Fri Mar 17, 2023, 10:01 PM

Russian defence minister decorates pilots for downing U.S. drone

LONDON (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has presented awards to the pilots of two Su-27 fighter planes that intercepted a U.S. drone near the airspace around Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, his ministry said on Friday.

The drone crashed into the Black Sea on Tuesday after being intercepted by Russian jets, in the first known direct military encounter between Russia and the United States since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago.

Announcing the awards, the ministry repeated Russia's version of events - disputed by Washington - that the Russian planes did not make physical contact with the drone.

"As a result of sharp maneuvering around 9:30 a.m. (Moscow time), the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle went into uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude and collided with the water surface," it said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/russian-defence-minister-decorates-pilots-094828825.html

When their war is going so shitty I guess they have to celebrate what successes they can. I doubt the pilot who shot down the Chinese balloon received a medal but you never know.

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2 replies	Author	Time	Post
Russian defence minister decorates pilots for downing U.S. drone (Original post)	Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin	Mar 17	OP
Yeah, those Russian pilots are pretty brave and heroic when the target doesn't shoot back	Trailrider1951	Mar 17	#1
YouTube asked, what if the drone had a friend who could shoot back?	NotASurfer	Mar 17	#2

Response to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Fri Mar 17, 2023, 10:25 PM

Trailrider1951 (3,180 posts)

1. Yeah, those Russian pilots are pretty brave and heroic when the target doesn't shoot back

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Response to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Fri Mar 17, 2023, 10:55 PM

NotASurfer (1,933 posts)

2. YouTube asked, what if the drone had a friend who could shoot back?

Ran across these people who wondered - with the constraints imposed by a simulation- (1) how hard it was to intentionally do the kind of damage shown in released video to a drone (very hard to do intentionally, lending credence to the specific damage being a lucky accident) AND (2) what an armed drone "wingman" might be able to do, to protect the surveillance drone or retaliate.

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