Posted on 05/26/2019 12:34:36 PM PDT by robowombat
16:55 10.04.2019(updated 16:57 10.04.2019) The alleged attack comes days after the Taliban targeted a US convoy in north-eastern Afghanistan, killing three soldiers. Taliban* militants have claimed they shot down a US B-52 heavy bomber, Syrian news site Muraselon reports.
The incident purportedly took place when the aircraft was departing from the Shawrab Airbase in southern Afghanistan in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
"Mujaheddin (a militia fighter) of the Islamic Emirate targeted a US B-52 bomber with heavy weapons today early morning in Lar area in the Washir district of Helmand Province," a spokesman for the Taliban was quoted as saying.
The B-52 is said to have crashed after the strike, killing all of its crew. Both Afghan and US authorities are yet to comment on the matter.
On 8 April, three US service members were killed in a car bomb attack on a convoy near the Bagram Air Force Base in north-eastern Afghanistan. The terror group claimed responsibility for the bombing.
In this Thursday, April 12, 2012 file photo, Afghan special forces demonstrate a raid for rescuing a hostage during a showing at the commando training center in Kabul, Afghanistan. © AP PHOTO / MUSADEQ SADEQ, FILE At Least 37 Taliban Militants Killed in Operations by Afghan Special Forces – Reports The Taliban emerged in 1994 at the height of a civil war in Afghanistan. The group held power in most of the country between 1996 and 2001; during this period, it introduced Islamic Sharia law.
The Taliban was ousted from power by a US-led coalition in 2001 and has since then been waging a guerrilla war against the Kabul-based government, and NATO forces in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan.
Russia's envoy to Afghanistan said in February that the militants control at least 50 per cent of Afghanistan's territory and their ranks include from 3,500 to 10,000 Daesh* fighters, who regularly carry out terror attacks across the country.
targeted a US B-52 bomber with heavy weapons
Anybody know if there’s an airbase in Hellmand Province capable of handling Buff’s. I highly doubt it. The report implies that it was hit slightly after takeoff — which is the only way a stinger-like weapon has a chance.
Heavier than a RPG? What, a Stinger?
________________________________________________
If true, I’d say a Stinger MPAD is the best guess.
Why are we still in Afghanistan? This is one situation where President Trump got talked out of following his best instincts.
First use a stooge site and then echo it.
Just like the FBI does to get FISA warrants!
The Viet Nam War ended better long term than this one did, for us. Perhaps a decisive defeat is better than US troops being used for all the wrong reasons.
Those camel pluggers couldn’t shoot down a paper airplane with a shotgun.
If this is true then someone has some explaining to do. The B-52 is a strategic bomber, thus it should not be on the ground in Afghanistan.
Qatar is the only base, I think. No need to be any closer.
Story is six weeks hold. B52 destroyed and covered up that long? Unlikely.
The B-52H is the most advanced variant of the Stratofortress, a design which is considered in many ways to be the most capable Western bomber ever designed.
The aircraft combines a high payload of advanced standoff munitions, capable of striking targets at extreme ranges of several thousand kilometres, with simplicity, reliability, durability and very low maintenance requirements.
The B-52H for its part is not designed to operate within short or intermediate ranges of modern missile attacks and heavily emphasizes striking enemy targets with missiles such as the AGM-86 at extreme ranges for precisely this reason.
More recently, the state of the art electronic warfare systems has been integrated to provide greater survivability against missile attacks.
These factors draw the Taliban’s claim in to question – as downing the bomber would require either a direct hit on the fuselage or the destruction of multiple engines – all while bypassing its electronic defences should missiles be used. The U.S. and the Afghan government have yet to comment on the incident.
The VietNam war did not end in a decisive Us military defeat. It was rather a political defeat waged by the Left in this country.
The US was never defeated militarily in Vietnam - we basically just ran away because the media told the public we were loosing ... two or three more days and the NVA would have surrendered.
Buffs and Bones fly out of Diego Garcia.
Period.
It was when Walter Krankheit claimed that North Vietnam won during the Tet Offensive, when in fact their own generals (including General Giap) said that they were clobbered by the US Army.
It was the likes of Krankheit that turned the tide of the war.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.