Sveto wrote
Some sources reporeted that Radosavljevic shot down one F-15,there was also video of that F-15 parts on Bosnian television but immediately forbbiden by SFOR.
The F-15 ‘parts’ were combat-jettisoned external fuel tanks. Journalists and a film crew located the burning woodland and found the remains of the external fuel tanks.
Image of one of the externals can be found here. A Canadian camera crew also filmed an F-15 on the 27th March 1999 venting fuel before landing at Sarajevo. (Image also located here)
http://www.aeronautics.ru/fakemig.htm
Both MiG-29 wrecks were recovered with their full weapons loads intact. Lt Col Peric even admitted in interview that they fired nothing at the the F-15s before being shotdown.
The two F-15C involved in the 26th March 1999 shootdown were serials 84-0014 and 86-0156. Both airframes are still flying today. Captain Hwang, flying 86-0156, was awarded the double-kill of the MiGs. The two USAF F-15s were on an Operation Deliberate Guard patrol over Bosnia when they detected two MiG-29s heading towards them from Serbian airspace.
From Captain Hwang’s account detailing the jettison of the external fuel tanks:
“About this time, both Boomer (TJ note; Boomer is Hwang’s wingman Captain McMurray) and I got good ID on the target in our own cockpit and, with threat hot towards us inside 30 nm, decided to blow off the AWACS/clearance-to-engage restriction and go for it! Target was now inside 30 nm, and I directed Boomer to target the single group. I broke lock and went back to search in 40-nm scope and 120 sweep. The target check turns towards northwest (about 14L aspect) and descends to high teens. Boomer and I checked about 30¡ left to northeast for cutoff. This check turn slung me aft in the formation, so I stroke it up to full AB to get more line abreast. I called “Combat 1, arm hot” and saw Boomer’s wing tanks come off with bright flames under the wing. Pretty impressive! I was well over the Mach when I punched my tanks off, and the jet jumped up abruptly (you can see it in the HUD). Took a quick look back to see if my stabs were still intact,…. ”
A Reuters news team found at least one of the combat jettisoned tanks and produced a near 4 minute video. Unfortunately the footage ran around the world as being wreckage from a MiG-29. It wasn’t until first light the following day that the same Reuters team filmed the first of the MiG-29s that came down in Bosnia. The English stencil is simply “ANNUAL INSP C/W” (Annual Inspection) (C/W stands for Complied With). The video is near four minutes long and shows close ups of the tank fins, vent/feed pipes and manufacturers welded plate stating ‘600 US gallons’. That single still went all round the Internet on some web sites as ‘proof positive’ that an F-15 had been shot down.
The F-15 seen venting fuel over Bosnia on the 27th March 1999.
Captain Spinetta of the 493rd FS takes up the story:
“Early in the crisis, news organizations, reported seeing two F-15 Eagles divert into Tuzla with ‘battle damage’. They reported seeing ‘smoke’ as the aircraft came in for an emergency landing. Quite untrue! Don’t believe everything you read in newspapers and magazines that covered the conflict. The two F-15’s (from my squadron – the 493rd Fighter Squadron, ‘The Grim Reapers’, based at RAF Lakenheath) were dumping fuel to reduce their gross weight so they could land because of a small mechanical problem. One jet made a precautionary landing because a back-up hydraulic pump had ceased to function. The other jet went along for mutual support. Fighters never go anywhere alone.
Because they wanted to deter any expansion of the conflict to Bosnia, the Army quickly pointed out to the news media that the F-15s were not flying combat missions out of Camp Eagle. The only folks stationed at Camp Eagle were ‘Stabilization Forces’ (SFOR). The Army stressed that their sole function was to ensure peace and stability in Bosnia. They were not involved with any fighting in Kosovo and did not want any hostilities to expand into their area of responsibility.
We flew maintenance troops into Camp Eagle to fix the jets quickly. I happened to be flying a combat air patrol mission overhead when they took-off. The Camp Eagle commander, an army general, wanted to give a morale boost to his troops so he encouraged our pilots to make a maximum performance take-off. To accomplish this, you accelerate on the deck to 400-plus knots before pulling the jet skywards. You stand the aircraft on its tail and watch the world get small as you accelerate in the vertical. The Army commander emphasized this was a ‘tactical’ departure. Occasionally, he said, tensions still flared up. You can never be sure that all shoulder-launched SAM’s have been removed from circulation. So, he ‘ordered’ the Eagle pilots to avoid the potential threat, the only option being a vertical climb to avoid flying over the base perimeter. The two Eagle pilots were happy to indulge the general’s request. As they executed their max performance takeoffs, each pumped out a string of chaff and flares. Apparently, the sound and light show was better than the last ten Guy Fawkes fireworks displays combined. I watched their take-off from my CAP overhead and can attest they were impressive.
Unfortunately, the flares started a small brush fire off the end of the runway. After all the Army’s hospitality, we paid it back by setting their base ablaze. One of the pilots felt guilty and called back to the base. Rather than being angry, the Army commander was ecstatic. He was happy his troops got a little entertainment. He said the fire crews needed something to do anyway to break up the monotony of peacekeeping. Someone of the ground took a few pictures of the takeoffs and converted them into screen-savers for their computers.”
TJ
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