Russia warplane crashes into Mediterranean: Officials

A Russian warplane has crashed into the Mediterranean after takeoff from the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier off the coast of Syria, the Russian defence ministry said on Monday.

The pilot of the MiG-29 jet is said to have ejected, The Guardian reported.

Combat Aircraft magazine, which first reported the crash, said he was picked up by a Russian navy helicopter but there was no confirmation of his condition. It said wreckage of the aircraft was being also being recovered from the site.

The planes was one of four MiG-29 fighter-bombers on the Kuznetsov and if it is confirmed lost, it would detract from what was intended to be a display of Russian naval might in the Mediterranean in support of the Russian war effort in Syria.

There are also about a dozen Su-33 fighters on board that have recently been upgraded so they can carry out better-targeted strikes on targets on the ground.

According to Thomas Newdick of Combat Aircraft, some of those Su-33 planes carried out airstrikes on Monday, marking the first time aircraft from the Kuznetsov had taken part in bombing in Syria, and the first time the Kuznetsov has been in combat since its launch more than 30 years ago.

Military officials briefed the Moscow press on the day of the US presidential election that a large-scale air offensive was imminent using cruise missiles, carrier and land based aircraft, but that onslaught never materialised. Diplomats in Washington suggested the announcement may have been intended to unsettle Americans as they went out to vote.

The loss of the plane would be a serious one for the Russia military.

The newly built MiG-29KUBR version is one of Russia's most modern warplanes, and they are in short supply, as are pilots to fly them. Michael Kofman, of the Washington-based Center for Naval Analyses, said that by his estimate, the Kuznetsov now only has three MiG-29s left and only three pilots capable of flying them.

"This is bad publicity for what was supposed to be a show of capability," Kofman said. "As many Russians feared, this could become an embarrassment."

--IANS

pgh/