According to a US Navy legend, a few veteran F-14 pilots pledged to build a monument honoring the first person to score a gun kill in combat
Every war begins with the realization that no plan can maintain contact with the enemy for very long. This maxim undoubtedly applied to the F-14A’s use in Iran. The aircraft was designed to counter massive formations of Soviet bombers and protect aircraft carriers from attack by employing long-range air-to-air missiles, as stated by the US Navy, which considered the F-14A a ‘fleet defender’.
According to Tom Cooper and Farzad Bishop’s book Iranian F-14 Tomcat units in combat, US Navy Tomcat operators never anticipated becoming “feet dry” and conducting prolonged over-land operations during conflicts, such as in 1986 or 1991 against Libya or Iraq. Nevertheless, this was a necessary aspect of the work for Iranian pilots, even though it negatively impacted the jet’s AWG-9 radar’s performance.
Even more surprising was the nature of the first air-to-air battle that F-14s engaged in and won. On September 4, 1980, Iraq and Iran engaged in their first skirmishes. Soon afterward, the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) began bringing back a growing number of F-14s to service. The majority of the 77 airframes that survived were either non-operational or had non-functional AWG-9s, and the crew members lacked up-to-date training and expertise. Ground control became increasingly important to F-14 units when it came to intercepting Iraqi aircraft because of malfunctioning radar and “green” crews. This quickly changed as conflicts increased because Tomcat and AWG-9 reliability improved and crew confidence grew with more sorties flown, which made it easier for crews to remember their training.
Soon after the initial battles with the Iraqis, about twelve F-14s were operational again, conducting combat air patrols (CAPs) along the border. Five attack helicopters—an export version of the Soviet Mi-24—from the 1st Combat Transport Helicopter Squadron, 4th Composite Wing, Iraqi Army Air Corps (IrAAC) attacked multiple border stations in the Zain al-Qaws region on September 7 in the afternoon after breaking into Iranian airspace. Two F-14As were vectored to intercept when the nearby IRIAF radar station detected their appearance.
After a short while, the lead Tomcat pilot detected the Mi-25s on his radar and swiftly dove to pursue them. The pilot released one of his Sidewinders and tried to lock-on despite the heat from the ground. Although they weren’t all that great, the AIM-9P Sidewinders were unquestionably a significant upgrade over the AIM-91B/Es of the Vietnam era. The first missile lost lock-on and flew into the ground behind the Iraqi who was furthest behind. The Iranian pilot launched another Sidewinder, turning around quickly to prevent the Mi-25s from having a chance to fire back. Once more, the missile hit the ground after losing track. Technically, the engagement should have now been over.
An expensive interceptor like an F-14A is not expected to engage a heavily armed helicopter in close-quarters conflict, per most tactical manuals and current rules of engagement. The Iranian pilot, however, did not think twice. After choosing “GUN” on his control column, he fired, covering the rearmost Mi-25 with the gunsight pipper. The M61A1 Vulcan gun installed on the aircraft fired 400 rounds. Numerous bullets struck its target, and the Iraqi attack helicopter burst into a dazzling ball of flames.
Therefore, the first kill of this type came from an Iranian F-14A, about a year before the US Navy did. It was also surprising what weapon was employed. According to Navy legend, a few veteran F-14 pilots pledged to build a monument honoring the first person to score a gun kill in combat. The pilot who shot down the Mi-25 that September afternoon in 1980 is unlikely to be revealed publicly, though.
Iranian F-14 Tomcat units in combat is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.
Photo by U.S. Navy, Tasnim News via Wikipedia and U.S. Air Force