Was the Russian plane brought down by a US or Israeli missile?

Was the Russian Metrojet plane shot down by Israeli or American missile during "Blue Flag 2015" exercises?

Моглали ракета, выпущенная израильским илиамериканским самолетом, сбить А321?

Israel Shamir

Fort Russ,

3 November, 2015

Translated by Kristina Rus

Aerial duels were conducted near the Egyptian border, along Metrojet flight path

Israeli and Western bloggers are linking the plane crash "Metrojet-9268" to "Blue Flag 2015" air exercises conducted in the area of the crash. These are the largest exercises of the Israeli air force with participation of the U.S. Air Force, Poland and Greece.

Israeli and American planes simulated air duels, simulated fighting two dozens kilometers from the crash site of the Russian aircraft. The exercises were based at Ovda airport, 70 km from Eilat and close to the Egyptian border, along which Metrojet flew.

This fact should be taken into account in the analysis of the crash of 9268. The Russian plane was flying at such a height that it could not be shot down by the Sinai militants. But whether to rule out an accidental strike by missiles fired from Israeli or American aircraft - let the experts respond to this question.

Metrojet - 9268 is not the first passenger plane crashed over the Sinai desert. In February 1973 the Israeli air force shot down a Libyan passenger airliner, which due to a strong sand storm have gone astray. It did not help the liner that it was flying directly West, towards Cairo, and not Israel. It was still hit, killing 108 of 113 people on board. The then Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir congratulated the commander of the Israeli air force with the achievement. Israel has still not apologized about civilians killed. No one was punished.

Ravid Gor, Russian Israeli journalist, has analyzed the current response of Russian Israelis to the collapse of Metrojet and called it "trolls dancing on the blood". Commenters reacted with joy to news that the Israeli army striked the armed forces of Syria, which are defended by the Russian military-space forces.

Yet it is difficult to assume that the plane was shot down deliberately.

Недалеко от египетской границы, вдоль которой летел Метроджет, проводились воздушные дуэли

Российский самолет летел на такой высоте, что его не могли сбить синайские боевики. Но можно ли исключить случайное попадание в этот самолет ракеты, выпущенной израильским или американским самолетом - на этот вопрос пусть ответят специалисты.Фото: РИА Новости

Израильские и западные блогеры начинают связывать крушение самолета "Метроджет-9268" с происходящими в районе крушения крупными авиаманеврами Blue Flag 2015. Это крупнейшие маневры израильских ВВС при участии ВВС США, Польши, Греции.

Израильские и американские самолеты имитировали воздушные дуэли, моделировали бои в двух десятках километров от места гибели российского самолета. Учения базировались на аэродроме Овда, в 70 км от Эйлата и недалеко от египетской границы, вдоль которой летел Метроджет.

Этот факт следует учесть при разборе полета 9268. Российский самолет летел на такой высоте, что его не могли сбить синайские боевики. Но можно ли исключить случайное попадание в этот самолет ракеты, выпущенной израильским или американским самолетом - на этот вопрос пусть ответят специалисты.

Метроджет - 9268 - не первый пассажирский самолет, потерпевший крушение над Синайской пустыней. В феврале 1973 израильские ВВС сбили ливийский пассажирский лайнер, который из-за сильной песчаной бури сбился с пути. Не помогло лайнеру и то, что он летел строго на запад, на Каир, не на Израиль. Его все же сбили, при чем погибло 108 из 113 человек на борту. Тогдашний израильский премьер Голда Меир поздравила командира израильских ВВС с достижением. Израиль так и не выразил сожаления по поводу убитых гражданских лиц. Никто не был наказан.

Равид Гор, русский израильский журналист, проанализировал нынешние реакции русских израильтян на крушение Метроджета и назвал их "плясками троллей на крови". С радостью отнеслись комментаторы и к удару израильской армии по вооруженным силам Сирии, которых защищает ВКС РФ.

Все же трудно предположить, что самолет был сбит умышленно.

Here is confirmation of the exercises from the Times of Israel.

Israel hosts its largest-ever international air force exercise

Israeli, American, Greek, and Polish air personnel square off against a fictional enemy state in two-week dill

Times of Israel,

30 October, 2015

Air forces from around the world have gathered deep in the Arava desert in the south of Israel for the past week and a half to take part in the largest aerial exercise in the history of the Israeli Air Force.

The “Blue Flag” exercise, which is continuing through November 3, pits the Israeli Air Force, the United States Air Force, Greece’s Hellenic Air Force and the Polish Air Force against a fictional enemy state, the captain in charge of all IAF exercises told The Times of Israel Thursday night.

A number of other countries, including Germany, also sent pilots and officers to observe the exercise, but did not take part.

This joint drill is the second “Blue Flag” exercise; the first took place in 2013 and was the largest multi-lateral exercise the IAF had ever hosted.

The various air forces collaborated closely through every step of the current exercise, the IAF captain said, from planning to execution and finally to debriefing.

Though the exercise began on October 18, planning for it started nearly eight months ago, the Israeli official said, with an IAF representative contacting each participating country and initially asking, “What do you want to train for?”

Those requests came together to form the plan for “Blue Flag,” which sent Israeli and American F-15 squadrons, along with Israeli, Hellenic and Polish F-16 squadrons, flying through nearly all of Israel’s air space, firing simulated weapons against fictional enemy missile launchers, convoys and aircraft, he said.

Though the drill was intensive and demanding, it was designed more to test the mettle of the men and women behind the controls than to test the technical capabilities of the fighter jets themselves.

“We wanted it to be challenging for the airmen, rather than for the machines,” said the IAF captain, who cannot be named for security reasons.

In order to “put the airmen through their paces,” he explained, the people running the exercise tried to surprise them, putting them in situations where “the pilot doesn’t know where their target is coming from.”

“Blue Flag” ends next Thursday (5th November - ed)