Ukrainian troops have dramatically downed a Russian fighter jet over eastern Ukraine as an oil depot was set ablaze by a drone strike more than 100 miles away in Russia.

The Soviet-designed Su-25, nicknamed “Frogfoot” by Nato, was downed over Kramatorsk, Donetsk, as it fired on Ukrainian troops.

      • BombOmOm
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        22 days ago

        Some of the DCS (military aircraft sim) aircraft have a second seat that is filled with an AI to manage weapons, help with dog fights (F-4, F-14). It’s always amusing when you have them paired with a Mig-15 and you hear your WSO yell something like ‘We got a fagot on our tail!’. Gets a chuckle from me every time.

        Also, MiG-15s turn really, really well. Getting into a turning fight with one is a bad idea. Luckily the two aircraft I just mentioned are much faster than them, so you generally want to just punch it and do quick passes. ‘Boom and zoom’

          • BombOmOm
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            22 days ago

            Yeah…

            He also keeps bitching about his spinal surgery that is due after every one of my perfectly cromulent landings. I refuse to believe this is a skill issue. ;p

        • ℍ𝕂-𝟞𝟝
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          1222 days ago

          They are not call signs, they are reporting names. Russians don’t call it the Frogfoot, it’s a name NATO uses to talk about it that’s easier to remember than numbers. All fighters start with F, bombers with B, helis with H and if I remember correctly, air to air missiles with A.

          The actual nickname the Russians have for the Su-25 is Grach, meaning Rook.

    • @Hawke@lemmy.world
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      922 days ago

      What would be your preferred terminology?

      “Close air support aircraft” is a bit awkward.

      • ℍ𝕂-𝟞𝟝
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        622 days ago

        Jet warplane is correct and broad enough to be accurate. Light bomber is still closer if they want to be specific.

        Calling it a fighter is what made the Russian lies about the airliner they shot down sound plausible.

      • @Barbarian@sh.itjust.works
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        022 days ago

        For players of strategy games, CAS suffices. No idea if militaries do it differently. Saying you’re going to an automatic teller machine would be awkward to say as well.

        • @Hawke@lemmy.world
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          622 days ago

          Journalism is only rarely directed at strategy game players though. CAS is not a common abbreviation for the public like ATM is.

        • @bouh@lemmy.world
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          322 days ago

          In supreme commander it’s Air Superiority Fighter, ASF. Acronyms are a plague if you intend any non specialist to understand anything though.

        • BombOmOm
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          322 days ago

          “Attacker” is also used commonly for CAS aircraft and is very brief. Fighter, attacker, bomber.

    • k_rol
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      222 days ago

      What would you call it for the general population?