Turkish F-16 shot down an unidentified aircraft that violated airspace. The Turkish General Staff announced a few minutes ago.
"Today, in the airspace of our country, near the border with Syria, an unknown plane has been detected. Despite having been warned three times, it has proceeded in its flight path. Our planes are patrolling, following the rules of engagement , they opened fire and knocked down the plane ".
According to the NTV television, the downed aircraft would be a drone. The wreck has already been identified.
All Russian aircraft operating in Syria have returned to the base - the comment of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The suspect
At the moment it remains so, but analyzing the photos sent by Turkish TV NTV, some doubts arise. The official statement of the Turkish General Staff talks about F-16, not mentioning the authorized engagement procedure. If missiles were used, the signs of the warhead explosion should be visible on the drone. As well as visible the bullet holes of the F-16 if they had used the 20 mm cannon to knock down the aircraft. Those bullets would have pierced him like butter. The small holes visible on the drone, seem to be part of the original design and not caused by an 20 mm cannon.
The suspect? The drone could have crashed due to a mechanical failure. The photos released by Turkish TV seem to be compatible with our hypothesis.
(photo: Turkish Air Force / Xinhua)
