2015 Maritime Border Incident
2015 Maritime Border Incident | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of González Archipelago Dispute | |||||||
|
|||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Narsora | FR Torisakia | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Lt.Remigio Cebrián | |||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Narsoran National Navy | Torisakian Navy | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
1 NSS Garra de Hierro OPV | Unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1 Mirage 2000 (Pilot killed) |
The 2015 Maritime Border Incident was an incident between a narsoran Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) and a torisakian air force fighter jet that occured on April 12, 2015.
Incident
On the morning of April 12, 2015 a narsoran patrol vessel patrolling it's side of the Maritime Buffer Zone (MBZ) opened fire on a Torisakian Air Force Mirage 2000 flying on it's side of the MBZ. The ship opened fire on the aircraft with a single RIM-116 missile and downed it into the water below. The pilot, Cpl.Russel Erling was killed on impact.
Aftermath
After the incident the torisakian government declared a No-Fly Zone to all narsoran aircraft commercial or military and demanded the sailors on board the ship be held accountable. On the 14th, the government issued an official apology to the Erling family and on the 16th formally court-martialed the commander of the ship Lt.Remigio Cebrián under "Unauthorized use of force" and charged him with murder. The other personnel were not charged as it was claimed they were coerced into following the order to fire. On the same day the government offered the Erling family monetary restitution and a personal apology. On April 21st other personnel on board testified that Cebrián gave the order to fire immediately after being alerted to the aircraft, despite knowing he was breaking international law, on the 22nd Cebrián was sentenced on counts of murder, unauthorized use of force, coercion and dereliction of duty. He was sentenced to 16 in a military prison.