Remember when a Russian MiG-29 shot down a Georgian drone?

Back in 2008 a Russian MiG-29 reportedly shot down a Georgian Hermes drone. It was the lead up to the Russia-Georgia war that year.

Footage of the shoot-down can alllegedly be found here.

This was back in April 2008. “A Georgian unmanned reconnaissance plane downed at the weekend was shot down by a Russian air force jet, Georgia’s air force said.”

Georgia turned to the UN at the time. “David Nairashvili, Georgia’s air force commander, said. “The MiG-29 flies south, shoots down the Georgian UAV and then flies north crossing into Russian airspace.”

More shoot-downs followed in May. Eventually the countries fought a war in August that year. The war included GeorgiaRussia and the Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. 

The drone shoot-downs are important in the overall history of drone downings. Prior to 2008 there had had been very few incidents of drones shot down, and even fewer by air-to-air missiles. The 2008 war was a window onto the future of contested airspace involving drones.

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