Those “grandpa” aircraft were upgraded by the Israelis and then the Turks to quite an up-to-date standard including up-to-date RWR.

Assuming Syrian statement is right, then even an F-22 Raptor would’ve been pooched – i.e. hit at low altitude by manually targetted AAA fire.

Even if the ever changing Turkish accounts are correct, a more modern aircraft would’ve been screwed if it was bushwhacked by a missile – remember the F-117 over Kosovo?

Sorry but wrong information.

Israelis upgraded the F-4E fleet. RF-4E’s were upgraded by ASELSAN (local Turkish company) and Air Force maintenance center together. It had no Israeli participation, except the reconnaissance pods, which were not delivered.

There is some information on this page about the content of this upgrade.

There is going to be an emergency NATO meeting tomorrow and a full support declaration is expected to be stated.

ON other news, it has been claimed by Turkey that Syria opened fire to a SAR plane (CN-235): http://www.acus.org/natosource/turkey-says-syria-opened-fire-rescue-plane

So . . . if I’ve got it right –

On a route which should have kept him out of Syrian airspace but went off course & entered it, flying low. Warned by Turkish ground control. Left Syrian airspace unharmed. Decided to go round again, & requested ground control assistance to avoid a repeat of the Syrian airspace violation. Went off radar & ceased communicating while 13 nautical miles off coast, on corrected route which would not take him into Syrian airspace.

If that’s right, the Syrians spotted the activity first time round, but didn’t shoot when he crossed their airspace (too slow to respond?), then shot at him the second time without waiting for him to enter their airspace.

If this was a training flight, it would appear to be navigation training.

Yes, that is how the events happened according to the official statements.

Turkish Foreign Minister said that the aircraft was flying for a test of a new radar installation at Iskenderun, Hatay. It’s mission was not classified and all comms channels of the aircraft were open.

Additional info on the downed RF-4ETM for reference (from my article on Air International, “Anatolian Phantoms”)

… 1st Air Supply and Maintenance Center together with ASELSAN began working on modernising the RF-4E fleet, under “Isik” (Light) programme. This project consists of two phases: Structural and avionics upgrade of 18 RF-4Es and procurement of advanced reconnaissance pods under Turkish Aerial Reconnaissance Program (TARP). Upgrade phase includes structural strenghtening of aircraft and integration of LN-100GT INS/GPS navigation system, CDU-900Z, AN/ALQ-178 RWR and advanced communications systems, produced by ASELSAN. The TARP programme covers the procurement of Elbit Condor II Long Range Oblique Photography (LOROP) and Elta EL/M-2060P SAR/GMTI pods plus ground stations and real time data link systems. The first two aircraft were delivered on May 5, 2009….

The TARP program was cancelled by Israel following the restrained relations after the Mavi Marmara incident.

Most importantly, I hope that the crew is alright.

Any idea what the jet was doing so close? Why the assumption that it was an RF-4E? Any idea what air defense unit type was used?

The general staff and the government announced it was a reconnaissance plane.

According to Syrian army spokesman, it was hit by AAA, not missiles. They claim that the aircraft was hit 1km away from shore, crashed nto sea 8miles away. Syria claims the fighter was flying very low and fast.

Turkish televisions report that Syrian government confirmed that they shot down the Turkish F-4.

Speaking of which…

Greece scraps order of four Italian transport planes

In any case thanks orko for the numbers. Was that a public source or did you have some type of subscription? I searched a lot of places and couldn’t come up with much.

Many thanks for your reply!

I have a copy of the Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft 2004 – 2005 book (p.501).