US F-16 struck by enemy fire in Afghanistan in rare attack

[Zarvan]

A file photo of a US F16 fighter jet. PHOTO: AFP

KABUL: A US F-16 was struck by enemy fire in eastern Afghanistan in a rare instance of an advanced fighter jet coming under attack by insurgents, military officials have confirmed to AFP.

The $100 million jet sustained significant damage which forced it to jettison its fuel tanks and munitions before returning to base, officials said.

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The attack occurred last Tuesday in the Sayid Karam district of eastern Paktia province, much of which is under control of the Taliban. The group had posted a statement on Twitter that evening saying they had downed an enemy jet.

The Taliban has shot down several military helicopters using small-arms fire since their insurgency against US-led Nato forces and government troops began in 2001, but never a fighter capable of super-sonic speeds and reaching a height of 50,000 feet.

The incident underscores the risks foreign forces still face at the hands of the group as Washington extends its military presence in the country beyond 2016.

When contacted for comment, the US military initially said it had no “operational reporting to support the Taliban claims”.

But photographs of the site obtained by AFP and seen by J. Chacko, an open-source military analyst based in London, indicated the jet had lost two “drop-tanks” used to extend flight time, an air-to-ground missile, and two other unguided bombs.

When questioned on the claims, the US military confirmed in a statement to AFP: “On October 13, a US F-16 encountered small arms fire in the Paktia Province in Afghanistan. The surface to air fire impacted one of the aircraft’s stabilisers and caused damage to one of the munitions.

“The pilot jettisoned two fuel tanks and three munitions before safely returning to base. The pilot received no injuries and safely returned to base.”

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Chacko, as well as two other military analysts contacted by AFP, said the jet would have had to be flying very low to the ground to be struck by Taliban fire — perhaps as low as a few hundred feet.

Niaz Mohammad Khalil, district governor of Sayid Karam, told AFP that neither US nor Afghan forces had been conducting any operation in the area at the time which have necessitated the use of air cover.

US F-16 struck by enemy fire in Afghanistan in rare attack - The Express Tribune
@Horus @Oscar @Jango @Irfan Baloch

 

[gau8av]

The $100 million jet

F 16s cost that much now ?

 

[truthseeker2010]

F 16s cost that much now ?

even more depending on variant and package.

 

[gau8av]

even more depending on variant and package.

I understand the UAE block 60s are the most advanced f-16s around, how much a pop for those ?

 

[truthseeker2010]

I understand the UAE block 60s are the most advanced f-16s around, how much a pop for those ?

last time they bought in 2013, 25 for $5 billion, thats 200 mil a piece.

 

[gau8av]

last time they bought in 2013, 25 for $5 billion, thats 200 mil a piece.

but that includes training and other costs too, right ?

 

[Jungibaaz]

F 16s cost that much now ?

Factor in the weapons and avionics, targeting pods and other goodies that aren't included in the flyaway cost, logistics, spares, maintenance and training costs too.

Other costs you could include too, but they need not be directly attributed to a single F-16.

 

[truthseeker2010]

but that includes training and other costs too, right ?

yes definitely....

 

[bdslph]

100 million is not shocking
but it is the most advanced one

i guess it was flying very low and doing recon mission or something
must be a anti aircraft gun

 

[Hindustani78]

2007 article.
Taliban uses weapons made in China, Iran - Washington Times

A set of photographs was provided depicting Taliban insurgents showing off new supplies of Chinese-made HN-5 shoulder-fired missiles.

The weapons, similar in design to Russian Strela-2 missiles and in use with China’s People’s Liberation Army since the early 1990s, are limited in range, speed and altitude, but effective against helicopters and low-flying airplanes.

 

[as1mz]

It would seem US has her hands full with Afghan Taliban.. But to think an F-16 damaged by small arms is preposterous.

USAF F-16 Struck by Taliban in Afghanistan | Today in Pakistan

 

[Hindustani78]

Small arms fire damages F-16 in Afghanistan
A U.S. aircraft was damaged after it came under fire in Afghanistan last week, defense officials said.

Small arms fire struck the Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon on Oct. 13 in Paktia province and damaged one of the aircraft's stabilizers, the movable surfaces at the back of the aircraft that help control flight direction, defense officials said.

As a "precautionary measure," the pilot jettisoned two fuel tanks and three munitions before landing safely, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said Monday.

The F-16 pilot was not harmed by the enemy fire, said Capt. Bryan Bouchard, a spokesman for the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing in Afghanistan.

"Our pilots routinely face ground threats such as surface-to-air fire, however they are well-trained and prepared to respond to any threat or attack," Bouchard said in an email Monday.

U.S. combat sorties have grown more infrequent since the U.S. officially ended its combat mission in December.

About 9,800 U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan and the U.S. continues to provide airstrikes in support of the Afghan security forces.

 

[Archie]

This could inspire copycat attacks

 

[Hindustani78]

Taliban militants stand next to the wreckage of components jettisoned by a damaged aircraft, which the militants say they had hit, in Sayed Karam district of eastern Paktia province, Afghanistan, October 14, 2015. An American F-16 aircraft was hit by small arms fire while conducting a patrol in Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan on October 13, U.S. military officials said on Monday.