Houthi Forces Release Evidence of Downing Saudi F-15, Aircraft Serial Numbers Revealed
On the evening of the 16th, the Houthi forces officially released video footage and photos of aircraft wreckage from their strike on a Saudi "Eagle" fighter jet, conclusively proving that the Saudi aircraft had been shot down.
From the video released by the Houthis, it appears that when the missile approached, the Saudi pilot likely received a lock warning and attempted to evade using afterburner and maneuvers. However, he seems to have misjudged the situation, believing he had successfully shaken off the missile. Subsequently, he turned off the afterburner and failed to release chaff countermeasures.
In reality, the missile remained behind. When the warning sounded again, there was almost no time left for the Saudi pilot to evade—attempting to turn, accelerate, or jettison countermeasures would have been too late.
Currently, open-source intelligence accounts have identified the serial number of the downed Saudi aircraft as 5529 based on the tail fin markings in the wreckage photos. However, the Houthi forces have not confirmed the fate of the Saudi pilot, nor have they disclosed whether he ejected or was captured.
Regardless, this marks the second time since 2018 that a Saudi aircraft has been shot down by Houthi forces—a loss that Saudi Arabia will find difficult to downplay.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876556529163466/
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