1,558
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 29:
Line 29: + + + Line 45:
Line 48: + + + + +
African conflicts, media
In the [[Six Day War]], the initial strikes destroyed most of Egypt’s MiGs on the ground, and the few that were able to get airborne were outnumbered and usually outflown. Six MiG-21s were lost in aerial combat on the first day, and they downed only one aircraft in return, an Israeli Mirage. The Syrian Air Force had the advantage of warning, since attacks on Syrian airfields weren’t scheduled to take place until the afternoon, and the war on the eastern front began when Syrian MiG-17s struck the oil refinery at [[Haifa]] at around 1100 hours, with [[MiG-19]]s and MiG-21s as escorts. The strike had only limited success, and two Frescoes were downed by ground fire. In spite of a combat air patrol over Syrian airfields, the Israeli strikes went ahead as scheduled and destroyed over half the Syrian Air Force’s planes. With the IAF in almost complete control of the air, Egyptian and Syrian MiGs were used in mainly ineffectual hit-and-run attacks for the rest of the war.<ref name="Arab">''Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat'', by David Nicolle and Tom Cooper, Osprey Publishing, 2004</ref>
In the [[Six Day War]], the initial strikes destroyed most of Egypt’s MiGs on the ground, and the few that were able to get airborne were outnumbered and usually outflown. Six MiG-21s were lost in aerial combat on the first day, and they downed only one aircraft in return, an Israeli Mirage. The Syrian Air Force had the advantage of warning, since attacks on Syrian airfields weren’t scheduled to take place until the afternoon, and the war on the eastern front began when Syrian MiG-17s struck the oil refinery at [[Haifa]] at around 1100 hours, with [[MiG-19]]s and MiG-21s as escorts. The strike had only limited success, and two Frescoes were downed by ground fire. In spite of a combat air patrol over Syrian airfields, the Israeli strikes went ahead as scheduled and destroyed over half the Syrian Air Force’s planes. With the IAF in almost complete control of the air, Egyptian and Syrian MiGs were used in mainly ineffectual hit-and-run attacks for the rest of the war.<ref name="Arab">''Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat'', by David Nicolle and Tom Cooper, Osprey Publishing, 2004</ref>
===Egyptian-Libyan Conflict===
After peace with Israel, Egypt's relations with some of its fellow Arab states detoriarated, and Egyptian MiG-21s were called into action again in 1977 during the brief Egyptian-Libyan War, when they escorted strikes on [[Libya]]n army outposts, radar stations, and air bases. The Egyptian campaign was reasonably successful, but even after the ceasefire, there were occasional skirmishes. In 1979, two Libyan MiG-23s engaged two Egyptian Fishbeds which had been modified to carry American Sidewinder missiles. In a turning battle, in which the more maneuverable MiG-21 had the advantage, one Flogger was shot down by Egyptian pilot and veteran Major Sal Mohammad.<ref>[http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_353.shtml Libya & Egypt, 1971-1979]</ref>
===Iran-Iraq War===
===Iran-Iraq War===
Soviet and Afghan MiG-21s saw service in the Soviet invasion of [[Afghanistan]], mainly in the fighter-bomber role. Several were lost to ground fire, and at least one Afghan pilot defected with his plane to [[Pakistan]].<ref>''The Encyclopedia of 20th Century Air Warfare'', ed. by Chris Bishop, Aerospace Publishing, 2001</ref> Many Fishbeds survived the fall of the Soviet-backed government, but by the time the [[Taliban]] came to power in 1996, only a few were still operational due to shortage of spare parts. It is unknown if any survived the American airstrikes of 2001.<ref>[http://www.mig-21.de/english/afghanistan.htm MiG-21.de]</ref>
Soviet and Afghan MiG-21s saw service in the Soviet invasion of [[Afghanistan]], mainly in the fighter-bomber role. Several were lost to ground fire, and at least one Afghan pilot defected with his plane to [[Pakistan]].<ref>''The Encyclopedia of 20th Century Air Warfare'', ed. by Chris Bishop, Aerospace Publishing, 2001</ref> Many Fishbeds survived the fall of the Soviet-backed government, but by the time the [[Taliban]] came to power in 1996, only a few were still operational due to shortage of spare parts. It is unknown if any survived the American airstrikes of 2001.<ref>[http://www.mig-21.de/english/afghanistan.htm MiG-21.de]</ref>
===The Horn of Africa===
In 1977, war broke out between [[Somalia]] and [[Ethiopia]] over the Ethiopian province of Ogaden. Somalia had been a Soviet client for many years, so MiG-21s formed the backbone of its air force. Partly due to lack of ground-based radar support, Somali Fishbeds had a poor record during the war, with most of them being shot down by ground fire and Ethiopian F-5s. Although the Ethiopian government denied it, it is widely believed that the Ethiopian planes were flown by Israeli pilots (who had a wealth of experience in downing MiG-21s).<ref>[http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_188.shtml Ogaden War, 1977-1978]</ref>
==MiG-21 in Media==
MiG-21s were a frequent and dangerous adversary of the pilots of the [[anime]] ''Area 88'', operating mainly in the air superiority role.
==References==
==References==
<references/>
<references/>