Ja'Din shootdown incident

On 18 June 2017, a United States Navy F/A-18E shot down a Syrian Air Force Su-22 Fitter with an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile after it reportedly attacked Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces positions in the town of Ja'Din. It was the first time the U.S. shot down a manned aircraft since 1999 and the first with the F/A-18E/F variant.

Ja'Din shootdown incident
Part of the American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War (Operation Inherent Resolve)

Image taken from video footage of the incident recorded by an F/A-18
Date18 June 2017
Location
Ja'Din, Raqqa Governorate, Syria
35°40′50″N 38°42′40″E
Result

US victory; Syrian Air Force Su-22 Fitter shot down

  • Further decline of US-Syria relations and US-Russia relations
  • SDF withdraws from Ja’Din
  • Australia temporarily suspends airstrikes in Syria
Belligerents
 United States
Syrian Democratic Forces		  Syria
 Russia (present during incident, did not participate)
Commanders and leaders

VFA-87

  • Lt. Cmdr. Michael Tremel
  • Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Krueger

VFA-37

  • Lt. Cmdr. William Vuillet
  • Lt. Stephen Gasecki
 Captain Ali Fahd
Units involved

US Navy VAQ-131

  • CMDR. Clarity

VFA-87

  • Freedom 33
  • Freedom 34

VFA-37

  • Freedom 43
  • Freedom 44

Syrian Air Force

Russian Air Force
Strength

United States

Syria

  • 1 Su-22 Fitter

Russia

  • 1 Su-27 (present during incident)
Casualties and losses
Unknown injured 1 Su-22 Fitter shot down
Ja’Din
Location of Ja'Din in Syria

The downing triggered quick condemnation from Russia and Syria with both nations claiming it to be a violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty. The Syrian pilot, Captain Ali Fahd, successfully ejected from his aircraft and was found alive by Syrian troops one day later in the village of Shuwaihat. The F/A-18E pilot, Lieutenant Commander Michael Tremel was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in September 2018 for his actions during the incident.

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