{"id":11230,"date":"2018-09-10T22:44:56","date_gmt":"2018-09-10T22:44:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/09\/10\/the-inside-story-of-how-a-us-navy-pilot-shot-down-a-syrian-jet\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:08:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:08:43","slug":"the-inside-story-of-how-a-us-navy-pilot-shot-down-a-syrian-jet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/09\/10\/the-inside-story-of-how-a-us-navy-pilot-shot-down-a-syrian-jet\/","title":{"rendered":"The inside story of how a US Navy pilot shot down a Syrian jet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">RENO, Nev. \u2014 He sipped coffee at nearly 700 miles per hour, 20,000 feet above the Earth, roaring toward the battle of Raqqa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael \u201cM.O.B.\u201d Tremel had a hunch the day\u2019s mission would be different than the others he had flown into the gut of war-ravaged Syria, dropping bombs to protect friendly forces in the fight against the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/08\/24\/us-urges-enduring-defeat-of-isis-offers-force-if-necessary\/\" target=\"_blank\">Islamic State<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the Pennsylvania native carried no inkling that this operation on June 18, 2017, would secure his own place among naval aviation icons.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/2017\/06\/18\/navy-f-a-18e-super-hornet-shoots-down-syrian-jet-after-it-attacks-us-allies\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/f-a-18e-super-hornet-ike-inherent-resolve.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Navy F\/A-18E Super Hornet shoots down Syrian jet after it attacks US allies<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The last time a U.S. pilot shot down an manned enemy aircraft was 1999.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDefending guys on the ground is what I\u2019ve done my whole career,\u201d the F\/A-18E Super Hornet pilot told Navy Times last week at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tailhook.net\/reunion\" target=_blank>Tailhook Association\u2019s<\/a> annual convention, where he received the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.navy.mil\/browse-by-topic\/people\/presidents\/bush\/award.html\" target=_blank>Distinguished Flying Cross<\/a> for becoming the first American pilot to shoot down an enemy plane since 1999.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tremel didn\u2019t want to talk too much about those troops on the ground, but according to his medal citation they included an Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controller, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2018\/08\/10\/jtac-called-in-airstrikes-despite-softball-sized-hole-in-his-back-after-being-shot\/\" target=\"_blank\">JTAC<\/a>, who was calling in strikes for Syrian rebels fighting Islamic State militants in their Raqqa stronghold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The beauty of the day clashed not only with the fighting below but also the thorny international politics that animate what strategists contend is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2018\/09\/08\/pentagon-white-house-consider-military-strike-options-on-syria\/\" target=_blank>proxy war in Syria<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/08\/24\/us-urges-enduring-defeat-of-isis-offers-force-if-necessary\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18235713725206.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US urges \u2018enduring defeat\u2019 of ISIS, offers force if necessary<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley urged all countries on Thursday to ensure that the Islamic State extremist group faces \u201can enduring defeat\u201d and said the United States will deepen partnerships with countries fighting terrorism \u201cwhen force is necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It pits Syrian strongman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/08\/14\/kurds-meet-with-syrian-government-to-discuss-self-rule-as-assad-demands-us-troops-withdraw\/\" target=_blank>Bashar al-Assad<\/a> and his Hezbollah and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/09\/06\/nearly-300000-troops-ready-for-massive-russian-war-games-to-begin-general-says\/\" target=_blank>Russian<\/a> allies against a shifting array of insurgents backed by Gulf Arab states and Turkey, plus Kurdish militias largely <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/09\/07\/us-plays-down-talk-of-imminent-pullout-of-forces-from-syria\/\" target=_blank>supported by the United States<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These days, the complicated battles on the ground are matched by a jumble of jets in the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou have Russian aircraft, Turkish aircraft, Iraqis, the Syrian air force,\u201d Tremel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s not want Tremel saw outside his cockpit in 2014, three years into the Syrian civil war, when he joined one of the first U.S. sorties into the divided country to bomb Islamic State positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By last summer, a slip up could cause an international incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rules of engagement briefed to the \u201cGolden Warriors\u201d of Strike Fighter Squadron 87 stressed caution. Russian aviators appeared to reciprocate by flying \u201cvery professionally, and so did we,\u201d Tremel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tremel and his wingman, Lt. Cmdr. Carl \u201cJoJo\u201d Krueger, began their day with a launch off the carrier George H.W. Bush in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They swung south of Cyprus and then jetted over Turkey toward Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Tremel-2.JPG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25938\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Tremel-2.JPG.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Tremel-2.JPG.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Tremel-2.JPG.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Tremel-2.JPG.jpg?resize=1024,768 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Tremel-2.JPG.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Tremel-2.JPG.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael Tremel received the Distinguished Flying Cross last week for shooting down a Syrian jet last summer, saving the lives of rebels and U.S. personnel on the ground. (Navy Times\/Geoff Ziezulewicz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once on scene, Tremel said they \u201ckind of orbited overhead&#8221; to get a better sense of what was going on above and below them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Above, a Russian Su-35 Flanker fighter lingered, demanding their attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Below, the JTAC had been aggressively calling in strikes and feeding them combat reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And across the border in Iraq, U.S. and Baghdad forces were wresting Mosul from Islamic State fighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA couple guys who took off on an earlier wave from the boat had done a couple shows of force down low to try and stop (Syrian military forces) from employing weapons on our partners,\u201d Tremel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His radar soon picked up an unknown aircraft closing fast on the U.S.-allied Kurdish and Arab militias bannered as the Syrian Democratic Forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was a Syrian Su-22 Fitter. Tremel said he tried to prod the pilot to move south and away from the friendly forces he was shepherding below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last year at a Tailhook panel, he told fellow Navy and Marine Corps aviators that he realized they would need to execute a \u201chead butt.\u201d He flew close overhead to the Syrian jet and fired out flares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt any point in time, if this aircraft would head south and work its way out of the situation, it\u2019d be fine with us,\u201d Tremel said. \u201cWe could go back to executing (close-air support).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That didn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe ended up rolling in, dropping ordnance, two bombs on those defended forces,\u201d Tremel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tremel went for the Sidewinder missile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was really crazy, swinging that master arm for the first time in combat with an air-to-air missile selected,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it didn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cReal time, I thought I might have been too close,\u201d Tremel said. \u201cI thought maybe I hit (the jet) but it didn\u2019t fuse in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So Tremel turned to the AIM-120, an advanced medium-range missile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat got the job done from about half a mile,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It sliced into the Fitter\u2019s rump and pitched the jet right, then down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tremel had flown through a debris cloud after destroying a drone during air-to-air training as a junior officer, so he knew to veer left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He watched the Syrian pilot eject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tremel-3.JPG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tremel-3.JPG.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tremel-3.JPG.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tremel-3.JPG.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tremel-3.JPG.jpg?resize=1024,768 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tremel-3.JPG.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/tremel-3.JPG.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael Tremel, center in white, poses for photos with buddies from Strike Fighter Squadron 87. Tremel received the Distinguished Flying Cross last week for shooting down a Syrian jet last summer. (Navy Times\/Geoff Ziezulewicz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The entire skirmish, from detecting the Syrian aircraft to shooting it down, took about eight minutes, Tremel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Krueger received an Air Medal last week not only for helping Tremel but also for putting his jet between the American aircraft and other threats after the Syrian jet fell to the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All of the Navy pilots were well briefed on both the dicey geopolitics and the rules of engagement that guided potential encounters with other aviators, Krueger said at last year\u2019s Tailhook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLooking at the wreckage down below us, it was a different feeling,\u201d Krueger recalled. \u201cWe had to make some decisions pretty quickly, and I thought the training and commanders\u2019 guidance that we got at that point was a big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, Tremel played down his actions and instead credited the sailors on the carrier who work hard, often in obscurity, to make sure even the rarely used missiles are ready to go when they are called upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor the one day we need them,\u201d he said, \u201cit works!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was the American military&#8217;s first shootdown of an enemy plane since 1999<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":25928,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":8,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,8,23,92,93,12,25,69],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3365],"class_list":["post-11230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-home","category-left-column","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-marine-corps"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"3XGG6YPIYZFVNOFO7XZXIUVSOI","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/09\/10\/the-inside-story-of-how-a-us-navy-pilot-shot-down-a-syrian-jet\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - 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