Qatari air defense systems intercepted two Soviet Su-24 fighters of the Iranian Air Force (IRAF). This was announced by Majid bin Mohammed al-Ansari, a representative of the Foreign Ministry of the emirate.
According to him, the combat aircraft violated the country's airspace.
The planes entered Qatari airspace, the pilots were warned before the opening of fire. The search for the crews is underway.
It is unknown exactly how the Su-24 was intercepted. It could be either ground-based anti-aircraft systems or fighters.
Su-24 (NATO codification: Fencer, "fencer") is a supersonic bomber with a variable sweep wing, belongs to the third generation. The first all-weather strike aircraft of tactical aviation in the Air Force of the USSR. It was mass-produced in 1971–1993.
In the Soviet classification, it was sometimes called a "flying suitcase" for its shape and specific handling, emphasizing that it is a heavy strike vehicle, not an agile interceptor.
According to data from open sources, the Iranian Air Force had about 20–25 Su-24MK front-line bombers at its disposal.
Earlier, "The First Technical" in a large article described exactly which components make up the Iranian air defense system. It also has Russian means of destruction.
