Two days ago, the Qatari Ministry of Defence announced the successful shootdowns of two Iranian Air Force Su-24 fighters, which were reportedly on a mission to bomb the US base in the country. Now, more details have emerged regarding how close a call that double kill was.
The Iranian bombers were just two minutes of striking the largest base housing US troops in the Middle East before the Qatari F-15s swung into action, according to a CNN report, which added that the SU-24 planes from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had targeted al-Udeid Air Base, which is home to around 10,000 US service personnel .
The Iranian jets were carrying bombs and guided munitions and had dropped to an altitude of around feet. This was to avoid detection. The planes were visually identified and photographed “carrying bombs and guided munitions.”
The Qatari issued a radio warning, which was ignored by the jets, which had switched to a flying altitude of 80 feet to evade radar detection. The report quoted an unnamed source, which added that Qatar responded by deploying its fleet.
The decision was made on the basis of available evidence and time constraints, following which the Qatari F-15 fighter engaged the Iranian jets in “aerial combat” before downing them. The Iranian planes crashed into Qatar’s territorial waters, and there is no word yet on the crew members.
US Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged the incident in a briefing on Wednesday. “Qatari fighters for the first time have shot down two Iranian bombers on route to their location,” he told a briefing at the Pentagon. “The threat was addressed immediately upon detection, in accordance with the operational plan, as all missiles were shot down before reaching their targets,” the Qatar government said.
The QEAF operates three different fighter jets: the F-15QA Ababil, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Dassault Rafale.