looks can be deceiving, wing is designed by Antonov, lots of homegrown design as well.

point is, Sri Lanka need the capability now, no scrap that, they need it yesterday. So upgrading Kfir’s, K-8s, buying new shiny toys etc etc all take too long.

I assume that the Ukraine will send a couple of MiG’s plus pilots, ground support and all other needed equipment. Thats pretty much the only option to get an viable air defense ASAP.

From Veeps at PPRUNE, whom is knee deep involved in outsize Antonovs

Aircraft was damaged in RKT a couple of weeks ago as undercarriage was being knelt………………..but he is OK now back in GML after repairs done in the field

Its funny how these stories spread like wildfire over the internet, was concerned about the big lady for a second.

Thanks for the An-32P picture, I didn’t know the delivery of these new firebombers had started yet. I wonder what Lybia is going to use a firebomber for though

A couple of points

There has always been the intention to re-unite all Somalis, no matter which government was in control or claimed control. The unification of somali people has been engraved in the flag and history. So there is little suprise there.

Ethiopian troops have been in Badiou long before the *actual* war started, they were there to prop up a regime supported solely by foreigners, the UN, Ethopia and other neighbouring countries.

The involvement of Eritrea in this war is nothing but another opportunity of Eritrea and its nutcase leader to attack Ethiopia with. Sad really.

The Ethiopian AF has been build around fighting Eritrea, and have problems fighting against Somalia for 3 reasons:
-There is little infrastructure, forces and things in general to be destroyed by force, certainly not a blind force as airpower
-The only attack planes operated by Ethiopia have short legs, and the operating base is located far from the border and the actual warzone
-Large numbers of capable personell has long defected the Ethiopia Air Froce.

All in all, another sad waste of life, largely created by foreigners that wanted to mingle in a stateless area. A basket case really, lets just hope the war won’t spread to other area’s of Somalia.

stills taken from a video

They did buy/lease that Ilyushing with that funny designation which was equipped with a dish.

And if I recall correctly Beriev send that A-50 refitted and all (with or without dish Im not sure) to Isreal. It stood at IAI stored for some time while the programme was in Limbo. After the deal was cancelled the plane departed to China to be fitted locally. So it isn’t that China took a baseline Il-76 and welded something on top. With so many Chinese designs, they take what they lack and construct the rest themselves.

I read somewhere that the crash is a major setback, but not the death of the project. I recall hearing the same stories after the Indian AWACS attempt with the Hs-748 crashed with the involved engineers on board.

Not wanting to start a flame war, just drawing the parallel here. It will be a major setback if the ones involved in the crash are also the engineers behind its development.