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[Kodeman]

 

[jelly]

Must be weird for fighter pilots, have any of them ever been in a real dog fight or would that even happen now, fire rocket from some distance, thanks computer.

 

[Jokergrin]

well it only took a few jets and some cave people to defeat evil aliens in Battlefield Earth

 

[OminoMichelin]

Nope.
There's no way a militia can learn how to fly these things like that. The amount of training and flight hours needed to be even a little bit competent is beyond what these guys have right now.
Its worrying that they have access to such hardware, but i don't believe for one moment they are capable of piolting jets.

This. Piloting jet fighters is really no joke. Realistically, it would be easier having seasoned pilots joining them.

 

[bonesmccoy]

ISIS has Cold War era MiGs?

 

[Imm0rt4l]

That's cute

 

[Jacobi]

They don't need to TRAIN fighter pilots when they can just BUY them.

 

[enzo_gt]

We're going to need more F-35s.

Yup! Time to add another few billion to military spending!

 

[OminoMichelin]

They don't need to TRAIN fighter pilots when they can just BUY them.

Serious question: do mercenary groups usually have/use jets?

 

[Yaboosh]

Isn't the last thing they want to do is participate in traditional warfare?

 

[BossLackey]

Even assuming they can somehow fly these jets competently, which I highly doubt, we should just throw a couple F-15s or F-22s their way. They won't even know we're in their "airspace" before they're dead.

 

[Veritigo_X]

Wasn't there an ISIS video a while back of them sitting in old Russian MiGs telling Russia that they'll "bring them back" or something like that? If they can even get them off the ground, I doubt they can use them effectively in air-to-air combat. Air Force is gonna have some fun with them.

 

[Mully]

CNN just reported on this and not once did they talk about the logistics needed to maintain a fighter jet. Let alone the hundreds of classroom hours and hundreds more flight hours to train a pilot.

However, a number of Saddam era military officials tied the knot with ISIS a few years back. Maybe one of them was a pilot?

One way or another, we need a better source.

 

[wildfire]

So how much could they sell these Migs for (assuming they are Migs)? They probably would have a better deal trading them away for warthogs.

 

[PhoenixDark]

Three? Oh no! That article is laughable.

 

[Slayven]

Man now I want to rewatch Iron Eagles

 

[robochimp]

After reading this earlier, my first thought was why is this a story? The sheer amount of resources needed to maintain a fighter jet are so far beyond ISIS' means.

 

[PlayALLtheGames]

Takeoff will probably look something similar to this:

 

[SteveWinwood]

i only see 2 top gun gifs

youre failing me gaf

 

[Liberty4all]

I think its more worrisome if they try to do one off suicide attacks assuming they do have jet and a pilot willing to die in it.

 

[Always-honest]

airforce/navy just got a hardon.

Indeed. They can't wait for a 2 second dog- fight.

I think its more worrisome if they try to do one off suicide attacks assuming they do have jet and a pilot willing to die in it.

Yes. That would be my biggest concern.

 

[Dishwalla]

Not the Wright brothers' plane! The Smithsonian is gonna have my ass on a platter!

 

[wsippel]

Probably,some MiG-21s or 23s, I can't imagine any other fighter existing in such a surplus that they'd be cheap enough for ISIS to buy. Plus more modern jets require a shit ton more training to fly from what I understand because of all the crazy on board electronics systems.

I doubt ISIS bought them. If they looted them, it could be anything the Syrian Air Force uses, including MiG-29SMTs.

 

[Kettch]

This. Piloting jet fighters is really no joke. Realistically, it would be easier having seasoned pilots joining them.

Why do you guys think they don't have any seasoned pilots? They've gotten recruits from all over the world after all.

I mean, the headline is pretty dumb, but there's no reason to overly downplay the threat they pose either.

 

[SliceSabre]

Even if they managed the immense amount of skill and knowhow required to fly one the coalition pilots would blow them out the sky in a moment's notice.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

i only see 2 top gun gifs

youre failing me gaf

 

[GifGafIsTheBestGaf]

i hope they release videos of the pilots in action

 

[Veritigo_X]

i only see 2 top gun gifs

youre failing me gaf

 

[Anjelus_]

Why do you guys think they don't have any seasoned pilots? They've gotten recruits from all over the world after all.

I mean, the headline is pretty dumb, but there's no reason to overly downplay the threat they pose either.

In terms of an ISIS Air Force, there really is. Even IF these hypothetical three planes were flown by trained pilots and given proper maintenance, there is no way they could compete with Coalition air. It wouldn't even be relevant. In fact, this whole news story is irrelevant.

 

[Renzoku]

I look forward to them meeting a little group known as the United States Air Force.

 

[SteveWinwood]

 

[Bedameister]

I'm pretty sure IS has some trained pilots who could fly those things. But still the question is how long they could be in the air.

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

That's it. Game over, thrown in the towel guys.

ISIS will take over the world now

 

[News Bot]

Woah.

 

[Veritigo_X]

Here's a picture of them on top of a capture Russian MiG from back in early September.

They're probably flying these (if they are indeed actually flying them).

 

[Trojita]

Nope.
There's no way a militia can learn how to fly these things like that. The amount of training and flight hours needed to be even a little bit competent is beyond what these guys have right now.
Its worrying that they have access to such hardware, but i don't believe for one moment they are capable of piolting jets.

The former Iraqi military officers are among those who have joined ISIS, and people living near the airport have said that they recently saw an airplane flying at low altitude after it took off, according to the Observatory.

The US trained the pilots that have now joined ISIL.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

http://youtu.be/qGZeuhf18o8?t=18m23s

Still the best

 

[Fuchsdh]

Let's say hypothetically they do have some way of training up a few people to the absolute minimum level of competency required to get a somewhat modern fighter aircraft off the ground and back to Earth safely. That does not account for the amazing amount of resources necessary just to keep the damn thing running. I'm far too lazy to look it up but I'd suspect it takes, at the very least, dozens of people per pilot/plane just to keep it flying. Plus munitions. Plus fuel. Plus a place to store it that our drones can't see from the sky. I'd submit that something like a fighter plane in the hands of a group like ISIS would be pretty much useless.


Also, these guys "communicating" with them:

Yeah. Fighter jets are pretty shocking in terms of how much money it takes to keep them operational, fueled, and in the air as opposed to in the maintenance shed.

Not to mention they're being rapidly replaced in effectiveness by drones anyhow.

 

[SlipperyMoose]

I don't feel threatened at all. Air superiority is pretty much on lock down.

 

[diehard]

This could actually be beneficial.

It's a total waste of their money.

 

[demon]

oh no now isis controls the air who will stop them

 

[Alcoholikaust]

 

[brotherbean]

Why do you guys think they don't have any seasoned pilots? They've gotten recruits from all over the world after all.

I mean, the headline is pretty dumb, but there's no reason to overly downplay the threat they pose either.

All humor aside, I'm more concerned with them dismantling the aircraft and using the technology for some other nefarious purposes. As for posing a real threat in the skies? It'd be like me and 2 buddies challenging the '93 Chicago Bulls to a game of full-court. The three of us can competently dribble a ball, and left to our own devices could probably shoot fairly well, but when those guys get serious we don't really stand a chance of doing anything productive whatsoever. No modern military is going to feel the least bit threatened over 3 likely outdated fighter jets in the hands of a militant terrorist group.

 

[DR2K]

A terrorist can do a lot of damage in an aircraft. History has shown at least.

 

[Valkerionseven]

Most likely surplus coldwar era MiGs, something that if a modern fighter even flew past would blow out the cockpit (not really.) Brag all you want ISIS, would not want to run into a collation jet unless you got some Ace Combat level mods or crazyness in it.

 

[Damaniel]

Had 3 fighter jets.

Yep. The second they figure out how to fly them, they won't make it more than five minutes in the air before they're shot down.

 

[7aged]

Disappointed at the lack of "20 minuters" references

 

[Kettch]

In terms of an ISIS Air Force, there really is. Even IF these hypothetical three planes were flown by trained pilots and given proper maintenance, there is no way they could compete with Coalition air. It wouldn't even be relevant. In fact, this whole news story is irrelevant.

I totally agree, but we've been surprised at how well trained and coordinated they've been on the ground, which is what's allowed them to be so successful. There's no reason to pretend they're all goat herders playing around with stuff they don't understand.

 

[IdreamofHIME]

I think its more worrisome if they try to do one off suicide attacks assuming they do have jet and a pilot willing to die in it.

What's the range on these? There's nothing in range that they couldn't destroy with a regular suicide attack that doesn't destroy a high value asset of theirs (coz their members are obviously low value).

 

[Not Spaceghost]

Here's a picture of them on top of a capture Russian MiG from back in early September.

They're probably flying these (if they are indeed actually flying them).

So MiG-21's then.

Makes sense, cheaper and simple to maintain, not to mention comparatively easy to fly.