The MiG-25 and MiG-31 in combat

[mor10]

This pilot claims he got a visual on the SR-71 at over 120km? In a head on merge?

My interpretation is that he got a lock at altitude 52Kft and 130Km range. After ascended to 65Kft he then saw it, presumably this time a lot closer, as they would have been on a carefully planned intercept course.

Back in 85' I saw the contrails of an SR-71 as it passed over the north eastern tip of Norway, i.e. on the border of Soviet Union. And how did I know it was an SR-71? I was visiting the Nato radar station at that location and one of the employees there saw it and told us what it was.

[huggy]

"... where the crew had the Blackbird in sight..."

[old.iraqi.air.force]

And what happened, it bounced off?

I keep hearing all these "F-15 was shot down" stories. The problem I have with that is that if true, there'd be some kind of absurb celebration in anti-western countries. OK maybe not absurd, but you know what I mean. The Eagle is touted as undefeated in air to air.
Where's the wreckage/video?

Well I believe you will need an interpreter to understand my poor English here
But I will do all my best to tell you in short, everything that happened.

The events start since the period to send the aircraft to Iran during the gulf war DS 1991,

Where the F-15s was intercept and shot down Iraqi aircraft trying to fly to Iran, while Iraqi aircraft were not armed so they cannot defend themselves in anyway plus most of these aircraft (Transport and ground attack such SU-20,SU-22,SU-24,SU-25 and MIG-23BN and Ilyushin Il-76 and F-1) Accordingly, the leadership of the Iraqi air force planned to shoot down U.S aircraft by quick sudden and ambushes, and here are chosen the MIG-25s for this task.

On January 28 they set a plan, on 29 pilots were scrambled to take off, but after two hours sitting in the cockpit mission aborted for several reasons...

January 30-1991 at 13:30 there was two U.S F-15s in patrol interceptor mission over east Iraqi, the MIG-25s was on the ground waiting to the order, in the same time Iraqi radars follow the movements of the U.S F-15 east,There was a time constant between the patrol replacement with another group, so the attack should be start at the end of the patrol where they almost bingo Fuel, Capt Mahmoud Awad from 97th squadron of Al-Habbaniyah AB and Capt Mohammed Al-Samarrai from 96th squadron Al-Qadisiyah AB scrambled and take off, minutes later the ground control gave the order to attack immediately from two direction (One from Samarra city direction and the other on from Diyala city)in order to put the F-15s in a pincer and drain the largest amount of fuel as much as possible If they tried to outrun or fronting they will face the other MIG and vice versa, the formation leader Capt Mahmoud Awad reached the target area first, he was on 12tf while the ground control guide him toward to the F-15s and informed him about the speed, altitude, and distance..

Later the formation leader received order from the ground to open his N-005 radar but the U.S F-15 was just about 35Km to the ground control radar, in the same time it was far than this on formation leader screen!!

The ground control calculated the distance and gave the order to open fire, the formation leader lock on the apparent targets on his radar screen and fired R-40RD missile on it..
The missile towards at lightning speed on targets ..
Seconds later flash in the sky..
Checking..
No aircraft..!
No targets, nothing burning in the sky..!!
What happened? what's going on!?
The ground control called the formation leader turn back immediately!

Actually all that was happening is electronic war between the ground control and U.S F-15s, but the ground control was smartest (he forced the U.S aircraft to exhausted their ability to deceptive) now it became clear on the radar screen where is the U.S F-15s and the bogus objectives, what the U.S F-15s used called (Mechanical jamming) which reflect or re-reflect radar energy back to the radar to produce false target returns on the operator's scope. Mechanical jamming devices include chaff, corner reflectors, and decoys, That's why it was a difference on radar screen between the formation leader and the ground control (about distance of the targets).

Now Capt Mohammed Al-Samarrai No2 was just in the right time in the right place, the ground control re-contact and asked him to return and go about the direction 090 degrees "there is two target about 70Km" and when he opened the radar he saw "PP" letters on the radar screen which is mean (an acronym a trying to positive jamming in Russian language)but his radar was scan and neutralized the jamming at the same time, while he is just about 45Km from the targets heading with 1.5 Mach, although he start Identify friend or foe IIF, but seconds later comes to his mind to check the formation leader position just in case he's not hook the friendly air craft..

Now the events below got within seconds only.
Capt. Mohammed called the ground control once again (targets 40Km) give me the formation leader place!
The ground control : targets 50 !
Capt. Mohammed : targets 30 give me formation leader place!!
The ground control : targets 40 !
Capt. Mohammed : targets 20!
Immediate release secure trigger preparing to launch missile..
lifted his eyes towards the horizon to verify the accuracy of the radar reading..
Surprise two U.S F-15s heading quickly and with both sides of the path of his plane from right to left throwing flares...
He called Visual Contact !!

Simultaneously to vibrate his right wing launching R-40RD missile towards No 2(the F-15), both aircraft turned away from the each other to avoid the incoming missile, seconds to explode near the F-15 No 2 remnants damage in the left engine, The U.S F-15 formation leader continue to move forward in a way and strange that he was not aware where is the MIG-25!
Capt. Mohammed immediately approached him distance about 350m to 400m but there was a difference in height between the two aircraft, the F-15 was higher than 50 meters with 900 km and Capt. Mohammed speed start to be more than 1.5 Mach since he began the attack, This height difference and the speed has hampered the warhead of the heat seeking missile R60, who was trying hard to lock the target within just a few seconds and here, it is likely that the damaged F-15 pilot had told the formation leader about the MIG-25 behind him..!

Because it's impossible to see the MIG of his successor in this corner, and if he's radar alert him from enemy aircraft behind him, for sure he will not continue to move forward in the way of the length this period..

In response to that, the F-15 leader pulled his aircraft in sharp left rotation with reverse to the right later, the MIG-25 passed just like lightning speed down the left wing and both pilots have saw each other for a part of second in that short moments, now become both of them in the same direction of rotation, there was no plenty of time barely both pilots pick their breath and without permission Capt.Mohammed drop the external fuel tank and quickly launch additional high speed and his eyes on the warning device and just with blink of eye all the warning lights the 44 lit up warning of lock and firing missile at him but he was fully prepared for this moment, in response to this warning he pull the aircraft strongly towards the opposite direction of the missile to break the lock and evade it and already succeeded in doing so, still did not pick his breath yet and the U.S F-15 launch another missile again, he repeat pulling his aircraft in maximum capacity to avoid the second one and successfully made it, moments and he saw the white lines in the sky left by the missiles that fired on him..
Now he got back to air base but there was four F-15E waiting for him, they fired bout three AGM-65D at him while he was landing, none of them hit him and this is just another story need time to tell it..

The F-15 and MIG-25 shouldn't be in dogfight they are interceptor air craft, but this dogfight was just crossed the sound barrier..
Whoever I hope your eyes not like this one just because of my grammar and whole language
But at least you got something new about that conflict.

The picture below shows the commander of the Iraqi air force and Capt. Mohammed AL-Samarrai behind them nearby his MIG-25



I hope I did not bother someone in this topic it's Just a story of the past nothing personal

[mixelflick]

Did I read that right, Strike Eagles fired MAVERICK air to ground missles at the Mig-25?
Also Old Iraqi Air Force, what was the general impression held by Iraqi pilots regarding the F-15?

Your grammar is in a word, astounding. However, it's a lot better than my Arabic...

[old.iraqi.air.force]

Did I read that right, Strike Eagles fired MAVERICK air to ground missles at the Mig-25?
Also Old Iraqi Air Force, what was the general impression held by Iraqi pilots regarding the F-15?

Your grammar is in a word, astounding. However, it's a lot better than my Arabic...

Yes it was F-15E in mission of (search and destroy) Iraqi SCUD missile west of Iraq nearby highway "K160",fired a three MAVERICK air to ground missles at the Mig-25 while he was landing, due to low altitude of the MIG the ground reflections prevent to use air to air missile, the F-15E fired two on the Taxiway where is the MIG supposed to be go on "because the main runway devastating" and third went to him directly but he surpassed the explosion when he touched the runway with high speed.
About the second question I'm afraid to answer it so as not to understand me wrong, but in general the AWACS and the electronic warfare have had a very significant role, but however i would make a question and give the answer to you,
What if the coalition forces was without U.S participation?
The whole coalition forces without U.S they wouldn't be able to shot down any Iraqi air craft.
But U.S (by itself) with that advanced technology can not be defeated.

[sprstdlyscottsmn]

great story Old Iraqi. Despite the general lopsided results even the U.S. accounts make great mention of the harassment the MiG-25 was capable of. That must have been a prestigious aircraft worthy of your finest pilots. Forgive my poor (and first) attempt to put Arabic into a post. Thank you.
أشكركم على جانبك من القصة

[mixelflick]

Thank you Old Iraqi you don't need to mince words though...

I do respect the Foxbat which is why I started this thread. And the Foxhound? I'm starting to think that's more to fear than any Flanker...

[Prinz_Eugn]

Great story!

[popcorn]

What a wase,just been overhauled too..

http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20131214 ... Crash.html


MOSCOW, December 14 (RIA Novosti) –Two Russian Air Force crew members ejected to safety when their MiG-31 interceptor crashed on Saturday in the Far Eastern Primorye region, local authorities said. The aircraft went down 26 kilometers from the Tsentralnaya Uglovaya airbase near Vladivostok, after taking off at 5:07 a.m. Moscow time from the Knevichy airfield. No-one on the ground was hurt. The Defense Ministry later said the aircraft had suffered a failure of one of its two engines before the crash. The aircraft had just been overhauled, according to one source.
More..

[stobiewan]

I've got this mental image of some Russian techy holding a bag of nuts and fasteners in his hands saying "these must be spare, right?" as the thing taxis off..

[mixelflick]

Crash is a damn shame...

I'd love to hear from someone who's seen either a Mig-25 or -31 demo? Someone once said the noise was like 2 F-14's welded together?

[popcorn]

If only it had 2 engines... hmm.

[sprstdlyscottsmn]

a twin engine aircraft that looses an engine will always make it all the way to one of the following.
A)home base
B)friendly territory
C)scene of the crash

[southernphantom]

Crash is a damn shame...

I'd love to hear from someone who's seen either a Mig-25 or -31 demo? Someone once said the noise was like 2 F-14's welded together?

If I ever get to Russia, I think I'll try and time it for MAKS or something...

[That_Engine_Guy]

If only it had 2 engines... hmm.

Twin engines double your chances of engine failure! TEG