Author: Hong Photography Kursk
According to Turkish Ministry of Defense, earlier on March 3, an L-39 jet coach/ attack aircraft of the government army of Syria was shot down by Turkish troops over Idlib . According to Turkish media, the L-39 fighter was shot down by the Turkish Air Force's F-16 fighter . It is not clear whether the Turkish F-16 fighter opened fire after invading Syrian airspace, or whether it launched a medium-range air-to-air missile in Turkey's airspace to shoot down the L-39 fighter.
L-39 "Albatross" advanced trainer is a famous two-seater jet trainer developed by Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. The aircraft is also widely used as a light attack aircraft. It can carry a small number of rockets to launch nests and bombs, but does not have air combat capabilities. As of 2018, the Syrian government forces also own 63 L-39 coaches/attack aircraft.
Picture: L-39 senior coach/attack aircraft carrying rocket launch nest.
Picture: CG picture shot down L-39 fighter jet, pilot ejected parachuting.
At present, it is not clear how the pilot of this downed L-39 fighter jet is. Although the aircraft is a two-seater, only the front-seat pilot can operate when performing ground attack missions.
Syria Air Force has always used L-39 as a light attack aircraft. The main reason is that this type of aircraft has a relatively large number and its operating cost is relatively cheap. However, the L-39 fighter jets can only fight in light threat battlefield environments, but it is difficult to deal with the responsible high-threat environment. On December 3, 2019, a Syrian government army L-39 fighter jet was shot down by ground anti-aircraft artillery while performing a mission over the eastern part of Aleppo.
Picture: Pilots of the Syrian government forces and L-39 fighter jets.
The battlefield in Idlib, Syria at this moment can be said to be very dangerous for air fighters. On the one hand, Turkish fighter jets were eyeing the air, making the ban on air issued by the Syrian government like a piece of paper. On the other hand, the extreme armed rebels on the ground have weapons such as shoulder-mounted air defense missiles, which poses a huge threat to part-time attack aircraft such as the L-39. The
L-39 fighter has a major flaw. Since the aircraft is from a trainer, it does not have a radar installed and can only perform combat within the visual range. Therefore, there is almost no possibility of the F-16 fighter patrolling Turkish airspace dozens of kilometers away. On the contrary, the Turkish Air Force can grasp all the situations in the battlefield airspace in the E-767 air warning aircraft and command the F-16 to snipe the L-39 fighter jet from a long distance!
, and the L-39 fighter jet lacking the ability to electronically fight against cannot escape this ultimate kill.
Picture: Extreme armed forces have shoulder-mounted air defense missiles and other weapons.
Picture: F-16 fighter jets patrolling over Türkiye can easily shoot down L-39 fighter jets flying over Idlib.
The Syrian Air Force dispatched L-39 fighter jets at this time, which was very puzzling. Previously, two more advanced Su-24 fighter bombers were shot down by Turkish F-16 fighter jets. Why would the L-39 coach/attack aircraft be sent out to die?
The Syrian Air Force's idea may be to rely on the flexibility and low-altitude flight capabilities of the L-39, infiltrate the extreme armed positions at low altitude to strike, and avoid the Turkish Air Force's strike. But obviously this approach failed. Not to mention that the Turkish Air Force has early warning aircraft to suppress the array, the targets of medium and high altitudes can be clearly understood. Even if they are not shot down by Turkish fighter jets, they are easily trapped in the extremely armed surface-to-air missile trap due to low altitude flight.
In short, it is not worth the effort to send L-39 fighter jets in Syria. Could it be that the Syrian Air Force has been “inorganized”? I had to send a coach/attack aircraft like the L-39 to kill me. If so, the air supremacy over Idlib will sooner or later be taken away by Türkiye. It is better to preserve your strength and save the pilot's life. Request support from the Russian Aerospace Force and let the Turkish Air Force throw its weapons at risk.
Picture: The Syrian Air Force's L-39 fighter jets are large in number, but they are completely unsuitable for modern battlefields.
