Syrian forces could have hit a Turkish jet with an optic projectile, instead of a radar-guided projectile, Turkish military officials sources were cited as stating on Wed among argument over how the disarmed reconnaissance mission jet was downed in the Mediterranean on June 22.
Turkish officials have disclosed in new statements that there’s no prove as yet affirming that the RF-4E Phantom was downed by a projectile, arousing mistrusts that the plane could have been hit by antiaircraft gun fire, as Syria asserts. Given the short range of antiaircraft gun bullets, media critics tell, this could be an indication that the plane was hit inside the Syrian air space, and not in international air space as Turkey asserts.
But while the government declines to back down from its first affirmation that the plane was hit while in international air space, military officials stated a projectile attack option shouldn’t be eliminated just because there’s no radar recording of the attack.
“The plane wasn’t downed with a radar-guided projectile. So it’s normal that there has been no radar record [of a projectile attack],” an official from the Air Forces Command, talking on circumstance of anonymity, was cited by Sabah daily on Wed.
The report stated the military is sticking to its earlier affirmation that the plane was not hit by antiaircraft fire. Officials at the Air Forces Command also explained that the truth that the plane had broken into 8 pieces demonstrates that it broke apart as a consequence of a close blowup, and not from being hit directly by a radar-guided projectile designed to accurately hit their specific target.
