Ja'Din shootdown incident

On 18 June 2017, a United States Navy (USN) F/A-18E Super Hornet shot down a Syrian Air Force Su-22 Fitter with an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile after it reportedly attacked Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces positions in the town of Ja'Din. It was the first time the U.S. shot down a crewed aircraft since 1999 and the first with the F/A-18E/F variant.

The downing triggered quick condemnation from Russia and Syria with both nations claiming it to be a violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty. The Syrian pilot, Captain Ali Fahd, successfully ejected from his aircraft and was found alive by Syrian troops one day later in the village of Shuwaihat. The F/A-18E pilot, Lieutenant Commander Michael Tremel, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in September 2018 for his actions during the incident.

Background

The United States and other Coalition partners began combat operations in Syria on 23 September 2014 against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and al-Nusra Front. Before operations began the Syrian Government stated that "any action of any kind without the consent of the Syrian Government would be an attack on Syria". However, when the first airstrikes began the Syrian military did not respond and set radar to passive. Syria's foreign minister later suggested that Syria and the US-led Coalition were on the same side. The Coalition wouldn't attack Syrian military positions until September 2016 when warplanes from the United States, Australia, Denmark, and the United Kingdom launched 37 airstrikes on Syrian forces in Deir ez-Zor Airport killing 106 soldiers. In response Syria canceled a ceasefire forged by diplomats from the United States and Russia. The Coalition claimed it had misidentified the Syrian soldiers as ISIL militants while Syria claimed it as a deliberate attack.

In April 2017, the first deliberate military action against the Syrian Arab Republic occurred when the United States bombed the Shayrat Airbase in response to the Shaykun chemical attack. Two months later on 6 June, the United States conducted airstrikes on pro-government forces, killing an unknown number of fighters. Two days later, an American F-15E Strike Eagle shot down an Iranian operated drone. Due to the fluid nature of events the rules of engagement were constantly changing. Sometime before June the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea south of Crete. During the carrier's operations the fighter crews were warned to be ready to defend from a third party aerial attack as a consequence of the recent events.

Incident

Earlier in the day on 18 June, Syrian Government forces attacked SDF positions in Ja'Din, wounding several fighters and prompting Coalition aircraft to respond with a show of force, stopping the attack. Several airstrikes also had been conducted by pilots on board the George H.W. Bush on ISIL targets in Syria. After their pre-mission briefing, F/A-18E pilots Lieutenant Commander Michael "Mob" Tremel (call sign Freedom 33) and wingman Jeff Krueger (call sign Freedom 34) were sent from the carrier into Syria as the second wave of aircraft that day. Along with Tremel and his wingman were two F/A-18C Hornets, call signs Freedom 43 and 44, piloted by William Vuillet and Stephen Gasecki. The four fighters took the northern route along Syria's coastline through Russian and Turkish air defense range and headed toward the city of Raqqa. Over the city, they established communication with the joint terminal attack controller who was on the ground just south of Al-Tabqa. In the vicinity of the controller, they were available to provide close air support to friendly SDF forces fighting on the ground. During this time, a Russian Air Force Su-27 Flanker appeared and began flying overhead.

Shootdown

Tremel, who was having problems with his targeting pod, began tracking the Russian jet and checking his radar for other aircraft while the three other Hornets remained available to provide close air support. At this point, another aircraft appeared on his radar moving at high speed. Tremel, believing it to be Syrian, moved to intercept and identified it as a Syrian Air Force Su-22 Fitter. After identifying it, Tremel radioed an airborne command and control post and began sending warnings to the Syrian aircraft to divert its course. When that failed, Tremel flew over the Fitter's canopy and released flares. When that also failed to elicit a response, the Su-22 was in range of friendly forces on the ground, and at 6:43 p.m. local time, dived down and dropped ordnance on SDF fighters in the town of Ja'Din, causing injuries. Following the rules of engagement, Tremel locked onto the aircraft with an AIM-9 Sidewinder and fired. The Su-22 released flares and was able to successfully avoid the missile. Tremel then quickly locked on with an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile and fired at the Syrian aircraft, hitting it and blowing up on the jet's rear section.

The Syrian Army claimed that the Su-22 was on a mission to strike Daesh (ISIL) when the downing occurred.