Doug- Admittedly, I'm a skeptic when it comes to statements by Iranian and
Iraqi
pilots--in fact, from all pilots involved in combat because most tend to
"stretch the truth" a bit. BRBR

No kiddin. I went to an ROE brief in Alexandria Egypt, and we(2 O-4s) came into
an auditorium filled with just about every Egyptian pilot they had. MANY
General officers and many veterans of the '73 war with Israel. If you added up
all their 'kills' tho, it would have been 3-4 times as many A/C that Israel has
ever had...

The F-14 languished and was never the A-A platform needed after the USSR was
seen to be not a threat to the CVBG. Another attempt to make it something it
wasn't, like making a really good bomber out of the F-4, when the A-7 was
technically lightyears ahead.

The F-15/6 was a better design from the ground up and was modified/improved
constantly.

I was in Oceana when the first F-14s were on the ramp(VF-32/14, 1977 or so)...a
decade later I flew the same A/C that had not been modified at all(VF-31).
P. C. Chisholm
CDR, USN(ret.)
Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye Phlyer