Tag:

Mig21

Mossad female agents faked being Iraqi MiG-21 pilots’ girlfriends and murdered all of them

by Till Daisd March 2, 2024

Mossad deployed a team of female agents to recruit several Iraqi pilots who had been sent to Randolph Air Force Base in the United States for a staff course, but they were unsuccessful

The MiG-21 is among the most well-known jet fighters in the world. After it made its maiden flight in 1955, Western forces dubbed this Soviet-built aircraft the MiG-21 “Fishbed”. Some of these aircraft have continued to fly well into the twenty-first century.

More than 10,000 MiG-21s were produced by the USSR before manufacturing was stopped in 1985. The Fishbed has been utilized in various forms by more than 50 air forces. Among them was the Iraqi Air Force (IrAF).

If any story from the 1960s has ever made the Israel Air Force (IrAF) “famous” in the West and tarnished its reputation ever since, it is the one about the alleged “defection” of one of its MiG-21 pilots to Israel on August 12, 1966. The Israeli version of the story, which has been widely reported ever since, centers on a “mistreated Christian pilot,” who was “ignored by superiors and never promoted,” who was “disgruntled with his participation in the bombing of the Kurds,” who made his own decision to flee, and who later donated his aircraft to the US for study at a time when the US Air Force (USAF) most needed it—during the height of the Vietnam War. It would be an understatement to describe all of these reports as anything else than propaganda.

Since the late 1950s, the Israeli foreign intelligence service, Mossad, sometimes known as “the Institute,” has failed to persuade any of the Egyptian pilots to defect to Israel with one of their “MiGs.” A new chance presented itself in 1965 when a group of Iraqi pilots was sent to Randolph Air Force Base (AFB) in the United States for a staff course, as reported by Milos Sipos and Tom Cooper in their book Wings of Iraq Volume 1: The Iraqi Air Force, 1931-1970.

Mossad deployed a group of female agents and made unsuccessful attempts to recruit many of them: It was Lieutenant Hamid Dhahee who declined the Israeli offer first. On June 15, 1965, he was killed at a bar in Lackland, Texas. Then, IrAF Commander Brigadier-General Arif Abd ar-Razzaq called his students back to Iraq out of real worry for their safety while they were in the US.

IDF MiG-21 — MiG-21 F-13 serial number 534, flown by Munir Redfa to Israel on August 12, 1966, and put on display a few weeks later. (IDF)

Nevertheless, a number of the Iraqi pilots returned home, followed by alluring “lovers” who were Mossad agents. The “girlfriend” of Captain Shaker Mahmoud Yusuf met him in Baghdad in July 1965; he was also killed when he turned down the Israeli invitation to defect. Captain Mohammad Raglob didn’t live for very long after he “fell out” of a high-speed trail on February 11, 1966, while traveling to Germany.

After a while, the Israelis got in touch with Captain Munir Habib Jamil Redfa, also known as “Ruefa,” who was reassigned as the deputy commander of the No. 11 Squadron. Redfa chose survival when presented with the same “silver or lead” option as his colleagues before him. On August 12, 1966, he took off from Taqqaddum AB and flew a MiG-21F-13 to Israel after the Mossad transported 17 of his family members to Iran.

A few years later, Israel donated that MiG to the United States, although this had very little effect on American knowledge of the aircraft. Ultimately, on their 1965 trip to Randolph AFB, the Iraqis also brought all of the technical and training manuals for the type; before the end of the year, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) translated them into English.

Wings of Iraq Volume 1: The Iraqi Air Force, 1931-1970 is published by Helion & Publishing and is available to order here.

The story of Mossad female agents who pretended to be Iraqi MiG-21 pilots’ girlfriends and murdered all of them until they convinced one to fly a Fishbed to Israel — This is a still from a film showing the ex-Iraqi MiG-211-13 that became the source of much confusion in the West over the past 50 years. For training purposes. the Israelis applied quasi-Syrian markings to it, supposedly consisting of green, white, and black, with three red stars on the whitefield. Syrian MIG-21s never wore roundels on their fuselages. From the time that Syria joined the UAR in 1958, Syrian national markings always consisted of red, white, and black fields, initially with three green stars and later with none. (IDF)

Photo by Oren Rozen, Own work, via Wikipedia

March 2, 2024 0 comment

History

Remembering the first Phlight of the Phabulous Phantom

by Till Daisd September 25, 2023

written by Till Daisd

With the US Air Force joining the Navy and Marines and realizing the potential of the Phantom’s versatile load-carrying capability and performance, the Phantom possessed the singular distinction of being the first true Joint Strike Fighter

The Mighty F-4 Phantom made its debut flight on May 27, 1958. The Phantom, which was designed to be a carrier-based interceptor, subsequently carried out just about every other mission imaginable, including anti-surface-to-air missile (SAM) Wild Weasel Missions, photo-reconnaissance, dogfighting, and bombing. The US Air Force, which saw the potential of the Phantom’s versatile load-carrying capability and performance, joined the Navy and Marines as the Phantom also held the unique distinction of being the first real Joint Strike Fighter.

The Phantom would initially struggle from being unduly dependent on its all-missile battery and superior technology when operating in the skies over North Vietnam against more agile North Vietnamese Air Force (NVAF) MiG-17s and 21s. Seeing this, the Navy transformed its Fleet Air Gunnery Unit into a new Fighter Weapon School, commonly known as TOPGUN today. There, a new generation of aviators received instruction in traditional air combat maneuvering against various aircraft. The idea of a two-man crew was also perfected, and backseaters became a crucial additional set of eyes both inside and outside the aircraft. According to multiple stories, many Phantom Phlyers owe their backseaters their lives.

How a VMFA-333 F-4 Phantom II scored the only USMC Mig Kill of the Vietnam War

Because of this “software” upgrading of its Aviators, the Navy’s Phantom community defeated the NVAF once more in 1972 with a fantastic victory-loss ratio. The Air Force decided on a “hardware” upgrade, giving its most advanced Phantom variant, the F-4E, a 20 mm Vulcan internal gun and improving its missiles and systems. The Combat Tree hostile Identification Friend Foe (IFF) identifier allowed airframes equipped with this system to detect and distinguish Soviet-made IFF systems in the crowded skies of Vietnam, and it proved to be a very important system. This lessened the possibility of “own goals” and made it possible to deploy the Radar Guided Sparrow missile system of the Phantom in a way that enhanced its combat efficiency.

Despite these technical advancements, the Air Force ratio remained around 2-1 compared to the Navy ratio after Rolling Thunder, which was 5-1. With a new generation of aviators being trained by Vietnam-era Phantom Veterans, the USAF’s performance in Desert Storm was much enhanced as a result of the USAF’s post-Vietnam implementation of its Red Flag Adversary Training system.

The Phantom saw action in Israeli hands from 1969’s War of Attrition until 1973’s Yom Kippur War, becoming a significant export success for Israel. The Phantom suffered some of its worst losses during the latter combat when it came up against Soviet-made Surface to Air Missile systems. In spite of this, squadrons changed their tactics as a result of these losses by using what IAF 107 SQD Commander Yftach Spector referred to as “physics” rather than electronics.

By the 1970s, export orders had increased the F-4’s overall production to almost 5,000 units, cementing the Phantom’s status as “The” plane of the Free World. By this time, Phantoms were regularly engaged in combat with Soviet-built MiG-21s over North Vietnam and the Middle East, and Greek and Turkish Phantoms and F-16s were engaged in similar combat over the Aegean Sea, just as both countries still do with their F-16s.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) was able to hold the line against Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Iran in 1980 because of its Phantom force, which would go on to become the backbone of the Iranian Air Force both before and after the Shah. Iran’s Phantom force, although having a decreasing number of airframes and spares that were irregularly filled up by both legal and illegal means, maintained roughly parity with Iraq’s Air Force until the end of the fight by employing hard-learned Vietnam and Israeli tactics. Iran still uses the Phantom today, both out of necessity and because of the tremendous might it offers.

The Phantom is still in use in a decreasing number of Air Forces across the world after flying its twilight combat missions in US Service during Desert Storm. For those who had the good fortune to grow up on the island of Oahu, where the final Active-Duty USMC Phantom squadrons and the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 199th Fighter Squadron operated the F-4, the Phantom’s J79s roar might ring like an echo of the Vietnam War.

This song is dedicated to everyone who has ever flown the Phantom, front or back.

Check out the Pensacola Aerospace Museum Facebook page for further aviation photos and stories.

Photo by: U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps

September 25, 2023 0 comment

History

To destroy a SAM installation, pilot Merlyn Dethlefsen made multiple passes while piloting a Thud heavily damaged by AAA and engaged by MiG-21s

by Till Daisd August 1, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Capt. Dethlefsen received the Medal of Honor for demonstrating exceptional bravery above and beyond the call of duty. On February 1st, 1968, President Johnson made the presentation in the White House

Operation Rolling Thunder had been ongoing for two years by March 1967, with little evidence that North Vietnam was backing down. The conflict between the US and North Vietnam gradually intensified.

The Hanoi regime upgraded its anti-air defenses from AAA to the deadlier SA-2 surface-to-air missiles as well as MiG aircraft as US airstrikes escalated. Since World War II, the skies over North Vietnam would be the most dangerous and challenging for American pilots to fly in.

The two-seat F-100F Super Sabres referred to as the Wild Weasels, were tasked with defense suppression at the beginning of Rolling Thunder. However, because of its restricted payload and inability to keep up with the F-105 Thunderchiefs, which were at the time carrying the bulk of the USAF’s strike missions, the F-100 was only a temporary answer for the Wild Weasel duty.

The first Wild Weasel Thunderchiefs made their way to Southeast Asia in June 1966. The 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB), which housed the F-105s of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW), was one of the Wild Weasel units of the time. Before being sent out for Rolling Thunder, the 355th TFW had been using the Thunderchief at McConnell AFB in Kansas since 1962.

The Wild Weasel F-105Fs featured two crew members, the pilot and the electronic warfare officer (EWO), also known as “Bear,” in the back.

The substantial Thai Nguyen steel works were ultimately added to the target portfolio on March 10, 1967.

James Geer describes how on that particular day Capt. Merlyn H. Dethlefsen flew from Takhli on an Iron Hand (SAM suppression) mission against the air defenses surrounding the Thai Nguyen steel works in his book The Republic F-105 Thunderchief Wing and Squadron Histories. His third position in a flight of four Thuds, consisting of two EF-105Fs and two F-105Ds operating as hunter-killer teams, was his 78th combat mission.

The flight encountered heavy AAA fire as they got closer to the target area. Amidst the bursting shells, Dethlefsen trailed the two lead aircraft by roughly 3,000 to 5,000 feet. After locating a SAM site, the lead aircraft attempted to unleash a Shrike missile, but it was unsuccessful. The enemy gunners had better aim. The flight leader was shot down, and his wingman took significant damage and had to give up.

Dethlefsen took control of the flight and circled the target area before maneuvering his aircraft for a second pass at the target. He saw two MiG-21s aiming behind his Thud just as he and his backseater, Capt. Kevin “Mike” Gilroy, had discovered the SAM site. As one of the MiGs launched a missile at his aircraft, he fired a Shrike missile at the SAM position and dove into a mushroom of flak. His evasive action was successful because the MiGs did not pursue him into the barrage of AAA fire.

Dethlefsen changed his direction to get a better look at the SAM site so he could determine if he had been successful in knocking it out. The steel mills were being bombed by the strike force’s initial elements at this point, covering the target area in a cloud of dust and smoke. Dethlefsen observed two MiGs trying to position themselves behind his aircraft as he could see enemy missiles streaking up toward the strike force through the cloud. Dethlefsen observed that he had been damaged by the AAA fire on his second pass after shaking the MiGs with a Light left break.

Maj. Merlyn Dethlefsen — Merlyn Dethlefsen

Dethlefsen halted his run to inspect his damaged Thud as the striking force finished its assault. The 57-mm gunner had damaged the bottom of the fuselage, but fortunately, the engine and flight control systems remained unharmed. He made the decision to re-engage the missile defense system after realizing that he had missed the SAM site and that the steel complex was a crucial target that would require additional bombing over the course of the following few days.

Dethlefsen noticed the SAM site squarely in front of him after maneuvering around the flak pattern. The second Shrike missile he launched immediately caused the site to go off the air. Dethlefsen placed his Thud on the deck to put the finishing touches on the site while a cloud of debris and smoke continued to linger over the target area. He located the SAM’s radar van, dropped his bombs directly on it, and then made a strafing pass with his 20-mm weapon to completely demolish the site.

Capt. Dethlefsen received the Medal of Honor for demonstrating exceptional bravery above and beyond the call of duty. On February 1st, 1968, President Johnson made the presentation in the White House.

The Republic F-105 Thunderchief Wing and Squadron Histories is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by: U.S. Air Force

August 1, 2023 0 comment

History

Israeli pilots went to TOPGUN and taught instructors tactics for F-4 versus MiG-21

by Till Daisd July 23, 2023

written by Till Daisd

After the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Israelis dispatched an F-4 crew to TOPGUN

New tactics are acquired in battle, lost or discarded when conflict is over, and relearned at great expense during the following conflict. This is a recurring theme in the history of air combat. When America was sucked into the Vietnam War, this pattern continued into the 1960s. Despite having an advantage in training and equipment, US Navy aircrews were struggling to defeat North Vietnamese fighters. Lessons in air combat from earlier conflicts that had been forgotten or thought to be irrelevant due to technological advancements were once more useful.

The Navy’s Fighter Weapons School, TOPGUN, was founded in 1968 to train others in these tactics, teach Navy aircrews the fundamentals of air combat, and make sure that naval aviation “never again” forgot its lessons.

Although foreign aircrew from a number of nations, primarily Israel, Australia, Germany, and Canada, attended TOPGUN’s ground school and some, including the Germans and Israelis in 1975, actually flew against the TOPGUN instructors, very few foreign students attended the TOPGUN class, according to Brad Elward in his book TOPGUN: The Legacy: The Complete History of TOPGUN and Its Impact on Tactical Aviation.

After the 1973 Yom Kippur War, according to Dan “Bad Bob” McCort, an F-4 pilot who worked there from 1977 to 1980, the Israelis sent a crew to TOPGUN. “We had them come through as a crew in a class so that they would have interaction with the staff and the students because of their experiences and their employment of the F-4 specifically against a MiG-21, the high threat at the time,” McCort said. “I remember going out one on one against Zev Rahz in an F-4—I was in an F-5 for that mission—and watching him employ it in a way that I’ve never seen an F-4 employed. I mean, that was a no-kidding eye-opening; this is what we call a pivotal moment here.”

According to McCort, the encounter with the Israelis altered the way TOPGUN instructed pilots on the MiG-21. “We had this concept of how to employ the airplanes based on some of the results of the Have programs, and that’s what we were teaching.” McCort added, “A lot of these tactics had been, in concept, understood, but these guys having done it day in, day out (because we hadn’t got to that point yet), really clearly got it!” McCort went on: “For example, Zev was the one that showed us how to turn into a MiG-21, maintain knots, and drag the guy down in altitude to the point where his thrust-to-weight advantage and his energy addition rate and his lack of bleed would make the difference.”‘ McCort said that as he and Zev met and passed, “I was used to seeing an F-4 either try for a two-circle turn or go into a vertical move to try to get something to happen. Zev basically tried to drive it one circle, and he just dove down deep. It was a really big surprise. That was a tactic that we jumped on and refined to exploit the energy addition for the Phantom and the bleed rate in the MiG-21. This was a key component of my 1v1 lecture in the F-4 against what became a Category II airplane.

Mike “Squeeze” Gaskell, an instructor on staff in the late 1970s, vividly recalled the Israelis’ visit to TOPGUN. “I’ve never seen things done with the F-4 that these guys could do with the F-4,” said Gaskell. “They were excellent pilots,” Gaskell said there was one incident in particular that stuck with him. “During one of our debriefs, they really didn’t want to hear a lot about the TOPGUN way of doing a debrief or tactics. They kept asking questions […]. This guy would ask, ‘Now, when you did this, what were you doing?’ And he’s pretty much grilling me. I didn’t understand what it was all about until years later. Those guys were the two pilots who led the strike—Operation Opera or Babylon—against the Iraqi nuclear power plant.” Here, Gaskell was referring to the Israeli’s Jun. 7, 1981 strike. Saddam had a powerful air force at that time, “and they wanted to know more [about Iraqi Air Force air-to-air tactics]. That’s why they were there.”

The Israelis’ presence also helped TOPGUN realize how important it is to train for “one v. many” combat scenarios. Manfred “Fokker” Rietsch, TOPGUN’s first Marine Corps instructor, recalled the Israelis told the staff, “You need to develop tactics for a ‘one versus many.’ ‘How do you fight one versus many?’ So we took their word for it and said, `Okay, fine. We’ll have one versus many tactics.’” Rietsch said it was really an acknowledgment that in a large fight, “You’re not going to have a Sparrow or be two versus two, or two versus one, or one versus whatever. You’re going to have a bunch of airplanes out there. This is where it’s so important to have the internal coordination within your flight on how you sort, who targets who, and if you engage, who’s going to engage what.”‘ The “one v. many” flight was introduced in the mid-1970s under Jim Ruliffson’s command tour but was slow to take start because it demanded “a lot of assets,” said Rietsch.”

Curiously, the USAF also realized the advantages of “one versus many” training at around the same time. Donald L. Gish, then a major on active duty, wrote the following in a 1975 article for the Fighter Weapons School Review: “Other areas in which training and tactics must improve are ‘one vs many’ and ‘gaggle’ type engagements. Viewing the European scenario, we cannot expect to fight with a superior number of aircraft, not when the odds are even.” Gish wrote further, “We must anticipate and train for an element against four or six opponents, or a flight of four against twelve.” Due to their perceived impending conflict on the plains of Europe, where they would be outnumbered by Soviet and Warsaw Pact air forces, both fighter weapons schools started training.

TOPGUN: The Legacy: The Complete History of TOPGUN and Its Impact on Tactical Aviation is available to order here.

Photo by War Thunder Via Pinterest and U.S. Air Force

July 23, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

Russia received 3 MiG-21s from India

by Till Daisd June 21, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The MiG-21s received new registration numbers, were in flight-ready condition, and might be used for vintage flight

According to The Hindu, India gave three MiG-21 aircraft to Russia when Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a formal visit to New Delhi on October 4, 2018.

“Three MiG-21s are scheduled to be handed over to Russians based on a request from their Defence Minister to our Defence Minister. They comprise one Type 75 aircraft and two Type 77 aircraft,” an official source said.

One MiG-21bis and two MiG-21FLs were in good enough condition to fly, and they received new registration numbers so they might be used for vintage flights. They were brought back to Russia at no expense.

One of the most recognizable jet fighters in history is the MiG-21. Since its initial flight in 1955, more than 50 nations have employed different versions. The MiG-21 was known as “Fishbed” by Western forces, and some models have been in service well into the twenty-first century. Until halting production in 1985, the USSR produced more than 10,000 MiG-21s.

The MiG-21 was a dangerous foe in the Vietnam War. It was faster than American jets and more maneuverable than its main rival, the F-4 Phantom. Despite the fact that North Vietnamese MiG-21s lost the lives of around 50 American aircraft, 68 MiG-21s were downed in air combat by the U.S. Air Force (USAF).

India received full technology transfer, rights to license-build the aircraft locally, and the MiG-21 induction in 1963. It is the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) first supersonic fighter aircraft. About 120 Fishbeds were still in use by the IAF at the time, but they were phased out by 2021–2022.

Photo by Sheeju at English Wikipedia

June 21, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

When the IAF was embarrassed by a Syrian Air Force MiG-23 pilot’s defection to Israel

by Till Daisd June 18, 2023

written by Till Daisd

While the IAF was pleased to acquire the MiG-23, they were pretty embarrassed that an enemy aircraft had crossed the boundary and landed without being challenged

The Israel Air Force (IAF) finally had the opportunity to conduct another thorough engineering examination of a front-line Arab fighter after a 23-year gap. Like the MiG-21, this MiG-23 was a defection, although one that caught Israel off guard. Major Adel Bassciii (also known as Basaam) of the Syrian Air Force flew his MiG-23MLD “Flogger-G” to Israel on October 11, 1989, and asked for political asylum. A two-ship training trip was led by Bassem, who was traveling in aircraft 2786.

The Major abruptly broke away and accelerated toward Israel while flying parallel to the Golan border. Despite IAF air defense radars following the Syrian plane, Bassem lowered to a height of 90–150 feet (25–45 meters), when radar tracking of his fighter was lost. He sped through the border at 550 kph while using the afterburner. He swiftly landed after spotting Megiddo’s northern airfield, which was at the time a civilian airport.

It took just seven minutes for the incident. Dissatisfaction with his position in Syria served as the driving force for Bassem’s activities. The Israel Air Force (IAF) was pleased to acquire the MiG, but they were a little ashamed that an enemy fighter had crossed the border and landed without being challenged, according to Bill Norton in his book Air War On The Edge: A History of the Israel Air Force and its Aircraft from 1947. The prize of the IAF was transferred to Tel Nof’s safety.

With the exception of a full load of cannon shells, the MiG-23 came unarmed. At the base of the tail, it had Syrian flare dispenser units mounted. Major Bassem assisted the IAF in starting its inspection but, regrettably, he only brought his checklist. On January 29, 1990, the aircraft ascended to the skies once more as the technicians, engineers, and test pilots of the IAF Flight Test Center finally felt secure enough to carry out the first of numerous evaluation flights. All future flights were conducted by Lieutenant Colonel Ofer Safra, the Flight Test Center’s commander and chief pilot.

How the defection to Israel of a Syrian Air Force MiG-23-pilot embarrassed the IAF — The Syrian Air Force MiG-23 that landed at Megiddo

The effectiveness of the aircraft and its technologies, as well as its vulnerabilities, were exposed through a comprehensive testing program. Drills in air combat against IAF front-line fighters were part of the trials. The MiG-23’s excessive thrust and acceleration pleased the Israelis. The avionics and jet were both simple to operate. Landings were a reasonably regular occurrence. On the downside, the cockpit layout required a lot of tweaking, and there was a poor rearward view and exhaustingly high stick forces during air combat maneuvers. A more sophisticated radar system separated the MiG from the F-4 Phantom in terms of overall performance.

Up until the early half of 1993, the IAF kept the MiG and flew it 12–18 times. Very likely, the Americans also had an opportunity to evaluate the machine. After that, it was lent to Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) for use in creating prospective system upgrades. The upgraded products would subsequently be sold to Eastern Europe’s developing market. The MiG was moved to the IAF Museum in Hatzerim in the mid-1990s after IAI concluded working on it.

Above the Syrian roundels on the nose but outside of the roundels on the wings, the Israelis added their national markings. The finish and other markings were left untouched, with the exception of a few spots where paint needed to be touched up. The MANAT [# 109] and Unit 22 [# 123], the IAF’s Central Maintenance Unit, and stencils noting the IAF’s flights were placed on the jet when it was added to the collection of the IAF Museum.

Photo by Israeli Air Force and Oren Rozen via Wikipedia

June 18, 2023 0 comment

History

The Air Warrior Combat Memorial, honoring ace pilot Robin Olds and air power, unveiled by the USAF Academy.

by Till Daisd June 10, 2023

written by Till Daisd

As commander of cadets from 1967 to 1970, Robin Olds was a “triple ace” with 17 victories in both World War II and the Vietnam War. He served in the military for 30 years before retiring from the Air Force in 1973.

At the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, a $1.4 million memorial commemorating the first 100 years of aerial combat was inaugurated on October 1, 2021.

According to Ray Bowden, U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs, in the article “Academy honors air power, ace pilot Robin Olds with the memorial,” the Air Warrior Combat Memorial, which is located close to North Gate and Stadium Boulevards, includes a bronze statue of Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, a former commandant of cadets and pilot, as well as a model of an F-4 Phantom aircraft and displays highlighting the development of air power since World War I.

According to Greg Knedler, vice president of the class and constituent development for the school’s fundraising arm, the Academy Foundation, 368 donors together covered the full cost of the memorial, with the class of ’71 contributing 90% of it.

USAF Academy unveils Air Warrior Combat Memorial honoring ace pilot Robin Olds and air power — Above: The $1.4 million Air Warrior Combat Memorial was unveiled with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy, on Oct. 1, 2021. The memorial, near North Gate and Stadium boulevards at the base, features a statue of the former commandant of cadets and ace pilot, Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, an F4 Phanton aircraft model and displays highlighting the advances of air power since World War I. Top image: United States Air Force Academy graduates, family members, and staff tour the just-unveiled Air Warrior Combat memorial at the Academy, Oct. 1, 2021. The $1.4 million memorial features a model of the F4 Phantom aircraft and a statue of ace pilot and former Academy commandant of cadets, Brig. Gen. Robin Olds.

The memorial is the culmination of an 11-year fundraising and design effort organized by the Class of ’71, according to retired Col. Frank Morgan, a 1971 Academy graduate and project chair.

After the class’s 40th reunion in 2011, “We were eating pizza and having a beer,” he said. “That’s how this started. We all knew we needed to do something.”

Morgan claimed that graduates from the Academy’s classes of ’63 and ’69 as well as private contributors all helped to the fundraising campaign. The Academy’s commandant of cadets and fighter pilot, Brigadier General Paul Moga, graduated from the institution in 1995. He claimed that Olds is the prototype for air power. Beside his office are pictures of each Academy commandant, but Olds’ picture is the one the commandant focuses on the most.

He chuckled, “I feel his eyes tracking me. According to Moga, Olds set a positive example for all Airmen and cadets with his “deep commitment to the Air Force, air power, and Airmen.” He claimed that the memorial serves as an illustration of the “grit, discipline, innovation, and courage” cadets must possess in order to succeed as warfighters.

Olds served as the commander of cadets from 1967 to 1970 and was a “triple ace” with 17 victories in World War II and the Vietnam War. He served in the military for 30 years before retiring from the Air Force in 1973.

Because his father served as a World War I pursuit pilot, a personal assistant to Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell, and the commander of the first B-17 squadron, Robin Olds grew up surrounded by military aviators and airplanes. At West Point, where he studied, Robin Olds’ innate fearlessness helped him succeed on the football field; in 1942, he was chosen as an All-American tackle. Olds completed his studies in 1943, then he attended aviation training before flying the P-38 in Europe.

As a risk-taking pilot and natural leader, Olds distinguished out. He became the 479th Fighter Group’s first ace within a few months after downing five hostile aircraft. He received a major promotion and 434th Fighter Squadron command while he was just 22 years old. As the unit switched to P-51s, Olds continued his success, and he concluded the war with 12 victories.

Olds assumed control of the 8th TFW at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base in the fall of 1966. Because of Olds’ charisma and bravery, his people admired him, and the “Wolfpack” became the USAF’s most effective MiG-killing wing in Southeast Asia under his command. The Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, which facilitated communication between USAF wings in Southeast Asia and developed into an enduring fraternal group, was also founded in large part thanks to Olds.

Robin Olds MiG Kill — Col. Robin Olds painting a victory star on the F-4 he was flying on May 4, 1967, when he shot down a MiG-21.

Olds took the initiative and flew on the most dangerous missions, sharing the risks with his aircrews. He was the first USAF pilot to use F-4s in Southeast Asia and achieve four combat wins. For his bravery in battle, he received numerous awards, including the Air Force Cross for a mission in August 1967 during which he led a strike force against North Vietnam’s fiercely guarded Paul Doumer Bridge.

Olds’ greatest accomplishment was organizing and directing Operation Bolo, which forced North Vietnamese MiG-21 pilots into an unfavorable air battle. Public access to the Air Warrior Battle Memorial is available during base visiting hours.

Photo by Trevor Cokley / U.S. Air Force

June 10, 2023 0 comment

History

A North Vietnamese MiG-21 passing closely by a Firebee drone (and other BQM-34 tales)

by Till Daisd March 19, 2023

written by Till Daisd

A “book” may be written about the use of BQM-34 Firebee reconnaissance drones during the Vietnam War (and over PR China) (at least)

The BQM-34 Firebee, also known as the Q-2, was an air-to-air and surface-to-air missile target drone with high speed. It was primarily used for training fighter-interceptor pilots whose aircraft were equipped with missiles and for testing newly developed missiles.

The Firebee can be launched from a plane in flight or from the ground, and an operator on the ground or in the aircraft controls it by radio while it is in flight. The Firebee is safely brought to earth by a self-contained parachute after being struck by a missile and being disabled or after successfully completing its mission without damage.

A “book” may be written about the use of BQM-34 reconnaissance drones during the Vietnam War (and over PR China) (at least).

Strangely, some of their most bizarre missions were brought on by simple programming errors. One of these was the incorrect flight altitude entered, such as 60 instead of 600 feet.

I have no idea why, but rumors say that this frequently occurred during reconnaissance flights to the Kep AB in North Vietnam. Unsurprisingly, in one instance, an incorrectly programmed AQM-34L returned covered with telephone wires, branches, and other tree-related debris.

A MiG-17 that was due to land is claimed to have collided with another assigned to photograph the Kep AB…

A good illustration of how closely some of the MiGs approached them while attempting to intercept them is shown in the post’s main image: On a screen in the command console of a DC-130 drone carrier, the wing, and fin of a North Vietnamese MiG-21 are visible.

Another little-known fact is that most people now believe that armed unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) first debuted in the early 21st century.

AGM-65 Maverick missiles were really test-fired from BQM-34s in the early 1970s; in fact, there are reports that some of these UAVs (and the C-130s that deployed them) were even sent to Israel during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War.

A previous BQM-34 may have been the first US ace of the Vietnam War; it is said to have lost five North Vietnamese MiGs between 1970 and 1971.

Check out Helion & Company’s website for books featuring interesting stories written by Tom Cooper.

The story behind this incredible photo of a North Vietnamese MiG-21 flying extremely close to a Firebee drone (and other BQM-34 tales)

March 19, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

The Croatian MiG-21 Fishbed cockpit is captured in a stunning GoPro footage

by Till Daisd March 10, 2023

written by Till Daisd

All of the Fishbeds are based at Zagreb-91st Pleso’s Air Base and are flown by a single unit known as the “Fighter Squadron.”

The fantastic video in this post (which also includes cool GoPro cockpit footage) was recently produced by the Croatian Air Force and shows MiG-21 planes in action at the 91st Air Force Base.

The fighter fleet of the Croatian Air Force and Air Defense (HRZ I PZO) consists of twelve MiG-21s, eight of which are single-seat MiG-21bisDs and four MiG-21UMD twin-seat trainers. All of the Fishbeds are based at Zagreb-91st Pleso’s Air Base and are flown by a single unit known as the “Fighter Squadron.”

The planes are employed to provide QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) services and can cover the whole Croatian airspace. The QRA is currently only operational during daylight hours and is part of the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defense System (NATINAMDS), which is housed in Torrejon’s Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC).

According to Chris Lofting of Air Forces Monthly magazine’s May issue, the Ukrainian company Odesaviaremservis Aviation Repair Plant (OARP) in Odessa recently refurbished and updated all 12 MiG-21s. Five MiG-21bisDs were scheduled to be shipped to Yemen, but they were never delivered, and the planes were finally purchased by the Croatian Air Force after being parked outside the Odessa plant for several years. However, the Croatian daily newspaper Jutarnji list reported on March 22, 2016, that an investigation into the recently purchased aircraft is underway: Lofting indicated that “Croatian sources claim the Odessa Plant painted Algerian MiG-21 construction numbers on the airframes but left the original c/n plates in place, showing that at least four of them are ex-Bulgarian! It’s unclear what this means for their future.”

However, the MiG-21bisD/UMD aircraft upgrade was mainly focused on the installation of new navigation and communication systems that not only meet NATO and ICAO requirements but also allow the Fishbeds to safely operate within civilian airspace. The “D” suffix stands for the Croatian word Doraden, which means modified.

Croatia is to replace its aged Soviet-built MiGs as soon as possible, with a decision on which fighter will replace the Cold War-era Fishbeds expected by the end of 2016. The SAAB JAS 39 Gripen, Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, Dassault Rafale, and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 are among the aircraft being evaluated by the Croatian Air Force.

March 10, 2023 0 comment

History

How Iraq made its Air Force the second-largest operator of MiG-21s in the Middle East

by Till Daisd January 30, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The MiG-21 proved to be simple to maintain, and the Soviets delivered quickly

The MiG-21 acquisition was eventually warmly received by the air force: not only did the aircraft prove to be simple to maintain (at least unless they had to be sent to the USSR for overhauls), but the Soviets were quick to deliver. The MiG-21 acquisition was initially ordered in April 1965 by then commander of the Iraqi Air Force (IrAF), Brigadier-General Arif Abd ar-Razzaq, but it was opposed by his successor General Munir Abbas Hilmi.

Following their shipment to Basra in December 1965, they were transferred to Rashid Air Base (AB). They were combined with a group of 12 pilots who had finished their conversion courses in the USSR, and on January 8, 1966, they entered service with the newly-established No. 17 Squadron, led by Major Durhit Ibrahim, as explained by Milos Sipos & Tom Cooper in their book Wings of Iraq Volume 1: the Iraqi Air Force, 1931-1970.

In April 1966, Iraq received approval to purchase 49 more MiG-21 interceptors after its president, Abd ar-Rahman Arif, openly denounced US policies in Vietnam.

The Soviets were forced to improvise when preparing their delivery in response to Arif’s order from April 1966 because the type was in high demand at the time all across the world. Therefore, they shipped a total of 22 refurbished MiG-21F-13s, which were originally part of the ‘0 series’ of that type.” The remaining 23 aircraft belonged to the MiG-21FL variant, which was only equipped with two R-3S missiles and lacked an internal gun.

Once more, their delivery happened at an astounding rate: the first shipment of MiG-21FL aircraft arrived at the port of Basra before the year 1966 ended. Another reorganization of the IrAF resulted from the availability of more MiGs: strengthened by a team of Soviet advisors, No. 17 Squadron started operating as an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU). Enough of its pilots’ colleagues were converted to MiG-21s for Nos. 9, 11, and later the newly constituted No. 14 Squadrons to begin working on the type.

Additionally, in the case of Iraq, the Soviets demonstrated their willingness to make an exception to the rule by supplying MiG-21PFMs along with the less-known Kh-66 beam-riding guided missile. Although this missile was unreliable and extremely dangerous for a single-seat fighter jet pilot to deploy, it was the first of its kind to be used in the Middle East.

Overall, the IrAF had grown to be the second-largest operator of MiG-21s in the Middle East by the time Brigadier-General Jassam Mohammed ash-Shaher assumed command in September 1966. Such quick growth demonstrates the foresight of past IrAF leaders, who took care to upgrade the Air Force College’s equipment and lay the groundwork for the future of the force, allowing for additional growth.

Wings of Iraq Volume 1: the Iraqi Air Force, 1931-1970 is published by Helion & Company and is available to order here.

How Iraq opposition to the US policy in Vietnam made the Iraqi Air Force the second-largest operator of MiG-21s in the Middle East — MiG-21FL was found by US troops in Iraq, in April 2003.

Photo by Tom Cooper and ACIG

January 30, 2023 0 comment

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