

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RAAF Air ops over Iraq.









Aircrew aboard a Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail aircraft prepare for a mission in the Middle East.



A French Air Force Dassault Rafale F1 fighter jet receives fuel from a Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport in Iraq.



Royal Australian Air Force Air Refueller Operator onboard the RAAF KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport refuels two F/A-18F Super Hornet aircrafts in Iraq as part of the Air Task Group.



Two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft conduct air to air refuelling with a RAAF KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft by night over the skies of Iraq.

Fighting around Kobane intensifies, ISIS is using tanks and other armored vehicles quite openly but so fair no airstrikes on them . My guess is that anti-ISIS coalition lacks FACs on the ground, and also, do to the proximity of Turkish border they do not want to violate their airspace .

Scratch said:

Bringing down a Mi-35 is quiet significant, if the helicopter was properly operated. I hope more info on this comes out in the coming days. Anyways, the Iraqi forces have a significant surface to air threat against their assets there. That'll impact their operations somewhat, I guess.

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Here is some combat footage of Mi-35 in Iraq :

[video=youtube;ilQ9anWSsBc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilQ9anWSsBc[/video]

thunderchief said:

Fighting around Kobane intensifies, ISIS is using tanks and other armored vehicles quite openly but so fair no airstrikes on them . My guess is that anti-ISIS coalition lacks FACs on the ground, and also, do to the proximity of Turkish border they do not want to violate their airspace .

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True at the same time ISIS armored vehicles and tanks can't go any further without risking being spotted by aerial drones outside their safety zone.

The foreign affairs commentator of my favorite radio station writes today that it looks very odd that Western leaders are extremely indignant about the barbarous IS beheading three men while in the same period Saudi Arabia beheaded some 19 people and this year in total 34. And in public by an executioner who was tought this work by his father and who tries to interest his sons in the same work. He works in public on a square in Riyadh that Westerners call Chop chop square. There should be more reason to bomb Saudi Arabia than IS. But those people in Riyadh are Saudi's and servants from Asia and Africa. And of course there is oil and money. But if an American or European were to be beheaded .....

delft said:

The foreign affairs commentator of my favorite radio station writes today that it looks very odd that Western leaders are extremely indignant about the barbarous IS beheading three men while in the same period Saudi Arabia beheaded some 19 people and this year in total 34. And in public by an executioner who was tought this work by his father and who tries to interest his sons in the same work. He works in public on a square in Riyadh that Westerners call Chop chop square. There should be more reason to bomb Saudi Arabia than IS. But those people in Riyadh are Saudi's and servants from Asia and Africa. And of course there is oil and money. But if an American or European were to be beheaded .....

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To be fair, Saudi Arabia beheads only condemned persons. Btw, France used guillotine until 1977 . I would say some people deserve to die that way :


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Here is some more footage of Iraqi hunter/killer helicopter team Bell 407/Mi-35 . It would be interesting to know did they managed to establish some kind of datalink between the two . In some moments it looks like Bell-407 is lasing targets for Mi-35

[video=youtube;kqNRCfRHpoU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqNRCfRHpoU&html5=1[/video]

I just heard someone from the Dutch thinktank say that the effect of US bombing is very disappointing.
For the BBC take on this policy see .

Hmm ... I see a pattern emerging

To Defeat Islamic State, Remove Assad

Syrians are already asking why we’re bombing ISIS but not stopping Assad’s attacks on them. Good question.

By
John McCain And
Lindsey Graham

The airstrikes and other actions President Obama is taking against Islamic State deserve bipartisan support. They are beginning to degrade the terrorist group, also known as ISIS, but will not destroy it, for one reason above all: The administration still has no effective policy to remove Bashar Assad from power ....

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It's just as we expected.