An intelligence Report obtained by Strategic Intelligence (SIS) confirms that a Kenyan Military F-5 Tiger II jet bomber that crashed in Somalia at 1530Hrs East African time in enemy territory in Somalia had successfully bombed and killed approximately 89 Al-Shabaab terrorists most of whom were foreign fighters.
Initial BDA on the Araara target confirms that approximately 89 Al-Shabaab terrorists’ mainly foreign fighters were killed. The foreign fighters used the facility as a foreign fighter conscription and training base.
Actual Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) shows that the target, a building and its compound was extensively damaged by the aircraft after it repeatedly bombed the area and the target.
The building was on fire after more sidewinder missiles from the aircraft blew it. The foreign fighters died in the fire.
The terrorists had made a terror base out of an Old Italian military camp; a big house and some structures in Araara, 53 kilometers north of the seaport of Kismayu
Military intelligence and Intelligence services confirm that fighters from Britain, Pakistani, and Yemeni working for the terrorist group Al-Shabaab were all killed in this compound.
The Al-Shabaab foreign fighters used it as foreign fighter’s base where training, logistics, and intelligence activities were coordinated. The big house was used as an ammunition storage facility, guns armory, and an explosives store.
The airstrike destroyed all these resources. Al-Shabaab has since then buried the foreign fighters in a banana plantation.
Terrorists who survived the airstrike have abandoned the facility and moved to Malaile village across the river. Kenya army is pursuering them there.
Engine Failure Led to Crash
The The Kenyan Military F-5 Tiger II Freedom fighter aircraft is powered by two General Electric J85-GE-21B turbojet engines.
The The Kenyan Military F-5 Tiger II Freedom developed an engine problem as it maneuvered back to base from the successful sortie (operations mission) leading to a crash that also claimed the pilot.
The aircraft crashed in the enemy territory making rescue and recon missions difficult since most Kenya Defense Forces are operating under AMISOM.
No Anti-Aircraft Fired on the a Kenyan Military F-5 Tiger II Freedom
Al-Shabaab sympathetic media and even international media houses including VOA and Reuters reported that Al-Shabaab claimed to have brought down the Kenyan aircraft.
Military Intelligence confirms that Al-Shabaab does not possess any anti-aircraft capability that can bring down highly maneuverable, reliable supersonic fighter, combining advanced aerodynamic design. These terrorists only have old guns which can only be lethal to low flying combat helicopters.
The Kenyan Military F-5 Tiger II Freedom has modern avionics and anti-enemy weapons system that keeps the aircraft safe from enemy missiles.
The avionics equipped in the aircraft include an inertial navigation system (INS), tactical air navigation (TACN) system, global positioning system (GPS), electronic counter measures (ECM), and hand on throttle and stick (HOTAS) system.
The aircraft features seven hard-points – two under the wing tip, four under the two wings, and one under the fuselage pylon station.
The F-5E Tiger II is armed with two 20mm pontiac M39A2 cannons on either side of the nose. The M39A2 is single-barreled automatic cannon and can fire munitions at the rate of 1,500rpm.
Four AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and two AGM-65 Mavericks air-to-surface missiles as well as rockets are mounted on the seven hard points. The aircraft is also armed with unguided iron bombs
The Kenyan Military F-5 Tiger II Freedom had the AN/APQ-159 radar system an air-to-air radar system, which operates in four primary modes and two search modes with various ranges.
The advanced radar system provides increased off-boresight and doubles the range while enhancing the reliability. It is equipped with new planar phased array antenna similar to the parabolic dish of the AN/APQ-153.
