Mirage F.1EQ service with Iraqi AF episode 3

[oldiaf]

Neka Power Plant strike
This strike was extra ordinary because the vast distance the Mirages had to fly - 1200 Km - and the proximity of the target to the Capital Tehran - infact it was on the Caspian Sea !!
On Sep. 29 1987 , 3 Mirages F.1EQ flew from their base near the northern city of Mosul , each carried 2 400 Kg unguided bombs and 2 EFT with total ET fuel ( 4400 liter ) plus the standard Gun, ECM and chaff and flare dispenser but there was a problem : with this load it is above the maximum limit of taking off , so they had to not fill the internal tanks and fuel them on the air by other 3 fueling Mirages , so another 3 Mirages flew as tankers . The formation flew low and between the mountains and above vallies to cover this vast distance without being detected till they became over the caspian sea and turned toward the target then they through their bombs ... The air defense was sporadic and light because it was a very suprise to see Iraqi jets far deep inside Iran !!
On their way back they had to be refueled again with 2500 liters , MiG-23s and 25s provided them with air cover for their safe return ... The USSR declared next day that its Radars had detected Iraqi fighters over the Caspian sea only 40 Km from soviet borders.
Photos of the Neka power plant damaged by the hit and Photos from the targeting pod of the Mirages

[old.iraqi.air.force]

The maximum limit take-off to Iraqi Mirage F1s was 16.200 Tons and with that payload reached 17.200 Tons.
They did a three aerial refueling inside Iranian air space, first air refuel was over Lake Urmia and the second one was between this Area Damirchi-Savalan Mountain, in the back was northwest Ardabil.
Iraq AF chosen this target for several reason one of them that Iran claimed Iraqi jets using gulf countries airbases to launch their strikes deep in gulf region (Arabian Gulf/ Persian Gulf) so Iraqi air force decide to reply on these claims in action not in press conference to prove that they can reach any target any time inside Iran with no needed to gulf countries airbases..

[oldiaf]

The maximum limit take-off to Iraqi Mirage F1s was 16.200 Tons and with that payload reached 17.200 Tons.
They did a three aerial refueling inside Iranian air space, first air refuel was over Lake Urmia and the second one was between this Area Damirchi-Savalan Mountain, in the back was northwest Ardabil.
Iraq AF chosen this target for several reason one of them that Iran claimed Iraqi jets using gulf countries airbases to launch their strikes deep in gulf region (Arabian Gulf/ Persian Gulf) so Iraqi air force decide to reply on these claims in action not in press conference to prove that they can reach any target any time inside Iran with no needed to gulf countries airbases..

Good plan to prove their point of view ... But from which squadron these Mirage were ?

[old.iraqi.air.force]

from which squadron these Mirage were ?

From 81the Squadron (Ground & Naval attack Sq)

[oldiaf]

from which squadron these Mirage were ?

From 81the Squadron (Ground & Naval attack Sq)

The Mirage squadrons were : 79 - 81 - 89 ?

[old.iraqi.air.force]

The Mirage squadrons were : 79 - 81 - 89 ?

1.Squadron 79th ground attack and reconnaissance.
2.Squadron 89th Air Defense.
3.Squadron 81th Naval & ground attack (Started with Super Etendard pilots).
4.Squadron 91th ground attack.

[nikolaos]

How many planes per squadron?

[oldiaf]

How many planes per squadron?

Total planes per squadron in Iraqi AF should be 16 fighters plus 2 trainers

[nikolaos]

What were the total losses of Iraqi Mirages against the Iranians? SAM , AAA and Iranian fighters combined?

[oldiaf]

What were the total losses of Iraqi Mirages against the Iranians? SAM , AAA and Iranian fighters combined?

I read some where that at least 33 downed by F-14 and 2 by F-4 and off course some downed by AAA and SAMs ... Accidents also .... But that figure of 33-35 might include the total number including AAA- SAMs and Fighters .... I will try to get the information and by the way I get the information of Sirri Island strike and I will post it soon.

[old.iraqi.air.force]

I read some where that at least 33 downed by F-14 and 2 by F-4 and off course some downed by AAA and SAMs ... Accidents also .... But that figure of 33-35 might include the total number including AAA- SAMs and Fighters .... I will try to get the information and by the way I get the information of Sirri Island strike and I will post it soon.

Excuse me!! what? 33 Iraqi Mirage downed by F-14 and 2 by F-4! hilarious.. where did you read that?
OK each aircraft has S/N and flew by pilot (who claims this victories) let him proof S/N or pilot name, because the Mirage carried out combat missions inside Iran territory which is mean pilots either killed or captured, so let them prove these climes.

[oldiaf]

I read some where that at least 33 downed by F-14 and 2 by F-4 and off course some downed by AAA and SAMs ... Accidents also .... But that figure of 33-35 might include the total number including AAA- SAMs and Fighters .... I will try to get the information and by the way I get the information of Sirri Island strike and I will post it soon.

Excuse me!! what? 33 Iraqi Mirage downed by F-14 and 2 by F-4! hilarious.. where did you read that?
OK each aircraft has S/N and flew by pilot (who claims this victories) let him proof S/N or pilot name, because the Mirage carried out combat missions inside Iran territory which is mean pilots either killed or captured, so let them prove these climes.

Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat by Tom Cooper & Farzad Bishop, 2004, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, pp. 85-88
Cooper and Bishop 2003, pp. 87—88.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dassaul ... te_note-33

[old.iraqi.air.force]

Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat by Tom Cooper & Farzad Bishop, 2004, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, pp. 85-88
Cooper and Bishop 2003, pp. 87—88.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dassaul ... te_note-33

Their state in good condition till this day so let them prove these claims by red cross documents (as i said before pilots either killed or captured) so their names must be on red cross list.
BTW you can try searching on internet and read people reviews of these claims.

[tomcooper]

Their state in good condition till this day so let them prove these claims by red cross documents...

...If you would only have any trace of clue about Red Cross and its archives...

...you would, between others, know that those related to Iran-Iraq War are still closed. That is so because they keep them closed for a number of years after a specific conflict.

Just for example: earlier this year Red Cross has opened its archives for 1973 - which, between others, means that one can now research in their archive about POWs of the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War.

...(as i said before pilots either killed or captured) so their names must be on red cross list.

They are certainly in 'Red Cross archives', but these are closed.

Otherwise, Iranians have published a list including (between others) names of 25+ Iraqi Mirage pilots shot down and killed or captured during that war. These 25 are those they know about: there is still a number of Mirages that were shot down over the Persian Gulf and pilots of which went 'missing in action' (i.e. were neither recovered by Iranians, nor by Saudis or Americans; Iraqis never tried to recover their downed pilots from the Persian Gulf). ,

So, if at all, it's on Iraqis to prove there were more but 60+ MIrages in service with the IrAF as of 1991...

[old.iraqi.air.force]

Their state in good condition till this day so let them prove these claims by red cross documents...

...If you would only have any trace of clue about Red Cross and its archives...

...you would, between others, know that those related to Iran-Iraq War are still closed. That is so because they keep them closed for a number of years after a specific conflict.

Just for example: earlier this year Red Cross has opened its archives for 1973 - which, between others, means that one can now research in their archive about POWs of the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War.

...(as i said before pilots either killed or captured) so their names must be on red cross list.

They are certainly in 'Red Cross archives', but these are closed.

Otherwise, Iranians have published a list including (between others) names of 25+ Iraqi Mirage pilots shot down and killed or captured during that war. These 25 are those they know about: there is still a number of Mirages that were shot down over the Persian Gulf and pilots of which went 'missing in action' (i.e. were neither recovered by Iranians, nor by Saudis or Americans; Iraqis never tried to recover their downed pilots from the Persian Gulf). ,

So, if at all, it's on Iraqis to prove there were more but 60+ MIrages in service with the IrAF as of 1991...

No need to back to Red Cross organisation to get this documents, each country after the end of the war give list of number of prisoners and their condition killed/alive, rank from which unit..etc so the Iranian have a copy when they delivered Iraqi pilots prisoners to Red Cross organisation to deliver them to Iraqi side, let them prove this claims through Red Cross list.