Iraq warplane accidentally bombs Baghdad, killing 7: officials

[Bosonic]

Source: AFP

Baghdad (AFP) - A bomb fell from an Iraqi Sukhoi warplane and exploded in eastern Baghdad on Monday because of a "technical problem", killing at least seven people, security and medical officials said.

"One of the bombs became stuck because of a technical problem, and during its (the aircraft's) return to base it fell on three houses in Baghdad Jadida," security spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan said in a statement.

The jet was coming back from a bombing run when the accident occurred, Maan said. Officials said that the blast, which occurred near the Rasheed air base, also wounded at least 11 people.

Iraq received Sukhoi Su-25 jets from Russia and Iran last year as it sought to bolster its fledgling air force to combat the Islamic State jihadist group, which overran large parts of the country.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-warplane-accidentally-bombs-baghdad-killing-7-officials-093317886.html

[Sunlei]

1. Perhaps Russia sells liability insurance policy along with their 'New Jets' training guarantee.

Russia seems to have a problem with those they train to push a button, pushing the wrong button.

Last time it was an Airliner full of people shot down with one of their Russian missiles.

[former9thward]

7. The U.S. certainly would never do that, would we?

The forgotten story of Iran Air Flight 655

As the American and Iranian ships skirmished, Iran Air Flight 655 took off from nearby Bandar Abbas International Airport, bound for Dubai. The airport was used by both civilian and military aircraft. The Vincennes mistook the lumbering Airbus A300 civilian airliner for a much smaller and faster F-14 fighter jet, perhaps in the heat of battle or perhaps because the flight allegedly did not identify itself. It fired two surface-to-air missiles, killing all 290 passengers and crew members on board.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/10/16/the-forgotten-story-of-iran-air-flight-655/

[RR2]

2. Nothing like quality military equipment from Russia

Russian military equipment has always been manufactured with the premise that if you throw enough stuff at somebody you will win, quality was never a big concern. Quantity not quality.

[happyslug]

3. This type of problem occurs all the time...

Someone did not remove a safety pin, or removed it to early. Someone did not attach the weapon properly or it just worked its way free.

This was the problem that caused the Forrestal disaster during Vietnam:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_USS_Forrestal_fire

These problem occur quite often and you have set safety guidelines when they occur. Most are NOT reported to the press, the bomb is generally exploded on site (this is why you have no go areas around "Impact" areas, so bombs can be dropped with safety and if they do NOT go "Boom" or other error they can be destroyed on site).

Thus we get reports only when someone is hurt, as in the Forrestal Fire, but not when a bomb is dropped in the desert and the only things harm may be a jack rabbit.

Thus, while this may be a product of Russian Quality, that does not mean it is less quality then if made in USA. These things happens all of the time.

[RR2]

6. Agreed, your scenario is very likely, again its still about quanity not quality.....

Here is a good read on the quality of Russian troops and its just a tease compared to the rest at the link provided. Oh and by the way I served in the military, in and around aircraft, for 10 years. Know all about those little mishaps.

The difficult socioeconomic conditions Russia has endured since the fall of the Soviet Union are reflected in the health of today’s conscripts. Men entering the military ranks today are those born and raised during the 1990s, a time when much of the Russian population was mired in poverty.8 According to the World Health Organization, the percentage of poor reached as high as 70.2 percent in 1998.9 Not surprisingly, many conscripts are malnourished, suffer from a variety of health conditions, or have a history of alcoholism and disciplinary issues.10 In 2009, after undergoing the medical examination, 10,000 men were told to gain weight.

Since draft quotas still need to be met and ranks filled, however, draftees with legitimate health issues are often declared capable to serve. SMSP activists jokingly say that unless a man enters the enlistment offices carrying his own head under his arm he will certainly be categorized as able. The superficiality of medical screenings at enlistment offices is one of the most frequent problems described by the soldiers interviewed by this author.

There are built-in incentives for authorities to engage in this type of oversight. According to Resolution No. 436, the government awards regions that achieve or exceed the target draft numbers and the Defense Ministry issues annual bonuses to doctors from military medical commissions for favorable outcomes.11 It is easy to see how such a resolution was once intended as a measure to stop the corruption engendered by illegal draft evasion. This well-intentioned measure, however, has been perverted into an opportunity for corruption that provides doctors with the incentive to send as many men, regardless of their health, into the army.

These corrupt practices lead to the following: in 2008, over half of all conscripts had some sort of health-related issue.12 The dismal state of the conscript force is probably the only thing that NGOs such as SMSP and the officers in charge of conscripts agree on. Practically all of the officers interviewed complained about the physical and mental incompetence of the draftees they are sent to work with. “Who am I supposed to serve with?,” one of them asked after describing a conscript who broke his leg immediately after arriving at the base, after jumping out of the bus on which he arrived.

http://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/russian-soldier-today/

[happyslug]

8. Reminds me of the report of Draftees of WWII in the US

Last edited Mon Jul 6, 2015, 08:58 PM - Edit history (5)

The US had to change its rules as to the number of teeth any recruit had to get enough recruits, many did not have the needed number of teeth.

Actual US Army Dental Regulations in 1941:

31. Classes 1-A and 1-B.-a. Class 1-A. (1) Normal teeth and gums.

(2) A minimum of 3 serviceable natural masticating teeth above and three below opposing and three serviceable natural incisors above and three below opposing. (Therefore the minimum requirements consist of a total of 6 mastleating teeth and 6 incisor teeth.) All of these teeth must be so opposed as to serve the purpose of incision and mastication.

About 8.8 percent of the registrants examined during the period from November 1940 through September 1941 could not qualify for general service.

http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwii/dental/ch6.htm

Think about that in 1941 8.8% of 18 to 27 year old males had less then 12 teeth. 12 out of 36 (Your wisdom teeth comes in about age 18, thus a chance to get four more teeth to make up the 12 required).

Today 3.75% of adults 20 to 64 have no remaining teeth

http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/DataStatistics/FindDataByTopic/ToothLoss/ToothLossAdults20to64.htm

The 3.75% is mostly to people over age 50:

35 to 49 years....2.63%
50 to 64 years...10.13%

Hispanics tend to have the least number of people without any teeth:

White, non-Hispanic....3.96%
Black, non-Hispanic.....4.14%
Mexican American.......1.515%

Hispanics also have the most teeth, and African Americans the least:

White, non-Hispanic....25.23 average number of teeth
Black, non-Hispanic.....23.68 average number of teeth
Mexican American.......25.32 average number of teeth

It is clearly tied in with Income:

Less than 100% of the poverty level..9.28% in 2015 less then $11.770 for a family of one
100% to 199% of the poverty level..6.48% Between $11,770 & $23,540 per year for a family of one
Greater than 200% of the poverty level..2.35% in 2015 more then $23.540 for a family of one

Federal poverty guidelines for 2015 (all other statistics are from the above National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research web page above):

http://familiesusa.org/product/federal-poverty-guidelines

[47of74]

5. I remember when Russia started selling tractors in the US in the early 90s.

I'm from a farming family so my Dad has always gotten quite a few magazines. I remember reading a review at some point soon after Russian companies started selling tractors here in the US in the early 90s. They said the tractors were functional but about 20 years behind US tractors.

[candelista]

4. The Sukhois came from Iran

Dhi Qar (IraqiNews.com) 88 Russian Sukhoi fighter planes arrived at the Imam Ali military base in Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar. On June 23, 2014, a security source said that the base of the Imam Ali (AS) received 88 Russian Sukhoi multi-brands, which were held by the Republic of Iran for more than 20 years.

The source, who preferred not to be named, indicated that “these aircraft will be equipped with sophisticated weapons; they will take part in the fighting against the terrorist elements of the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant.”

http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/iran-transfers-88-russian-sukhoi-fighter-planes-iraq/