http://www.russiatoday.ru/news/news/24047

or nation building.

http://www.russiatoday.ru/news/news/23842

I’m sure that will put a further dent in Saakashivili’s PR image…

http://www.russiatoday.ru/guests/detail/1151

Google earth kmz of all the Crimean installations can be downloaded here: http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/392284/page/

The ‘new’ interesting bits: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1401275.php/Russia_Georgia_trade_accusation_of_breaking_UN_rules

“‘The flight by the reconnaissance plane … was a violation of the Moscow agreement on the ceasefire of May 14, 1994, and of the corresponding resolutions by the UN Security Council on the mandate of the UN observer mission in Georgia,’ the foreign ministry added.”

…

“Georgia, after first denying that it owned reconnaissance aircraft that could have flown Sunday’s mission, made a statement saying one of its ‘unmanned aerial crafts’ was attacked while ‘conducting routine surveillance above the breakaway Georgian territory of Abkhazia.’”
***

More: http://www.newsgeorgia.org/military/eorgia-has-about-40-drones–saakashvili.php

“(Civil Georgia 22.04.2008) Georgia has about 40 unmanned reconnaissance aerial vehicles (UAV), President Saakashvili told the New York Times”

40? No doubt they bought a range of models. Still, even more dineros than several Hermes 450s…

“The New York Times quoted Georgian officials as saying that they were fortunate to capture the fighter plane on camera, and had done so only because a first missile fired by the plane missed the drone, which has a small engine that they said made it a difficult target for a heat-seeking missile. The pilot apparently decided to approach closer for a second shot, officials said, and flew near enough for the plane to be filmed by the drone before it was destroyed”

1st missile shot failed! Also in this article and others the Abkhaz say the rememnants had Elbit & Hermes(?) written on it. It’s curious that the UAV was not camoflaged.

From Eurasia.net in more detail: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav042208b.shtml

Curious. Why deny owning UAVs? I wonder at what date NATO upped its military support for the Georgian governement…. and whether the Mig 29s moved to Gudauta before or after the georgians started UAV flights… Having Migs at Gudauta implies a logistics trail, i.e. transportation of sufficient avgas and its storage there, along with maintenance and other forms of back up that are needed to keep aircraft in the air. This is not somthing that can be done over night.

Google earth: Gudauta – 43° 6’23.72″N 40°38’8.06″E , ‘Russian’ airbase: 43° 5’57.52″N 40°34’54.88″E).

I have so far failed to find a photo of said UAV in georgian markings..

While I just traveled Ukraine and Georgia in the last few weeks. I saw very new and sophisticated radar systems in the mountains. For countries that have money issues (as I am told.) They have a lot of money to invest in Military. Seems NATO (or USA) has been sneaking around for some time and putting their two cents worth in! One of the most fantastic complexes that I saw was located in the Crimea. On top of the mountains located near Yalta!

Then I could be wrong…..

Kyle

I assumed you wrote that I was “correct” in agreement with your comment that it was staged. It wasn’t very clear to me! I stand corrected.

Aleks

I said, you were correct in the presentations of your information. Other words much more here than meets the eye.

You said “1: Is this really footage from Georgia? 2: We only see a clip. Is there anything of interest earlier? 3: I’m suprised that the Mig took a frontal shot and wasted a missile”

I said,”Very simple, This is a staged event.” (This is my thoughts on the subject!)

I said that,”Aleks was right” (You gave very good information and questions that should be pondered and equated on. other words I considered your comment to have value)

Kyle Keeton

More info from the defense blog of la liberation: http://secretdefense.blogs.liberation.fr/defense/2008/04/quand-la-russie.html

The Abkhaz claim it was an L-39 (LOL!), and that they previously shot down the same type of UAV (Israeli Hermes 450: http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/hermes-450.htm) in March. The 450 (if that is what it is) is some expensive kit – it is very long range and can ‘loiter’ for 20 odd hours – very useful for passing off target data/information for realtime use (aka ‘sensor-to-shooter’) and according to the FAS can include a mapping/targetting radar, electronic countermeasures and SIGnalsIntellingence… Nothing to be sniffed at!