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Old February 22nd 04, 07:36 PM
Tony Volk
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How's the book on Iranian F-14 units in combat coming Tom?

Tony

"Tom Cooper" wrote in message
...
"eXistenZ" wrote in message
...
Anyone who knows the answer to this Question Please help me in any way
possible,.

To The Nearest Tenth of a Mile, What is the Maximum Range of a AIM-54A
Phoenix Air to Air Missile?


The longest-ranged AIM-54A-shot I've ever heard so far was scored during
some kind of a testing, against a high+fast flying drone, in early 1979s.
The missile hit the target 204km from the launching point ( i.e. after
indeed crossing 204km).

The longest-ranged shot for a kill was scored in December 1981, when two
IRIAF F-14As engaged four incoming Iraqi Mirage F.1EQs. The Tomcats fired
several AIM-54As from a distance of some 140km+.

Their kills were confirmed by independent sources (including US, Iranian,
Iraqi, and Saudi).

Few years later there should've been an even more spectacular shot that
killed a fast accelerating-away (Soviet-flown) Iraqi MiG-25, but I don't
have all the details about that case, so can't call it a "confirmed" as of
yet.

most military websites claim 100 Nautical miles
while other sites say 110 nautical miles,.


Eventually, this should depend on the version: most of books from the

1980s
state the range of the AIM-54A was "100nm". Most of the books from the

1990s
state the range of the AIM-54C was "up to "110nm".

It was definitely never more than this: quite on the contrary, the usual
engagement ranges in combat were between 40 and 70km.

Tom Cooper
Freelance Aviation Journalist & Historian
Vienna, Austria

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Author:
Iran-Iraq War in the Air, 1980-1988:
http://www.acig.org/pg1/content.php

Iranian F-4 Phantom II Units in Combat
http://www.ospreypublishing.com/titl...hp/title=S6585

African MiGs
http://www.acig.org/afmig/

Arab MiG-19 & MiG-21 Units in Combat
http://www.ospreypublishing.com/titl...=S6550~ser=COM

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