Chinese shoulder-mounted missile shot down US fighter jet over Iran
The American network "NBC News", citing informed sources, revealed that the American F-15E Strike Eagle fighter, which was shot down over southwestern Iran last April, was likely hit by a Chinese-made shoulder-mounted defense missile.
Although investigations are still ongoing and no final official confirmation has been issued, indications are pointing toward an effective weapon against low altitudes, which is 2.2 meters long and weighs 18 kilograms, and is a cheap and lethal means of shooting down advanced aircraft.
China's technological support to Tehran has not been limited to man-portable missiles (MANPADS), but is suspected of supplying Iran with a long-range early warning radar (YLC-8B), an advanced system designed to detect the most sophisticated U.S. stealth aircraft and prevent them from evading detection. However, assessments by U.S. officials suggest that this support has not been decisive in changing the course of comprehensive military operations.
The thrilling journey of survival behind the lines
On April 3, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the downing of a highly advanced US F-35 warplane by its advanced air defense system, noting that "the fighter jet belongs to the Lakenheath squadron," before US reports hours later confirmed that the fighter jet was an F-15A Eagle.
The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) revealed exciting details of the rescue of the two-person fighter crew after they parachuted in a hostile environment, where the first pilot was immediately rescued within just 7 hours of the crash of the plane after accurately monitoring his position, while the weapons systems officer spent two full days hiding and maneuvering inside the rugged foothills of the Zagros Mountains deep inside Iranian territory, before the US commandos succeeded in locating and evacuating him successfully.
Beijing denies: "Malicious and baseless distortion"
The Chinese embassy in Washington has denied the accusations in detail.
An embassy spokesman said Beijing "exercises caution and responsibility" in exporting military products and exercises strict control in accordance with Chinese laws and international treaties, calling the U.S. report "baseless distortion and an attempt to deliberately link to political purposes."
China has had strong military and economic ties with Iran since the 1980s and 1990s by supplying it with ballistic and anti-ship missiles. But after the imposition of a UN arms embargo in 2006, Beijing backed away from the mega deals and moved to supply Tehran with "dual-use" components, prompting Iran to develop its domestic manufacturing capabilities and self-reliance in bolstering its existing military arsenal.
Information on the Chinese Missile
Intelligence and security reports indicate that the most likely system behind the downing of the American F-15E Strike Eagle over southwestern Iran is the Chinese FN-6 (Fei Nu-6) system , or an upgraded version of it belonging to the family of shoulder-fired air defense missiles (MANPADS).
The system is a shoulder-mounted, thermal-guided (infrared) surface-to-air anti-aircraft missile.
The missile is about 2.1 to 2.2 meters long, weighs about 16 to 18 kilograms (the missile alone weighs about 10.7 kilograms), and has a top speed of Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound), giving the target aircraft a very short time to respond.
The missile has an operational range of 6 kilometers, and the maximum altitude it can hit targets at altitudes of 3.8 kilometers.