Sep 22 1980 the Iraqi AF first massive strike against Iran

[oldiaf]

The tension between Iraq and Iran was considerably rising between Iran and Iraq in the period between Sep 4-21 ... Both in the air and on the ground .... On Sep 7 1980 an Iranian F-5 was shut downed by Iraqi MiG-21 Squadron 9 pilot Captured ... One week later Sep 14 1980 an Iraqi AF Su-22 shut downed and pilot was killed .... The Iraqi command decided to retaliate with massive air strike with the purpose of destroying the Iranian AF on the ground ( drawing lessons from 1967 and 1973 Israelli - Arab wars ).
The Strike Package ... Targets... Results
The primary target was to destroy parking aircrafts on the ground ... Others were the hangers ... Runways .... Taxiways ... Radars ...
No reconnaissance was made before the strike but repeated drills were done ..
Sep 22 1980
Mehrabad Internationa Airport - Tehran
4 Tu-22 Squadron 36 Tammuz AB
Hits : Mair runway - Taxiways
Isfahan AB
4 Tu -16 Squadron 10 Tammuz AB ( 1 lost hit the mountains - 6 crew members KIA )
Hits : Aircraft hangers - one side of the runway
Dezful AB ( Vahdati )
4 MiG-23BN Squadron 29 Abu Ubaida AB ( 1 aborted )
9 MiG-23BN ( wave 2 ) - encountered heavy air defense fire ( 3 MiG-23BN damaged )
Hits : Runway - Aircraft hangers
Dezful Radar and air defenses
8 Su-7 Squadron 8 Abu Ubaida AB ( 2 formations of 4 Su-7 )
Aghajari AB
8 MiG-23BN Squadron 49 Tammuz AB ( 3 aborted )
Hits : 2 Runways
Shiraz AB
2 Tu-22 Squadron 36 Tammuz AB
Hits : Runways
Shahrokhi AB - Hamedan
6 MiG-23BN squadron 59 Abu Ubaida/ Kut AB
12 Su-22 Squadron 1 and 44 both Kirkuk AB
Heavy air defense but Hits scored : Runway - aircraft hanger - aircraft station areas - ammo depots
Hamedan Airport
4 Su-22 Squadron 1 Kirkuk AB
Hits : Runway
Boshehr AB
12 Su-22 Squadron 109 Basra AB
Hits : Runways - taxiways - AB facilities
Tabriz AB
16 Su-22 Squadron 5 Fernas AB/Mosul ( 5 aborted )
Hits : Main runway - secondary runway - 3 taxiways - 1 Commercial Airliner Boeing 747
Kermanshah AB
12 MiG-23MS Squadron 39 Tammuz AB ( 1 aborted )
Hits : Runway - aircraft station area
Kermanshah Radar
2 Su-7 Squadron 8 Abu Ubaida AB/ Kut
Hit : Radar
Kermanshah Air defenses
4 Hawker Hunter
Hits : Air defense installations
Urmia AB
8 MiG-21bis squadron 11 Fernas AB/Mosul ( aborted bad weather - low clouds )
Repeated with 6 MiG-23 and again low clouds prevented strike - aircrafts diverted to strike ground troops
Saqaz Air strip ( abandoned )
8 MiG-21bis Squadron 47 Kirkuk AB ( 3 aborted )
Hits : strip runway
Sanandaj AB
16 Mig-21bis Squadron 47 Kirkuk AB ( 1 lost due to Anti-Aircraft fire Pilot POW )
Hits : Runway - Taxiway
Shahabad AB
8 MiG-21bis Squadron 17 Abu Ubaida AB
5 MiG-23MS
All aborted due to poor weather
Ahvaz AB
4 MiG-23MS Squadron 49 ( 2 aborted )
4 MiG-21bis Squadron 14 Nasiriya AB
Hits : runway
Dehloran Radar
2 Su-7 squadron 8 Abu Ubaida AB/Kut
Hits : Radar

Regarding Primary object : Parking aircrafts : all were inside hangers and the Iraqi had no penetration wareheads so this was TOTAL FAILURE
Secondary objective : Extensive damage to runways but the limited loads of bombers ( some were not bombers but interceptors loaded with AG ammunition ) ... The large size of bases .... Iranian crew effective repairing ... Result :minimum effective damage

[oldiaf]

Fellowing strikes same day :

Boshehr AB
6 Su-22
Hits : runway - taxiways
Heavy Air defenses
Kermanshah AB
7 MiG-23MS ( wave 1)
Hits : runway - air defenses
Wave 2
6 MiG-23MS
Hits : runway - taxiways
Ahvaz AB
1 MiG-23
4 MiG-21bis
Hits : radar - installations
Aghajari AB
5 MiG-23
Runway - ammo depots - fuel tanks - aircraft shelters
Shahrokhi AB
Wave 1
4 Su-22
Wave 2
2 Su-22
Hits : runway
Heavy air defenses

[oldiaf]

The next day Iranian AF retaliate but the Iraqi AF repeated the strike with better results this time regarding aircraft destructions but with higher costs also ... For example the Su-22 fleet at Kirkuk AB destroyed 2 F-4 on the ground and shut downed 1 F-5 ... On the cost of losing 3 of their own Su-22 to Air defenses ( 1 pilot KIA and 2 POW )...

[old.iraqi.air.force]

The next day Iranian AF retaliate but the Iraqi AF repeated the strike with better results this time regarding aircraft destructions but with higher costs also ... For example the Su-22 fleet at Kirkuk AB destroyed 2 F-4 on the ground and shut downed 1 F-5 ... On the cost of losing 3 of their own Su-22 to Air defenses ( 1 pilot KIA and 2 POW )...

Iraqi Su-22 formation was lead by Major General.Alwan al-Abousi (he was Lt.Colonel in that time) they reached the Shahrokhi Air Base at 0613 there was four Iranian F-4's hovering over the base two of them was about to land, the situation was very awkward to Iranian F-4's while the first Phantom touch the runway Major General.Alwan al-Abousi was track it and release his bombs to be destroyed instantly and cause to crash the other one due to confusion..
First lieutenant Adel Daadouch lost in that mission, he got direct hit by anti-aircraft guns and KIA.

[tomcooper]

Dezful AB ( Vahdati )
4 MiG-23BN Squadron 29 Abu Ubaida AB ( 1 aborted )
9 MiG-23BN ( wave 2 ) - encountered heavy air defense fire ( 3 MiG-23BN damaged )
Hits : Runway - Aircraft hangers

<snip>

Tabriz AB
16 Su-22 Squadron 5 Fernas AB/Mosul ( 5 aborted )
Hits : Main runway - secondary runway - 3 taxiways - 1 Commercial Airliner Boeing 747

<snip>

Regarding Primary object : Parking aircrafts : all were inside hangers and the Iraqi had no penetration wareheads so this was TOTAL FAILURE
Secondary objective : Extensive damage to runways but the limited loads of bombers ( some were not bombers but interceptors loaded with AG ammunition ) ... The large size of bases .... Iranian crew effective repairing ... Result :minimum effective damage

Interesting to read this, then last year I've helped pen the book Iranian F-5 Tigers at War: Northrop F-5A/B, F-5E/F and Sub-Variants in Iranian Service since 1966, which is about to be published.

That volume is based almost exclusively on official IRIAF documentation, and - between others - this cites:

- Tabriz: 54 F-5Es and 6 F-5Fs were stationed there at the time of Iraqi attack; 4 were held on QRA, 2 F-5Es and 2 F-5Fs were not in HASes but inside the maintenance hangar (undergoing 1,200-hours inspections), and six others were parked on apron.

Not one of the aircraft in question was even attacked by the Iraqis, while the runway was barely scratched.

- Dezful: 57 F-5Es and F-5Fs were present (plus 38 other aircraft!!), of which 6 were NORM and 9 were NORS, with about 26 F-5E/Fs parked in the open.

Iraqi strike hit and destroyed 3 F-5Es on the ground and the MIM-23B I-HAWK SAM-site nearby, killing 18.

Again: that's according to official IRIAF report.

So, gauging by what you cited from that IrAF report (it would be good to have its designation, title, and date of issue, BTW!!), the Intelligence Department IrAF had no trace of clue where were Iranians parking their aircraft (in the open, because they were not preparing for a war and were taken by surprise) and even less so about extension of damage caused by these air strikes (like destruction of 3 F-5s at Dezful).

[oldiaf]

Dezful AB ( Vahdati )
4 MiG-23BN Squadron 29 Abu Ubaida AB ( 1 aborted )
9 MiG-23BN ( wave 2 ) - encountered heavy air defense fire ( 3 MiG-23BN damaged )
Hits : Runway - Aircraft hangers

<snip>

Tabriz AB
16 Su-22 Squadron 5 Fernas AB/Mosul ( 5 aborted )
Hits : Main runway - secondary runway - 3 taxiways - 1 Commercial Airliner Boeing 747

<snip>

Regarding Primary object : Parking aircrafts : all were inside hangers and the Iraqi had no penetration wareheads so this was TOTAL FAILURE
Secondary objective : Extensive damage to runways but the limited loads of bombers ( some were not bombers but interceptors loaded with AG ammunition ) ... The large size of bases .... Iranian crew effective repairing ... Result :minimum effective damage

Interesting to read this, then last year I've helped pen the book Iranian F-5 Tigers at War: Northrop F-5A/B, F-5E/F and Sub-Variants in Iranian Service since 1966, which is about to be published.

That volume is based almost exclusively on official IRIAF documentation, and - between others - this cites:

- Tabriz: 54 F-5Es and 6 F-5Fs were stationed there at the time of Iraqi attack; 4 were held on QRA, 2 F-5Es and 2 F-5Fs were not in HASes but inside the maintenance hangar (undergoing 1,200-hours inspections), and six others were parked on apron.

Not one of the aircraft in question was even attacked by the Iraqis, while the runway was barely scratched.

- Dezful: 57 F-5Es and F-5Fs were present (plus 38 other aircraft!!), of which 6 were NORM and 9 were NORS, with about 26 F-5E/Fs parked in the open.

Iraqi strike hit and destroyed 3 F-5Es on the ground and the MIM-23B I-HAWK SAM-site nearby, killing 18.

Again: that's according to official IRIAF report.

So, gauging by what you cited from that IrAF report (it would be good to have its designation, title, and date of issue, BTW!!), the Intelligence Department IrAF had no trace of clue where were Iranians parking their aircraft (in the open, because they were not preparing for a war and were taken by surprise) and even less so about extension of damage caused by these air strikes (like destruction of 3 F-5s at Dezful).

True the intelligence was poor before the mission and they didn't know that 3 F-5s were destroyed

[oldiaf]

Operation Kaman 99 - The Islamic republic Air Force retaliatory strike on Iraqi Air Force Sep 23 1980
40-50 F-4s took off from Hamadan Shahrokhi AB and refueled mid-air and attacked Baghdad Rasheed AB , Habbaniya AB - Abu Ubaida AB near Kut .
Another 8-18 F-4s from Mehrabad AB near Tehran re-attacked Baghdad Rasheed AB.
38-58 F-5s from Tabriz AB attacked Mosul AB.
30-50 F-5s attacked Nasiriya AB which was heavy damaged.
In all ... 146-156 F-4s and F-5s took part in the raids while 60 F-14s protected the Iranian air space.
Ammunition used varied between Mk-82,83,84 and AGM-65 while Tomcats used AIM-9,7,54.

Results : F-14s downed 2 MiG-21MF/RF and 3 MiG-23MS while an F-5 downed Su-20 ( according to Iranian source while Iraqi source mentioned otherwise : a Su-22 downed F-5 while the Iraqi fighter was attacking the Irani base same day ... Or may be this is seperate incidents ? )

Iraqi Air defenses downed 4 F-5s and 2 F-4s and damaged another one F-4.

Iranian estimated 55% of Iraqi air force capability to launch air raids on Iran or support ground troops was destroyed ... But the days to come proved them wrong ....in fact the same day Iraqi Air force launched similar massive attack like the day before.

[oldiaf]

At least 3 MiG-23BN were shut downed over Vahdati AB Dezful ... All 3 pilots KIA ... These might be the same MiG-23s downed by the F-14s

[nikolaos]

Thanks for sharing all these info , I am waiting for the next posts

[basher54321]

Interesting to read this, then last year I've helped pen the book Iranian F-5 Tigers at War: Northrop F-5A/B, F-5E/F and Sub-Variants in Iranian Service since 1966, which is about to be published.

That volume is based almost exclusively on official IRIAF documentation, and - between others - this cites:

Interesting book Tom thanks - seems they had it very difficult and took a lot of casualties.