US now confirm a CH-46 Sea Knight is downed…

ANdy

Salute!

So, looks like the Hajis are getting more sophisticated equipment and tactics.  

this is becoming a little too common.
Have they got real MANPADS now?

Stay calm people, it may be just a forced landing.

Still no firm details other than it was seen to go down in an area of heavy gunfire.

ANdy

Which wire? Thank you.

Whether it was shot down or not, it is becoming clear (as if it wasn't already) that these savages are increasing being funded and armed by Iran who is fighting a proxy war with us as the USSR did with the US in Vietnam and as the US did with USSR in Afghanistan.


Hoping for the best.

Quoted: Which wire? Thank you.

Sky news quoting Rueters…

ANdy

Quoted: this is becoming a little too common. Have they got real MANPADS now?

All of the helos brought down this year seem to have been shot down by ground fire not SAMs...

I remember when the Apache was first being deployed, it was supposed to be invulnerable to rounds up to 14.5mm and able to 'resist' 23mm.  I wonder what ever happened to that?

Quoted: this is becoming a little too common. Have they got real MANPADS now?

something has changed, that's seems obvious.

I don't know whether it is training, MANPADS, RPGs, 12.7mm MGs - or what. But I am sure we have some very active counter-measures underway.

Pointing anything skyward is going to be hazardous to haji's health.

I wonder what the Iranians have to say about all this...

Associated Press
U.S. Military Says Copter Down in Iraq
By KIM GAMEL 02.07.07, 8:54 AM ET


A Sea Knight helicopter went down northwest of Baghdad on Wednesday, the military said, the fifth helicopter lost in Iraq in just over two weeks.

The CH-46 helicopter went down about 20 miles northwest of the capital, U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said, but he declined to comment on casualties.

"A quick reaction force is on site and the investigation is going on as we speak," he said in Baghdad, without giving a cause for the crash. "It would probably be inappropriate for me to talk about whether or not there are or are not casualties."

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/02/07/ap3403279.html

Quoted: Quoted: this is becoming a little too common. Have they got real MANPADS now? All of the helos brought down this year seem to have been shot down by ground fire not SAMs... I remember when the Apache was first being deployed, it was supposed to be invulnerable to rounds up to 14.5mm and able to 'resist' 23mm.  I wonder what ever happened to that?

I always wondered how something made of thin aluminium sheet metal could take such abuse.

All the gear boxes and driveshafts, hoses, wires, electronics.....

I flew Cobras for the Army and we learned the hard way, how vulnerable those were.

Heard it breaking on the radio, that makes 5 helos down.

By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 26 minutes ago

A Sea Knight helicopter went down northwest of Baghdad on Wednesday, the military said, the fifth helicopter lost in Iraq in just over two weeks.

The CH-46 helicopter went down about 20 miles northwest of the capital, U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said, but he declined to comment on casualties.

"A quick reaction force is on site and the investigation is going on as we speak," he said in Baghdad, without giving a cause for the crash. "It would probably be inappropriate for me to talk about whether or not there are or are not casualties."

Caldwell also said the long-awaited Baghdad security operation "is ongoing as we speak," a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki acknowledged that the plan to pacify the violence-ridden capital had been slow to start and had allowed insurgents time to step up attacks that have killed hundreds of Iraqis in recent weeks.

The Iraqi officer who is leading the security drive, Lt. Gen. Abboud Gambar, took over the operation headquarters on Monday, but there had been no announcement until Wednesday that the sweep, the third attempt to crush violence in nine months, had begun.

"The implementation of the prime minister's plan has already begun and will be fully implemented at a later date, having all the parts and pieces that he wants," Caldwell said. "But portions are already being put in place, and we'll continue to put more into place as the forces arrive and the assets become available."

President Bush is increasing the number of U.S. troops in Iraq by 21,500, including 17,500 for Baghdad, as part of the efforts. But the series of helicopter crashes underscores the dangers facing U.S. troops as they step up their presence in the Baghdad area.

Witnesses said the helicopter had been shot down in a field in the Sheik Amir area northwest of Baghdad, sending smoke rising from the scene, in a Sunni-dominated area between the Taji air base, 12 miles north of Baghdad, and Karmah, 50 miles west of the capital.

"The helicopter was flying and passed over us, then we heard the firing of a missile," said Mohammad al-Janabi, a farmer who was speaking less than a half-mile from the wreckage. "The helicopter then turned into a ball of fire. It flew in a circle twice, then it went down."

The helicopter went down five days after a U.S. Army helicopter crashed in a hail of gunfire north of Baghdad, police and witnesses said. The U.S. command said two crew members were killed in that crash, and the al-Qaida-affiliated group the Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility.

Three other helicopters also have gone down since Jan. 20, killing a total of 19 Americans — 14 troops and five civilian security contractors.

The twin-rotor CH-46 is used by the Marines primarily as a cargo and troop transport, and can carry 25 combat-loaded troops, according to the think tank GlobalSecurity.org.

More American troops were killed in combat in Iraq in the past four months — at least 334 through Jan. 31 — than in any comparable stretch since the war began, according to an Associated Press analysis of casualty records, as U.S. soldiers and Marines find themselves fighting more battles in the streets of Baghdad, as well as other cities.

The Iraqi government also has faced increased pressure over delays in starting the operation as hundreds of Iraqis have been killed in bombings and other violence in recent weeks.

At least 15 people were killed in attacks nationwide on Wednesday, including two employees of the government-funded Iraqi Media Network in Baghdad and a female government official who was shot to death while she was riding to work with her husband in the northern city of Mosul.

Al-Maliki acknowledged Tuesday that the Baghdad security operation was off to a slow start, but he also reassured Iraqis that security forces will live up to their responsibilities, telling his commanders they must not disappoint those "who stand beside us."

New checkpoints were erected and increased vehicle inspections and foot patrols were reported in some neighborhoods — providing the main evidence so far that U.S. and Iraqi forces were gearing up for a major neighborhood-to-neighborhood sweep to quell sectarian violence in the city of 6 million.

"The operations will unite us and we will take action soon, God willing, even though I believe we've been very late and this delay has started to give a negative message," al-Maliki said in a meeting with military commanders shown on state TV. "I hope that more efforts will be exerted and more speed exerted in carrying out and achieving all the preparations to start the operations."

"I say again, we have talked much about the operations, and while the Iraqis are waiting and waiting, the terrorists in turn have raised the level of the bombing operations and started killing people in mass numbers," he added. "Our slogan should be 'rest is prohibited, especially for military men, and day and night should merge in working to achieve victory.'"

"We should carry out the operation in good time and should not delay, because the delay will be used against us by the enemies ... and those who are afraid of them," he said.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the increase in U.S. forces in Iraq is "not the last chance" to succeed and conceded he was considering what steps to take if the buildup fails.

"I would be irresponsible if I weren't thinking about what the alternatives might be," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Gates said the operation was to have started Monday. "It's probably going to slip a few days, and it's probably going to be a rolling implementation," he said.

"As far as the security issue is concerned, we should be determined and committed. We should carry out the operation on time and should not delay because the delay will be used against us by our enemies," he added.

Local witnesses say they heard a missle.  Someone here posted an article about Iran getting new ground to air missles from Russia.  What a surprise now the insurgents have have new missles too

I bet they do have manpads but we don't want to admit it. Makes GWB's job all that much harder.

Now on FOX News and CNN; I think the Hadjis has gotten their hands on AA rocket launchers from Iran (here's my surpised face ).

Quoted: Local witnesses say they heard a missle.  Someone here posted an article about Iran getting new ground to air missles from Russia.  What a surprise now the insurgents have have new missles too

We had a British Lynx brought down by an SA-16 last year… the Lynx is the fastest and most agile helo on the battlefield.

Syria has them, they are as good as, or better than the Stinger and fairly immune to flares. It's widely suspected that Syria has passed some on to the Insurgents in Iraq either directly or through Iran.

Iran also has the SA-16 and has openly shipped them to Hizbullah, so it's a fair assessment they have shipped them to Al Sadr too.

ANdy

Its bush's fault they got Man Pads....

Quoted: Its bush's fault they got Man Pads....

IF that is what brought the helo's down, there is truth in that statement.

or not.

I just saw some footage of the wreckage- I doubt anyone survived.

Me thinks we need to blow somethin' up in Iran!

Me thinks we need to blow somethin' up in Iran!

Sounds good to me.

In before the we're making great progress if only the MSM would stop their distorted reporting.

Not a good development

BBC:

US helicopter crash near Baghdad A United States military helicopter has gone down near Baghdad, in the fifth such incident in Iraq so far this year, US military officials have said. It is not known how many people were on board the CH-46 Sea Knight aircraft, which can carry up to 25 people. It comes three days after US officials said ground fire apparently caused the four previous helicopter losses. A US spokesman said on Sunday that tactics were being adjusted and mission procedures modified as a result. In the latest incident, witnesses said they saw the helicopter go down amid gunfire from the ground, about 30km (18 miles) north-west of Baghdad, the Associated Press news agency reported. "The helicopter was flying and passed over us, then we heard the firing of a missile," Mohammad al-Janabi, a farmer, was quoted by AP as saying. "The helicopter then turned into a ball of fire. It flew in a circle twice, then it went down." US military spokesman Maj Gen William Caldwell said a "quick reaction force" was on site and an investigation was under way. Last month, 12 US soldiers died when a Black Hawk military helicopter crashed north-east of Baghdad, the deadliest such incident this year. The US has lost more than 50 military helicopters in Iraq since May 2003.

It's war, or at least it's supposed to be. Helicopters get shot down and good men die. The sky is not falling, not just yet anyway.

Fuck, this is going to be a bad day.

Please G-d, tell me there were no passengers on board.

7 reported dead…

Jihaddis are claiming they will release a video of the shootdown shortly

Quoted: I remember when the Apache was first being deployed, it was supposed to be invulnerable to rounds up to 14.5mm and able to 'resist' 23mm.  I wonder what ever happened to that?

I very much doubt that anyone knowledgeable described any aircraft as "invulnerable" to a round as large as a 14.5mm.  

Typically the aircraft can handle a single round of "x" size impacting anywhere and keep flying, not a hail of those rounds.

The USMC has armor covering some vital areas, but 46s are not hardened the way that 'Hawks and Apaches are.

.

Vito

Jihaddis are claiming they will release a video of the shootdown shortly

You gotta love an enemy who's stupid enough to shoot down a helicopter and then show you the MANPAD they shot it down with...Thank you Haji...Can you get a close up of that Iranian serial number while your at it.

The Bombing of Iran is coming real soon guys.

Bastards...

Damn...IT!

The military might have a strategy by not announcing how it was downed.

Do you want to give news coverage to allies and also to the enemy that it was shot down by a rocket?  That would mean that they are effective......kind of like the sniper situation......

Video from CNN here > www.liveleak.com/view?i=a71d71efa3

BTT

Dammit. This fucking pisses me off.

CoC prevent further comments.

Fucking Bastards.

U can bet Iran is Funnelling these Missiles in.

It was a SAM - Jihaddis have released a video…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtFZpCUZ280

Quoted: Dammit. This fucking pisses me off. CoC prevent further comments.

+ whatever the #

Fuck man.  I was having a good night just had a nice dinner.

That shit makes me sick to my stomach.  

Choppers are going to have to start going NOE every where. These videos are starting to look alot more like the vids that used to come out of Chechnya. Oh and for all those that still don't think Iran is behind this you need to come join the rest of us in reality.

Quoted: It was a SAM - Jihaddis have released a video… www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtFZpCUZ280

I'm not sure what pissed me off more, the video or the fucking comments left about the video.  

I wish I could provide those pieces of shit with a thousand fiery deaths.

R.I.P. brothers, you will be missed.

-Storm

Time to start flying the transports with gunship escorts. Launching a missile at US helicopters will become very unhealthy.

This only strengthens my resolve... theres a good chance the pilots of that 46 were students of mine.

NUKE IRAN AND SYRIA JUST TO BE SURE WE GOT THE RIGHT COUNTRIES.   I DOUBT WHO EVER HAS MAN PADS WILL EVER SELL THEM TO TERRORIST THUGS AGAIN.

Launch a Trident into that area, just to be sure. Kill some of them.

Watching that video made my blood boil.

Quoted: It was a SAM - Jihaddis have released a video… www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtFZpCUZ280

Words escape me...

Semper Fi, my brothers, may the Lord accept each and every one of you into his loving arms.