2012 Turkish F-4 Phantom shootdown

Shootdown over the border between Syria and Turkey September 2019 KLu Open Dagen 2008 69-7521 (50065443881).jpg 1.1 An RF-4E Phantom II of the Turkish Air Force, similar to the one involved Shootdown 2012 06 22 y Shootdown by Syrian Army anti-aircraft fire Syria–Turkey border 35.8335 N 35.5099 E type:event inline,title McDonnell Douglas RF-4E Phantom II TUR 77-0314https://www.sabah.com.tr/gundem/2015/02/24/bugune-kadar-12-rf4e-ucagi-dustu Bugüne kadar 12 RF-4E uçağı düştü 2021-05-22 tr Sabah Erhaç Air Base 2 2 2 0 On 22 June 2012, a Turkish McDonnell Douglas RF-4E Phantom II reconnaissance jet was intercepted and shot down by the Syrian Army in international airspace, after having violated Syrian airspace."Assad regrets downing of Turkish jet, says won’t allow open combat with Ankara". Al Arabiya News, 3 July 2012. Retrieved: 3 July 2012. Syrian military says it downed Turkish fighter jet https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18561219 BBC News 22 June 2012 BBC 23 June 2012 The jet's pilots were killed; both Turkish and Syrian forces searched for them before recovering their bodies in early July. The incident was part of a series of incidents between Turkey and Syria since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War and greatly escalated the tensions between the two countries. Background Syrian Civil War Turkish involvement in the Syrian civil war thumbnail|Turkey (orange) has been involved in the Syrian civil war since 2011 Syria–Turkey relations were already marred by the Turkish pilgrim bus attack. Also, on 9 April 2012, the Syrian envoy to Turkey was summoned after Syrian forces fired across the Syria–Turkey border. At least two people were killed and many others injured in the incident.Muir Jim Turkey Protests as Syrians Open Fire at Border https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17656657 BBC News 9 April 2012 9 April 2012 Event The reconnaissance aircraft of type RF-4E belonged to the 173rd Wing at the 7th Main Jet Base Group Command stationed at the Erhaç Air Base in Malatya.http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/20821111.asp Hürriyet Suriye açıklarında Türk savaş uçağı düştü Demir, Metehan 22 June 2012 tr 1 October 2012 The aircraft, piloted by Flight lieutenant Gökhan Ertan and Flying officer Hasan Hüseyin Aksoy,http://www.sabah.com.tr/Gundem/2012/06/25/pilotun-babasindan-goz-yasartan-aciklama Sabah Pilotun babasından göz yaşartan açıklama 25 June 2012 tr 2 October 2012 took off on 22 June 2012 with the task to help test the Turkish radar system. According to radar records, the aircraft was flying between Cyprus and Hatay over the Mediterranean Sea at about FL210, an altitude of 21000 feet, at 11:06 hours local time (08:06 UTC). For radar test purposes, it descended as it approached Hatay. At 11:14 hours, the RF-4E was at 8600 ft, and nine minutes later it had descended to 7500 ft just over Hatay. At 11:23 hours, the aircraft changed its course, heading now for the Mediterranean Sea and continued to descend. At 11:37, it had reached 2000 ft and was descending further for radar test purposes. The aircraft arrived at 11:42 on the boundary of Syrian sovereign airspace, 12 nmi km on out from the coastline, flying at 200 ft.http://www.aktifhaber.com/turk-jetinin-dakika-dakika-izledigi-rota-622812h.htm Aktif Haber Türk Jetinin Dakika Dakika İzlediği Rota 24 June 2012 tr 1 October 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120627032214/http://www.aktifhaber.com/turk-jetinin-dakika-dakika-izledigi-rota-622812h.htm 27 June 2012 dead At this point, the aircraft violated Syrian airspace, and flew around for five minutes within its airspace. A Turkish radar base controlling the flight warned the RF-4E to change its course immediately and leave that airspace. At 11:47, it left Syrian airspace and took a northerly course in the direction of Hatay, ascending to FL030. During the airspace violation and afterwards, the aircraft received no warning or admonishment from Syrian military authorities. The pilots changed their course once again into the Mediterranean Sea to proceed with their mission of radar testing. At 11:50, the pilots asked the Turkish radar base for assistance on route information, so that they would not violate Syrian airspace again. The aircraft was flying in international airspace and visible on radar screens until 12:02. The RF-4E was struck by a Syrian surface-to-air missile off the coast. The aircrew may have been alerted to a missile approaching and attempted unsuccessfully to evade.http://www.todayszaman.com/news-298618-turkish-pilots-noticed-syrian-missile-but-couldnt-save-jet.html Today's Zaman Turkish pilots noticed Syrian missile but couldn't save jet 19 November 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121230020011/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-298618-turkish-pilots-noticed-syrian-missile-but-couldnt-save-jet.html 30 December 2012 dead It was the first time that any variant of the F-4 had been shot down since the 1991 Gulf War.https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/gulf-war-20th-desert-storm-was-the-first-and-last-war-for-the-f-4g-advanced-wild-weasel/ Desert Storm Was the First and Last War for the F-4G Advanced Wild Weasel Aftermath The navies of Turkey and Syria searched for the missing aircraft and crew.http://in.reuters.com/article/syria-crisis-idINDEE85L0LV20120623 Jonathon Burch and Erika Solomon Turkish, Syrian forces seek downed Turkish jet Reuters 23 June 2012 24 June 2012September 2024 medicmedic United States research vessel EV Nautilus arrived three days later at the crash site to join the search and rescue operations. Her two remotely operated vehicles Hercules and Argus conducted a search at the seabed in 1280 m ft on depth and located the debris of the aircraft, and brought parts of the downed jet up to the surface. The bodies of the pilots were brought up with the ship's crane by Turkish divers in a 45-minute operation on 4 July 2012.http://www.radikal.com.tr/Radikal.aspx?aType=RadikalEklerDetayV3&ArticleID=1102333&CategoryID=81 Radikal Ankara'ya göre 'Pilotlar öldürüldü' iddiası: El Yalan! 1 October 2012 tr 2 October 2012 Turkey locates bodies of downed jet pilots. Aljazeera.com. The Syrian military alleged that the fighter aircraft had violated Syrian airspace. Turkish president Abdullah Gül and other spokesmen did not confirm this, though Gül said that "it is routine for jet fighters to sometimes fly in and out over [national] borders".https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18562210 Turkish warplane downed by Syria 'may have crossed border' BBC News 23 June 2012 27 September 2012 Gül stated that "it is not possible to cover over a thing like this. Whatever is necessary will no doubt be done."Stack Liam Turkey Vows to Take Action After Downing of Jet by Syria https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/world/middleeast/turkey-promises-retaliation-in-response-to-downing-of-military-jet-by-syria.html The New York Times 23 June 2012 23 June 2012 A Turkish political party leader claimed that the jet had been shot down by a Russian warship, and Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç also claimed that it was hit by a laser-guided or heat-seeking missile, not anti-aircraft fire as the Syrian Government claimed.DSP leader: Russia downed jet with new-generation missile https://web.archive.org/web/20120918151934/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-289198-dsp-leader-russia-downed-jet-with-new-generation-missile.html 18 September 2012 . Todayszaman.com (10 August 2012). On 3 July 2012, the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad said that he regretted the incident and would not allow any open conflict with Turkey. The change in Turkey's policy towards Syrian attacks led to a series of border clashes in October. See also List of accidents and incidents involving military aircraft (2010–2019) 2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown 1983 Turkish F-100 shootdown References 30em Category:Turkish military scandals Category:2012 disasters in Turkey Category:2012 disasters in Syria Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving military aircraft Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2012 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Syria Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Turkey Category:Syrian Air Force involvement in the Syrian civil war Category:Turkish Air Force involvement in the Syrian civil war F-4 Phantom Category:Syria–Turkey relations Category:June 2012 in Syria Category:June 2012 in Turkey Category:21st-century aircraft shootdown incidents Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II